News from Virginia.

PORTSMOUTH, Va. (WAVY) — Portsmouth is one of the latest localities to send a message to lawmakers in Richmond in support of Second Amendment rights.

City Council voted 4-3 in favor of passing a resolution of support of the Second Amendment resolution, which declares Portsmouth a “Second Amendment Constitutional City.”

Mayor John Rowe, Vice Mayor Lisa Lucas-Burke and council member Shannon Glover voted in opposition. Rowe said he believes in sensible gun legislation.

The meeting started at 7 p.m. in the City Council Chamber and went past 11 p.m.

Speakers addressed city leaders for several hours. The council chamber was packed full, with people watching on monitors and more downstairs on the first floor watching.

But one of the most talked-about moments in Tuesday’s meeting: Councilman Nathan Clark showed up wearing an AR-15 rifle.

The councilman said he did this to make a statement about his stance on the proposed gun laws. In a letter to citizens, he said the new legislation is ludicrous and he says he plans to defend the oath to the Constitution that he swore to as a law enforcement officer.

“The newly proposed gun legislation for the state of Virginia is ludicrous,” the letter reads. “The legislation will make criminals of lawful citizens and gun owners. Again, I am a law enforcement officer, and if this legislation is passed, I will also be made a criminal.

“Taking away the rights of our citizens not only puts them in greater danger, but the act is unconstitutional. Criminals have always and will always break the law. We must punish the existing criminals for their actions, and not take away the means of defense from law-abiding citizens.”

So the voters now have three people who need to be booted to the curb.  One good thing about all of this is that the controllers have to self-identify.

Via WiscoDave, this misleading piece from Breitbart.

Virginia Democrats withdrew an AR-15 confiscation bill Monday after thousands of NRA members showed up to oppose new gun controls.

The NRA asked members to flood the January 13, 2020, Virginia Senate meetings and ensure pro-Second Amendment voices drowned out those calling for gun control.

The Washington Free Beacon reports the presence of thousands of NRA members “appeared to have an impact.” Democrats withdrew a bill aimed at AR-15 confiscation and moderated other gun control proposals.

But NRA-ILA Virginia state director Daniel Spiker made clear the changes, though good, were not enough.

He said, “While there were some improvements to some of these bills, overall, it’s still bad legislation. Putting in more regulations and making it more onerous on the law-abiding citizens of Virginia is not something we stand for.”

Richard Cosner, a Chester, Virginia, preacher, was present to oppose new gun controls.

He pointed out attempts to legislate gun control serve as a way to usurp the Constitution:  “The Constitution is specific; it ‘shall not be infringed.’ If somebody wants to restrict those rights then they need to follow it by altering the Constitution, not by putting in place legislation that is in conflict with the Constitution.”

This lede is very misleading.  That’s not what happened at all, and the Virginia lawmakers couldn’t care less what the NRA or its members think.

They’re dropping redundant bills and focusing on getting their preferred bills out of committee.  There will still be a universal background check.  There will still be an AWB.  There will still be the restrictions on shooting ranges.  There will still be magazine capacity limits.  We could go on.

An earlier version of the article had this.

Lawmakers will continue to work on the bills passed today and consider other gun-control bills. Those include a House of Delegates bill that would ban new sales of AR-15s, force gun owners to register AR-15s, and outlaw possession of magazines holding more than 10 rounds.

Here’s a note to writers: please don’t be misleading.

Interesting reddit/firearms comment thread.  One reader gets it and has sense of where this is headed.

The is one of the main issues to me. People will obviously not comply with registration, and there will obviously be illegal private transactions that take place after the law goes in to effect. But FFL’s are in an unfortunate position where they have no choice but to follow the law. I think a lot of people aren’t thinking of this aspect. They assume that if the law passes, everyone will disobey the law, and that things will more or less go on as normal.

That’s a good point and one that I have been thinking about.

Remember, while there will indeed still be private transactions, as there should be, and while I suspect most gun owners will neither give up nor register their firearms, nor should they, FFLs will be in a mess.

This is one of the goals of the controllers.  For my Virginian readers and friends, you’ll still likely be able to purchase bolt action rifles, maybe lever action rifles, revolvers and shotguns (I expect limits on tube mag capacity, and perhaps limits on type, i.e., pump action allowed, no auto-loaders), you won’t be able to purchase MSRs or standard capacity magazines from your local FFL.  It’s likely that pistol sales will be tightly controlled and monitored.

