Article
New member portal
1. First gun bills introduced
2. Gun shows and events
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1. First gun bills introduced
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As Lobby Day (January 18th) approaches, I am busy preparing to get as much of VCDL's legislative agenda passed as possible. Of course I can't get anything done without all of you doing your part by attending Lobby Day and sending those emails and making those phone calls to your elected officials in the General Assembly.
For those who might be new to all of this (and there may be many as the number of VA-ALERT subscribers went from 8,000 to 13,000 this year), you will be getting alerts frequently during January and February telling you to contact your Delegate and Senator about one bill or another. Those alerts will make it as easy as pie to do so, with pre-written messages and "click-to-send" simplicity.
Please be prepared for, and be patient with, the uptick in email frequency for the next few months.
THIS IS WHERE THE RUBBER MEETS THE ROAD, ladies and gentlemen, and this is where VCDL EXCELS!
So far seven gun bills have been pre-filed, with many, many more coming for the next several weeks.
All the bills introduced so far are pro-gun, but you can be sure that the anti-gun bills will be coming and our rights will be under assault.
If we stand together, we will prevail.
Here are the seven bills so far:
VCDL STRONGLY supports the following bills:
SB 3, Senator Smith (R - Roanoke), clarifies that CHPs can be renewed via the US mail.
HB 8, Delegate Carrico (R - Galax), matching House bill to SB 3.
HB 26, Delegate Wright (R - Victoria), clarifies that a Circuit Court Clerk may *not* ask for any extra documentation or information from a CHP applicant. This, hopefully, will stop abuse from Fairfax and certain other jurisdictions.
HB 49, Delegate Lingamfelter (R - Woodbridge), repeals "One Handgun A Month" completely! Delegate Lingamfelter already had this bill drafted when I called to ask him to put in such a bill for VCDL! How's that for clairvoyance? ;-)
HB 54, Delegate Cole (R - Fredericksburg), allows for the otherwise lawful carry of a handgun into a courthouse when the courthouse is being used for purposes other than judicial proceedings or official judicial activities. This will allow for lawful carry at things such as the Sussex County Board of Supervisors meetings, which are held at night at the Sussex County courthouse. This bill was put in at VCDL's request.
VCDL SUPPORTS the following bills:
HB 32, Delegate Bob Marshall (R - Manassas), allows faculty members with CHPs to be able to carry at state institutions of higher education without fear of being fired or reprimanded. VCDL prefers that students and staff with CHPs also be allowed to carry. The bill is a step in the right direction.
HB 52, Delegate Cole (R - Fredericksburg), sets the penalty for a CHP holder not being in possession of his CHP while carrying to a $25 civil fine that can be waived by the court. Note: the Virginia State Police already has the CHP holder's record showing his status. That information is automatically made available to officers in the field, so carrying the permit shouldn't really be necessary in the first place. However, this bill is a step in the right direction.
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2. Gun shows and events
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The Virginia Citizens Defense League thanks the following
member-activists who generously gave of their time to advance and
help defend the rights of their fellow gun owners by working our
recruiting and information booths at gun shows around the state.
Chantilly, November 20-22
Martin Cooley (we failed to list Martin in the last update)
Harrisonburg, December 12-13
Steve Shifflett, Kathy Arbuthnott, Bill Rogers, Bob Schmidt, Speedy & Terry Mercer, Bob Mortensen, Steve Layman, Dr. Jerry Coffey, Greg Trojan, and Mike Piper
As an all volunteer organization, VCDL depends on YOU to volunteer
your time at our area events, where we recruit new activists and keep
gun owners informed. No experience necessary; if it's your first time
we'll pair you with a veteran volunteer. To find out more about
helping at our gun show tables, go to:
and click on any of the blue links, or contact the coordinator for
the show/event listed below with which you are interested in helping.
