VCDL's 2007-2008 legislative agenda

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VCDL President wrote:

67GT390FB wrote:

VApatriot wrote:

As for the 2008 legislative agenda, I have one major concern. Almost for sure someone will introducea bill to allow students and facultyat state funded colleges and universitiesto carry at their campuses without having to worry about receivingadministrative punishments. However, most all the talk I have heard on the subject has centered around only exempting those who have CHPs.

Wouldn't it be much better to form a bill so that it merely forces state funded institutions tochange their policies toconform with the law throughout the Commonwealth? This would then allow those who do not have CHPs the chance to defend themselves as well.

Changing the law to only exempt a certain group of people further promotes the idea that self-defence is not a natural right of man but a privilege you must ask the government for. Furthermore, what ifwe finally get thelaw changed so that CHPs are no longer issued, and we can CC freely like in Vermont. If you have to have a CHP to carry at a college, and they are no longer issued, then we would be right back to where we are now.

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that is why we in va would most likely press for alaska style laws where a permit is not required but one could be issued upon your request for use in other states which have permits and require them.

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Yes - I agree with 67GT390FB on this. There will most likely be a few places where only permit holders will be able to carry and colleges could be one of them.

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But why should that be? It doesn't make much sense to require CHPs anywhere in the first place.

Having a law that says you must have a CHP to carry at curtain places isn't much different than making laws that say youmay notcarry at all at other place. Those who mean to do harm to others will carry with or without completebansat curtainplaces, and they will carry with or without apermit at places that require permits. So why should we punish those who do not wish to apply to the government for a permit, those who are waiting for their application to be processedor those who do not qualify for a permit do to their age?

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VApatriot wrote:

VCDL President wrote:

67GT390FB wrote:

VApatriot wrote:

As for the 2008 legislative agenda, I have one major concern. Almost for sure someone will introducea bill to allow students and facultyat state funded colleges and universitiesto carry at their campuses without having to worry about receivingadministrative punishments. However, most all the talk I have heard on the subject has centered around only exempting those who have CHPs.

Wouldn't it be much better to form a bill so that it merely forces state funded institutions tochange their policies toconform with the law throughout the Commonwealth? This would then allow those who do not have CHPs the chance to defend themselves as well.

Changing the law to only exempt a certain group of people further promotes the idea that self-defence is not a natural right of man but a privilege you must ask the government for. Furthermore, what ifwe finally get thelaw changed so that CHPs are no longer issued, and we can CC freely like in Vermont. If you have to have a CHP to carry at a college, and they are no longer issued, then we would be right back to where we are now.

Click to expand...

that is why we in va would most likely press for alaska style laws where a permit is not required but one could be issued upon your request for use in other states which have permits and require them.

Click to expand...

Yes - I agree with 67GT390FB on this. There will most likely be a few places where only permit holders will be able to carry and colleges could be one of them.

Click to expand...

But why should that be? It doesn't make much sense to require CHPs anywhere in the first place.

Having a law that says you must have a CHP to carry at curtain places isn't much different than making laws that say youmay notcarry at all at other place. Those who mean to do harm to others will carry with or without completebansat curtainplaces, and they will carry with or without apermit at places that require permits. So why should we punish those who do not wish to apply to the government for a permit, those who are waiting for their application to be processedor those who do not qualify for a permit do to their age?

Click to expand...

My question would be, "why should we punish those who could be protected now with their CHP while we wait for everyone to be able to carry on campus?"

It's called baby steps and sometimes there isn't a second step. Usually there is, but time will tell.

Our first preemption bill, that passed in 2003, preempted laws for CHP holders only. There was moaning and groaning about that from some people. VCDL was accused by one individual of being anti-gun because we didn't go for the whole enchilada at once and had "abandoned" everyone else.

We told everyone to be patient and the next year we put in a full repeal and got it.

We were happy that at least over 100,000 people were living under preemption for that year as opposed to no one. The next year, 7,000,000 people were living under preemption.

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[size="-1"]"The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step."

If you take an all or nothing position, you may get just that - nothing.

VCDL has worked tirelessly to put the citizens of Virginia in the best possible position. Compromise is not always a bad word, especially when it yields progress. More work to be done? You bet there is but there has been progress.

Yata hey
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VCDL President wrote:

We need to put in something that has a chance of passing, hence the CHP holder exemption. That will be a plenty big enough fight.

If we eventually get VT or AK type laws, we will have to fix a lot of things.

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VCDL has a legislative Candidate Survey. I would strongly suggest that all of the issues on the survey should be brought forward. If VCDL as not serious about these issues, then why put them in the survey?

