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Tomorrow, Thursday, February 4th at 5 PM, in the 4th Floor West Conference room in the General Assembly Building, 16 gun bills will be heard:

HB 1070, Delegate Athey, alllows CHP holders to carry into emergency shelters - STRONGLY SUPPORT

HB 886, Delegate Athey, 10th Amendment protection of manufacture/sales within Virginia - SUPPORT

HB 69, Delegate Carrico, 10th Amendment protection of manufacture/sales within Virginia - SUPPORT

HB 871, Delegate Cline, clarifies the right of a first time CHP applicant to an Ore Tenus hearing if denied a permit - SUPPORT

HB 109, Delegate Cole, firearms from a locality's "buy-up" must be auctioned off if possible - STRONGLY SUPPORT

HB 1191, Delegate Griffith, Clerk of Court can issue CHPs if judge OKs him or her doing so - STRONGLY SUPPORT

HB 236, Delegate Janis, shooting within 1/2 mile of subdivision OK if done safely - STRONGLY SUPPORT

HB 1217, Delegate Lewis, gun safety, including the NRA's Eddie Eagle, to be taught in elementary schools - SUPPORT

HB 490, Delegate Lingamfelter, State Police to develop a plan for lifetime CHPs - STRONGLY SUPPORT

HB 684, Delegate Jackson Miller, makes butterfly knives illegal to carry concealed - OPPOSE

HB 520, Delegate Morrissey, requires of anyone selling 3 or more guns at a gun show have an FFL license - STRONGLY OPPOSE

HB 995, Delegate Nutter, "assault firearms" may be purchased with military ID or CHP as proof of citizenship - STRONGLY SUPPORT

HB 171, Delegate Pogge, provides that no employer, property owner, etc. may prohibit a gun locked in private vehicles in a parking lot - STRONGLY SUPPORT

HB 1146, Delegate Jim Scott, prohibits anyone who has had parental rights taken away from ever possessing guns - STRONGLY OPPOSE

HB 1379, Delegate Sickles, weakens firearms preemption for child care facilities in Northern Virginia - STRONGLY OPPOSE

HB 1209, Delegate Ward, requires that the State Police be notified of a change of address within 24 hours of a machine gun owner moving - STRONGLY OPPOSE

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On Friday, February 5th at 7:30 AM in the 7th Floor West Conference room, the Militia, Police, and Public Safety subcommittee #3 (the DEATH STAR subcommittee for pro-gun bills) will hear two gun bills:

HB 72, Delegate Carrico, reduces the penalty from a Class 6 felony to a Class 1 misdemeanor for someone inadvertently carrying a firearm on K-12 school property - STRONGLY SUPPORT

HB 32, Delegate Bob Marshall, allows faculty at a public higher-educational institution to be able to carry concealed on campus with a CHP - SUPPORT

The fate of the above two bills is bleak in this subcommittee.  The subcommittee consists of two Republicans (Carrico and Merricks) and three Democrats (Jim Scott, Tyler, Paula Miller).

I would expect both Republicans to support the two bills and I would expect both Tyler and Scott to oppose the bills.  That leaves the swing vote on guns in that subcommittee, Paula Miller, as the determining factor.

HB 72 brings the school weapons law back to where all laws should be: felonies should always involve actual harm or intent to harm - not mere possession of an otherwise lawful item.  Will Miller see the significance of that for all of Virginia law-abiding citizens?  We'll know on Friday.

Meanwhile, if you are a constituent of Paula Miller (Norfolk area), give her a call at 804-698-1087 and encourage her to support HB 72 when she votes on it on Friday morning.  If she supports that bill, it will head to the full committee.