Here are the upcoming events with which we need YOUR help:
a. VIRGINIA BEACH http://www.guns-knives.com, January 2-3, 2010
Saturday, January 2 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. 1:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Sunday, January 3 10:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. 1:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Please contact Ron and Jean Hyson at VBgunshows@vcdl.org to help in
Virginia Beach.
b. ROANOKE http://www.showmasters.us, January 2-3
Saturday, January 2 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. 1:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Sunday, January 3 9:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. 12:30 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Please contact Al Steed, Jr. at SWVAgunshows@vcdl.org to help in
Roanoke.
c. RICHMOND http://www.cegunshows.com, January 9-10
Saturday, January 9 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. 1:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Sunday, January 10 10:00 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. 1:30 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Contact Audrey Muehleisen at CentralVAgunshows@vcdl.org to help at
the Showplace in Mechanicsville.
d. RICHMOND http://www.guns-knives.com, January 16-17
Saturday, January 16 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. 1:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Sunday, January 17 10:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. 1:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Please contact our coordinator at CentralVAgunshows@vcdl.org to
help at the Meadow Event Park.
e. DALE CITY http://www.olddominionshows.com, January 16-17
Saturday, January 16 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. 1:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Sunday, January 17 9:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. 12:30 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Please contact Sam Childress at NOVAgunshows@vcdl.org to help in
Dale City.
f. HAMPTON http://www.guns-knives.com, January 23-24
Saturday, January 23 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. 1:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Sunday, January 24 10:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. 1:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Please contact Ron Lilly at HamptonRoadsgunshows@vcdl.org to help
in Hampton.
g. SALEM http://www.cegunshows.com, January 23-24
Saturday, January 23 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. 1:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Sunday, January 24 10:00 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. 1:30 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Please contact Al Steed, Jr. at SWVAgunshows@vcdl.org to help in Salem.
h. FISHERSVILLE http://www.showmasters.us, January 30-31
Saturday, January 30 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. 1:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Sunday, January 31 10:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. 1:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Please contact Bob Schmidt at Shenandoahgunshows@vcdl.org to help in
Fishersville.
i. RICHMOND http://www.showmasters.us, February 6-7
Saturday, February 6 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. 1:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Sunday, February 7 9:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. 12:30 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Contact our coordinator at CentralVAgunshows@vcdl.org to help at
the Richmond Raceway Complex.
j. CHANTILLY http://www.cegunshows.com, February 12-14
Friday, February 12 3:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.
Saturday, February 13 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. 1:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Sunday, February 14 10:00 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. 1:30 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Please contact Danny Paulson at NOVAgunshows@vcdl.org to help in
Chantilly.
k. VIRGINIA BEACH http://www.guns-knives.com, February 20-21
Saturday, February 20 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. 1:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Sunday, February 21 10:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. 1:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Please contact Ron and Jean Hyson at VBgunshows@vcdl.org to help in
Virginia Beach.
l. NORFOLK http://www.showmasters.us, February 20-21
Saturday, February 20 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. 1:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Sunday, February 21 10:00 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. 1:30 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Please contact Ed Burton at Norfolkgunshows@vcdl.org to help at
the Norfolk Scope.
m. FREDERICKSBURG http://www.guns-knives.com, February 20-21
Saturday, February 20 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. 1:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Sunday, February 21 10:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. 1:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Contact Robert Herron at Fredericksburggunshows@vcdl.org to help in Fredericksburg.
n. RICHMOND http://www.guns-knives.com, February 27-28
Saturday, February 27 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. 1:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Sunday, February 28 10:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. 1:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Please contact our coordinator at CentralVAgunshows@vcdl.org to
help at the Meadow Event Park.
o. HARRISONBURG http://www.showmasters.us, February 27-28
Saturday, February 27 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. 1:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Sunday, February 28 10:00 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. 1:30 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Please contact Bob Schmidt at Shenandoahgunshows@vcdl.org to help
in Harrisonburg.
p. RICHMOND http://www.cegunshows.com, March 6-7
Saturday, March 6 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. 1:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Sunday, March 7 10:00 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. 1:30 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Contact Audrey Muehleisen at CentralVAgunshows@vcdl.org to help at
the Showplace in Mechanicsville.
q. DALE CITY http://www.olddominionshows.com, March 13-14
Saturday, March 13 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. 1:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Sunday, March 14 9:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. 12:30 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Please contact Sam Childress at NOVAgunshows@vcdl.org to help in
Dale City.
r. ROANOKE http://www.showmasters.us, March 20-21
Saturday, March 20 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. 1:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Sunday, March 21 9:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. 12:30 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Please contact Al Steed, Jr. at SWVAgunshows@vcdl.org to help in
Roanoke.
s. HAMPTON http://www.guns-knives.com, March 20-21
Saturday, March 20 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. 1:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Sunday, March 21 10:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. 1:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Please contact Ron Lilly at HamptonRoadsgunshows@vcdl.org to help
in Hampton.
