A Virginia Senate panel designed to eliminate House gun rights proposals went about its work efficiently Thursday, killing an attempted repeal of the state's 17-year-old ban on buying more than one handgun a month and several other bills.I guess Zorro was right that this one was far from a foregone conclusion. In fact, with a subcommittee like that, it was quite the opposite.The Senate Courts of Justice special subcommittee, which was composed of four Democrats and one Republican, voted 4 to 1 along party lines to table the gun-a-month repeal sponsored by Del. L. Scott Lingamfelter (R-Prince William).
"I think that the NRA's agenda of any gun, anywhere, anytime has been dealt a blow," said Lori Haas, a gun-control activist whose daughter survived two superficial gunshot wounds in the 2007 Virginia Tech massacre.
Gun-control advocates said that repealing the law would make it easier for people to buy many guns -- or to recruit straw purchasers to do so -- and ship them to urban areas on the East Coast. They reminded the senators that Virginia's rank as a supplier of illicit weapons dropped from first to sixth after the law's passage in 1993.
What could the pro-gun response to that possibly be? I've heard the excuse that all crime when down at that time, but that doesn't explain the comparative ranking of Virginia as supplier of illicit weapons after the one-gun-a-month law went into effect.
Another thing I often hear is why would there be so many reports about Virginia guns ending up in New York and New Jersey if the law was working. My response is the obvious one, if not for the laws restricting guns, the results would be that much worse
What's your opinion? Please leave a comment.
I see you made no mention of the fact that killing a bill in subcommittee is against the Virginia Senate's own rules--the ends justify the means, eh?
ReplyDeleteThe bill will be back. If not this year, then next. And it will keep coming back, year after year, after year, until Constitutional rights-rationing is dead in Virginia.
While I hate to see this continued rationing scheme in place, I must admit that with all of the gun victories recently that you consider a "win" for your side to be not overturning a current law. I wish you more "wins" of that nature while we see more effectual gun control schemes continue to tumble.
ReplyDeleteTime for more compromise! 20,000 gun laws on the books and I want zero gun laws. I'll meet you in the middle. It's the least we can do.
MikeB: “They reminded the senators that Virginia's rank as a supplier of illicit weapons dropped from first to sixth after the law's passage in 1993.
ReplyDeleteWhat could the pro-gun response to that possibly be?”
Because that stat line by itself does not mean anything. Why is 44/50 used to prove that something is working when there are 40 some states without gun rationing that have less trafficking? A one year change is the biggest lie that statistics can be used for, especially when something is the worst, and can only get better from there. I also find it odd that the phrasing says from first to sixth after the law’s “passage”, instead of after the law actually went into affect.
-TS