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1. Marsh's Death Star committee - fat lady hasn't sung just yet
2. State Forests
3. Chicago vs McDonald being heard today in the Supreme Court
4. Open Carry in Starbucks in the news
5. CHP renewal by mail on its way to the Governor's Desk
6. The restaurant ban repeal, guns in locked containers to be voted on today
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1. Marsh's Death Star committee - fat lady hasn't sung just yet
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I haven't seen gun owners this angry since the Roanoke Times published a database of CHP holders information on their web site!! Senators Saslaw and Marsh have opened one hell of a can of worms.
IMPORTANT: *** Don't count us out on this just yet - we're working it hard as I write this. ***
The Senate Death Star subcommittee is meeting Thursday at 2 PM in the 4th Floor East Conference room of the General Assembly Building.
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Article from the Roanoke Times:
[SNIP]
Democratic Sen. Henry Marsh's quest to establish certain gun rights restrictions places several bills that would expand those rights before a firing squad.
During a Courts of Justice Committee meeting Monday, committee chairman Marsh announced the creation of a new subcommittee where a number of those bills will be sent.
Its lone Republican is Sen. Fred Quayle of Suffolk, who expressed some confusion about how the subcommittee will function, but not its composition.
"Obviously, the committee is slotted to people who generally are opposed to gun measures," he observed.
Philip Van Cleave of the pro-gun Virginia Citizens Defense League was more blunt in his assessment.
He dubbed it the "death star" subcommittee and labeled Marsh a "gun-hater" Monday in an e-mail denouncing the change.
"The anti-gun Democrats who control the Virginia Senate know that in the end they are outnumbered," Van Cleave wrote in another e-mail. "So they are left to playing games with our Constitutionally protected rights. While that is unconscionable, sadly it is not surprising."
The new Courts of Justice subcommittee is scheduled to meet Thursday.
Before it was established, however, several gun rights bills passed the Senate this year.
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2. State Forests
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The public hearing for State Forests allowing concealed carry is on the same day and about the same time that the "special" subcommittee in the Courts of Justice is going to meet to attempt to kill gun bills.
I would say it is probably more useful for the rank-and-file to attend the State Forests hearing rather than the Courts of Justice subcommittee hearing. If one is too far, then come to the other.
We are supporting the proposed State Forests regulation change to allow concealed carry in State Forests and also urging that State Forests allow unlicensed open carry, too.
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3. Chicago vs McDonald being heard today in the Supreme Court
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Today the Supreme Court is hearing oral arguments on Chicago vs McDonald, which could overturn Chicago's handgun ban and other gun control based on whether the Court says that the Second Amendment applies to states. That doesn't directly affect Virginia, as we have our own equivalent in our Constitution (Article I, Section 13).
CNN has a poll about half-way down the page here - let's hit this one hard:
And some coverage here:
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4. Open Carry in Starbucks in the news
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VCDL EMs in the news - Ed Levine, John Pierce, Mike Stollenwerk, and Dale Welch. BTW, kudos to Starbucks for continuing to stand their ground!
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5. CHP renewal by mail on its way to the Governor's Desk
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Congratulations to Delegate Carrico - his bill to clarify that CHPs can be renewed through the mail, HB 8, passed the Senate by a 30 to 10 vote and will be on the Governor's desk as soon as some final formalities are concluded in the House and Senate.
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6. The restaurant ban repeal, guns in locked containers to be voted on today
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The House should vote on Senator Hanger's SB 334 (restaurant ban repeal) and Senator Vogel's SB 408 (handguns in locked containers/compartments) today. If they pass unchanged, we will be on the last leg of the journey towards becoming law.