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1. More bills headed to Governor's desk
2. Let's tell Comcast not to oppose our right to self-defense
3. Bill Mims being considered for the Virginia Supreme Court - not a good idea?
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1. More bills headed to Governor's desk
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The following bills passed the Senate and are headed to Governor McDonnell's desk:
HB 109, Delegate Cole, repeals the power for localities to tax and register handguns - 40 to 0!
HB 1191, Delegate Griffith, allows the Circuit Court Clerk to issue CHPs if there are no problems with the application and the judge so authorizes the Clerk - 32 to 8
HB 505, Delegate Gilbert, repeals the restaurant ban - 25 to 15 (3 new votes of "yes" over the previous vote on SB 334 - Blevins, Yvonne Miller, Watkins finally got on the bandwagon)
HB 885, Delegate Athey, allows for a non-CHP holder to have a gun in a locked compartment or container in a motor vehicle or vessel - 24 to 16
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2. Let's tell Comcast not to oppose our right to self-defense
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As you might recall, last week a Comcast representative spoke against HB 171 in the Senate Courts of Justice Special subcommittee. HB 171 was Delegate Pogge's bill that would have allowed a person to have a gun in a locked vehicle on someone else's private property.
The Comcast CEO is Brian Roberts and his office number is 215-258-8960.
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3. Bill Mims being considered for the Virginia Supreme Court - not a good idea?
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Bill Mims was the interim Attorney General when Bob McDonnell resigned to run for Governor last year. Bill Mims was interviewed earlier this week by a joint House and Senate committee in consideration of him being appointed to the Virginia Supreme Court. When asked about judicial activism, he apparently gave a rather weak answer.
Prior to being the Interim Attorney General, Bill Mims was a state Senator. If you don't like the fact that CHP holders must keep their handgun fully concealed while sitting in their vehicle on K-12 school property - you can thank the then Senator Mims for that one.
In the Senate Courts of Justice Committee back in 2005, Senator Mims, who was never extremely strong on gun rights, said that handguns must be kept concealed at all times while on K-12 school property because "someone might pull onto school property with a handgun dangling from their rearview mirror otherwise."
That kind of wild thinking can really give us twisted laws and it certainly did in that case.
I have great concerns that the Supreme Court may not be the right place for Bill Mims.
At some point there will be an option for the public to speak on Mims nomination - I will advise when the time comes.
