VA VCDL alert - gun show "loophole"

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1. *Urgent* Action Item - restaurant ban repeal
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If you live in or around Senator Emmett Hanger's district (Albemarle
County; Augusta County; Greene County; Highland County; Lexington
City; Rockbridge County; Rockingham County; Staunton City; Waynesboro
City), I urgently need you to email and to call his office ***NOW***
to encourage him to **carry** the restaurant ban repeal this year!

TIME IS OF THE ESSENCE AND THAT TIME IS EXTREMELY SHORT!

If you want to get rid of that stupid ban, please do this ASAP.

Phone: 804-698-7524

email: district24@sov.state.va.us

Suggested email:

Dear Senator Hanger,

Please carry a bill to repeal Virginia's ban on concealed handguns in
restaurants that serve alcohol.

The ban only affects concealed handgun permit holders, the most law
abiding citizens in the Commonwealth.

Thirty-six other states, representing over 3 million permit holders,
trust their permit holders to carry in restaurants that serve alcohol.

So should Virginia.

Please let me know if you can help in this important matter.

Sincerely,
[YOUR NAME]
[YOUR ADDRESS]

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2. Great day for VCDL!
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You are going to enjoy this - read on:

We had a great turnout at the General Assembly today. We broke into
groups by regions and lobbied Delegates and Senators from mid-morning
to afternoon.

The highlight of the day was when Senator Devolites Davis (Senator
DD) held a press conference on her bill to close the non-existent
'gun show loophole.'

We decided that we should attend that press conference with our
bright orange "Guns Save Lives" buttons.

About 25 of us headed to the press conference and we outnumbered the
bill's supporters!

While waiting for the press conference to begin, the press cameras
were panning our way and some of the press came over to interview us.

The entire conference was taped by Matt Gottshalk, who is doing a
professional promotional video for VCDL free of charge. I am SOOOOO
glad Matt was there taping and I think you will agree:

Senator DD said to the press, "This is not about taking away anyone's
Second Amendment rights."

After she spoke, the next speaker was S. Buford Scott with Scott &
Stringfellow, an investment banking firm in Richmond associated with
anti-gun BB&T (boy, is that a surprise).

Mr. Scott proceeded to say that, "If the matter were left up to me, I
would REQUIRE the registration of ALL firearms in the whole United States."

He went on to state that he wanted us to be like Canada, where all
guns are registered!

FINALLY, the TRUTH from the dark side about their FULL agenda.

I appreciate Mr. Scott's candor and will share it with the Senate
Courts of Justice committee when the gun show bill comes before them!

He then proceeded to come up with a survey where 85% wanted this kind
of gun control and 82% wanted this other kind of gun control and on
and on. All of his numbers were over 70% in favor of gun control!
The firm that did the survey was here in Richmond and I was left with
the impression that it was affiliated with either Mr. Scott or his
firm.

As soon as the press conference was over, the press headed over to
interview VCDL, leaving Senator DD and the other antis standing there
without much to do. ;-)

Board member Bruce Jackson and I were surrounded by press. Bruce was
in an optimum position relative to the location of the press and got
most of the questions. He did a great job. EM Dave Van was also
interviewed and handled it very well, appearing on FOX news in
Richmond.

We are going to post some great still photos from Lobby Day and also
the video of Senator DD, Mr. Scott, and the Q&A that followed on the
VCDL site. I will advise when you can view them.

BTW, how do you know when VCDL is at the General Assembly? By this
sound:

BEEEEEEEP!.....BEEEEEEEEP!.......BEEEEEEEEP!.......BEEEEEEEEEP!.....BEEEEEP!.......

Jason Young sent this hilarious email to me tonight:

--

Philip,

It was nice meeting you and the other VCDL members at the lobby day.
While I felt lost most of the time it was interesting to see part of
the lobby process. It is really impressive to see all the work the
that VCDL puts into protecting all Virginians' 2nd Amendment rights.

I was surprised at how easily a CHL holder could enter the General
Assembly building. Most everyone had to put their pocket material in
a dish for the x-ray machine. When I showed my CHP I was told to go
through the metal detector and never had to put any of my stuff
through the x-ray.