My recommended agenda, lifted from the VCDL survey:

Repeal the "restaurant ban"

Recognize all other states' concealed carry permits

Repeal the fingerprint language in Virginia's concealed handgun law

Allow concealed handgun permit holders to have a gun on their person while on school grounds

Prevent public colleges and universities from penalizing students with concealed handgun permits from carrying on campus

Alaska-style carry

Penalize localities that enforce gun bans in violation of state law

Repeal Virginia's "one-gun-a-month" rationing law

Castle Doctrine: homeowners immunity from criminal prosecution and civil suit if they use a firearm in their own home to protect themselves or their families from a violent intruder

Over turn the GAB gun ban

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PVC, VCDL, and VCDL-PAC have been the most effective gun rights group in the Commonwealth for years. I have been a member since 2003 and will continue to be one.

For rural members only? Norfolk, Staunton and Manassas incidents rig a bell?

Chinchin,

If VCDL is not working to suit you start your own group and show us the way to the promised land. Action requires much more effort than complaining.

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Add to your list: Stand your ground.

Yata hey

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ChinChin wrote:

I would like to see VCDL focus LESS on hunting and sports shooting laws, and focus more on laws that impact ALL locations of VA.

The potential of making an ordinance that would not allow a shooting range to be in operation in a southern rural Virginia county impacts only that particular region, whereas the ability to carry concealed in a restaurant that serves alcohol impact the entire commonwealth.

Less micro, more macro.

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VCDL is for all Virginians. Not speaking for the organization but for myself, they fight 'em where they find 'em - in Northern Va., Norfolk, Hampton, and in the woods. They do work to the point of exhaustion sometimes - defending your RKBA.

Remember the members, board and President are all unpaid volunteers. When a problem surfaces, one or more volunteers will saddle up and ride out to correct it. Sometimes a call goes out for help - all volunteers.

Whether hunting, sport, OC, CC, schools or restaurants any challange to our RKBA is a threat to us all. Remember the "death by a thousand cuts?" VCDL will stand for no infringements on these rights but living, breathing volunteers are needed - one man or a even small group can not accomplish all that needs to be done alone.

Bottom line though is if you want more progress, do as others have done - volunteer.
Don't have time or health? Send them a donation - bet nobody ever suggested that before have they? Get involved, become pro-active - even OC more or take a kid shooting!

The best to you and yours.

Yata hey

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Thundar wrote:

VCDL President wrote:

We need to put in something that has a chance of passing, hence the CHP holder exemption. That will be a plenty big enough fight.

If we eventually get VT or AK type laws, we will have to fix a lot of things.

Click to expand...

VCDL has a legislative Candidate Survey. I would strongly suggest that all of the issues on the survey should be brought forward. If VCDL as not serious about these issues, then why put them in the survey?

My recommended agenda, lifted from the VCDL survey:

Repeal the "restaurant ban"

Recognize all other states' concealed carry permits

Repeal the fingerprint language in Virginia's concealed handgun law

Allow concealed handgun permit holders to have a gun on their person while on school grounds

Prevent public colleges and universities from penalizing students with concealed handgun permits from carrying on campus

Alaska-style carry

Penalize localities that enforce gun bans in violation of state law

Repeal Virginia's "one-gun-a-month" rationing law

Castle Doctrine: homeowners immunity from criminal prosecution and civil suit if they use a firearm in their own home to protect themselves or their families from a violent intruder

Over turn the GAB gun ban

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Attend lobby day on January 21st. You'll find all these points are on the agenda - some will be hit more strongly than others because the executive board realizes they need to put effort on things they can accomplish.

In short, to echo what others have said. ..... get involved.

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hsmith wrote:

VA should be utilizing the laws we have on hands to prosecute criminals. I have always stood for putting violent people in jail for a long time, esp those that commit violent crime with a firearm.

Use the laws, don't create new ones.

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i think we are on the same page. i wasn't necessarily advocating new laws but i figured it would take a new law to stiffen the penalties tied to existing law.



joe

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Thundar wrote:

VCDL has a legislative Candidate Survey. I would strongly suggest that all of the issues on the survey should be brought forward. If VCDL as not serious about these issues, then why put them in the survey?

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I can think of a couple of good reasons, but the most important is probably to help prioritize the issues that should be carried forward at any particular time. Realizing that there are some issues that can be corrected now and putting effort toward them over issues where the votes aren't there is good practice.

On the issues that are in the survey but not the highest priority at any given time, they allow everyone to see the positions of our (potential) elected officials, gauge who we need to work on replacing or supporting, etc in order to ultimately get everything in the survey corrected.