My wife Hollie was right behind me and had elected to not carry. So
she had to put her stuff through the machine.

When the woman right behind us asked the attendant why I didn't have
to put my stuff through the machine he said "he's got a gun".

To that she said stunned "oh"....

Regards,
Jason Young

--

Here are links to the many stories on that press conference that are
ALREADY posted. I expect there might be a more detailed on from the
Richmond Times Dispatch on Tuesday:

http://www.wtopnews.com/index.php?nid=25&sid=1033239

WTOP

...Supporters of the bill, introduced by Sen. Jeannemarie Devolites
Davis, R-Fairfax, say it would prohibit guns from falling into
criminals' hands...

Opponents say the bill would unduly burden gun dealers, who must keep
records of background checks in case the gun ever is used in a crime.
It also would take time away from their customers at a gun show to
run the check, said Bruce Jackson, a board member for Virginia
Citizens Defense League.

"I'm going to come to you and I'm going to give you five bucks, and
you now have to maintain records for me for the next 20 to 25 years
for five dollars. I mean, it's just not worth it to the dealer," said
Jackson, who wore an orange "GUNS Save Lives" button on his lapel and
was joined by about 20 gun dealers and league members...

http://tinyurl.com/vvex8

Daily Press

...Sen. Jeannmarie Devolites-Davis, R-Fairfax, said this morning that
lawmakers should close a legal loophole that allows unlicensed
dealers to sell guns without conducting the checks. It makes it
all-too-easy for criminals to get firearms, she said...

Gun-rights activists say few guns are sold through unlicensed dealers
at gun shows. In many cases, the "dealer" is a private citizen who
simply wants to sell one or two firearms from a personal collection.

Philip Van Cleave of the Virginia Citizens Defense League said
federal statistics show that few guns sold at gun shows are actually
linked to crime...

http://www.wric.com/Global/story.asp?S=5941253

WRIC (Richmond)

...Sen. Jeannemarie Devolites-Davis, R-Fairfax says, "This is not a
bill about taking away anyone's second amendment rights, this is
about making sure upstanding citizens possess firearms. Those that
are criminals do not."

Sen. Devolites-Davis is sponsoring Senate Bill827, she calls it a
common sense law.

According to the group, Virginians Against Handgun Violence, between
22 and 35 percent of the sellers at gun shows in the state are
unlicensed private sellers. [They must be including people selling
hot dogs, jewelry, and other non-firearm related things - PVC]...

...8NEWS also spoke with members of the gun rights group, "Virginia
Citizens Defense League." They tell us the bill is a solution looking
for a problem. They point to a Department of Justice report that
found guns bought from gun shows account for less than one percent of
weapons used in crimes.

Bruce Jackson of Virginia Citizens Defense League says, "If you're a
regular dealer of firearms and you do not have a license from the ATF
-- you go to jail. You get arrested and go to jail. Someone like me,
who sells firearms to a friend, they're trying to make that illegal"

The group also says the bill would also be a burden to private
sellers who would have to find a dealer to perform a background check
before they can sell a weapon.

http://tinyurl.com/y8mcmj

Richmond Times Dispatch

A Fairfax Republican will carry this year's version of a measure that
would close the so-called gun show loophole in Virginia. State Sen. Jeannemarie Devolites Davis, R-Fairfax, is sponsoring the
bill that gun control advocates contend would close what they call a
loophole that allows people to buy firearms from unlicensed dealers
without a background check at gun shows. Similar measures have died
in past legislatures -- last year, a proposal pushed by state Sen.
Henry L.Marsh III, D-Richmond, died in the Senate Courts of Justice
Committee.

Davis described her bill "as not about taking away anybody's Second
Amendment rights" but a "commonsense bill."

Opponents -- which include the Virginia Citizens Defense League --
counter the measure isn't needed, would pose undue burdens on gun
sellers and believe it's the first step toward national gun
registration.

--

A great start! But now the heavy lifting starts and VCDL needs YOUR
help. Things are really going to get hectic for the next few weeks,
so check your emails as often as possible for urgent and important
action items.