Some FFLs will shut down.  Some will barely be able to stay afloat.  In the mean time, remember that you can still purchase what you want, and also remember this: under current ATF rules, long guns sales from an FFL can cross state lines in adjacent states.

That means you can drive to North Carolina, West Virginia, Kentucky or Tennessee to buy MSRs, pistols, magazines, and whatever else you need.  Ammunition is a huge deal.  Make sure you have everything you will want or need, for both you and your progeny.

Via WRSA (and reader QuidProQuo), some common sense resistance.

For starters, I seem to recall at least one sheriff in one county stated that should the state begin unconstitutional confiscations, he’d deputize the population as a posse-at-large to nip that right in the bud.

So tell me, those of you on the ground there, with actual skin in the game, WhyTF aren’t all your 2A sanctuary counties and cities pushing your respective sheriffs and police chiefs for the exact same plan??

Why are you leaving it as a what-if contingency?
Why aren’t you pushing to make it a by-God reality, RightF-ingNow??
1000 yahoos fapping in the park at the statehouse are a juicy target for the leftards, the media, and the minions of jackbooted thuggery.
But 500 or 1000 folks at the county meeting or sheriff’s office is a voting bloc that won’t be ignored. Because how in hell did all y’all get those 2A sanctuary votes pushed through? Hmmm???

So how about leading with your strength, instead of your chin for a change?

Dear Sheriff Dawg,
We, the citizens of Bugtussle County, respectfully require that you come up with a plan to deputize auxiliary deputies, to prevent or oppose any unconstitutional enforcement actions in Bugtussle County, effective ASAP.  – signed, 500 registered voters

If he does it, you’ve just grown fangs for liberty teeth. If not, you’ve identified that he was just paying lip service, and needs to go in the next election, if not sooner.

Sounds a lot like something I said.

In the mean time, I really wonder if it might be a much better use of time and resources to leave Richmond alone (after all, there is virtually nothing that can be done to stop the controllers on their way to the Tower of Babel), and schedule a cup of coffee with your local town police, county Sheriff or county deputies.

You can see exactly where they stand, and perhaps make a difference in their views.  If not, you know exactly where you stand.  Yes?

Shhh … quiet.  Hidden from view.  Don’t telegraph your plans to the controllers.  Prepare your own terrain, physical and human, and meet them there.  Focus on your strengths, not theirs.  The pit of vipers is their terrain.  Don’t silhouette the skyline.

The innovative citizen could come up with any number of good plans that don’t silhouette the skyline.  Nothing you say or do will change the controllers’ minds to build their tower of babel.  “Can a leopard change its spots?”

But you can make it too costly for them to finish the job.

Via David Codrea, this bit of non-news from Virginia.

RICHMOND — The Northam administration threw its weight Thursday behind the eight proposals it will back on gun control this legislative session, including a ban on assault weapons defined as any semiautomatic rifle or pistol with a magazine that holds more than 10 rounds.

The Northam-backed bill would go into effect in July, but would allow people who already own an assault weapon to obtain a permit from the state for restricted use. Without a permit, the guns would have to be disposed of, surrendered or made inoperable by January 2021.

[ … ]

It is different from a bill filed by Senate Majority Leader Dick Saslaw, D-Fairfax, which does not include a “grandfather” provision for current owners of weapons deemed “assault weapons.” The lack of such a provision in Saslaw’s bill has raised concerns among some gun-rights backers about confiscation. Saslaw has said his bill will be amended in committee to “resolve some problems.”

[ … ]

The definition of an assault weapon, under this bill, also includes features like a folding or telescoping stock, and thumbhole stock, a second grip and barrel that can hold a silencer or extender. The bill also classifies a semiautomatic pistol that weighs more than 50 ounces unloaded as an assault weapon.

Uh huh.  “Resolve some problems.”  I’ll bet.

So I lied.  We do learn something from this.  The ban includes all or most large frame semi-automatic pistols, perhaps leaving some compacts and sub-compacts alone as long as they are single stack or have limited capacity magazines.

Resolve some problems.  Something tells me there will be massive non-compliance with this, so the next question on all of our minds is what happens next?  What will the 2A sanctuary counties do?  See, this was never going to be door-to-door confiscations.  It was always going to be about traffic stops, red flag visits in the middle of the night based on social media entries, etc., etc.  Will gun owners support each other or let the state pick them off one-by-one?

The next steps are sure to come.  So get on with it.

Am I reading this right?

SENATE BILL NO. 353Offered January 8, 2020Prefiled January 6, 2020A BILL to amend the Code of Virginia by adding in Article 3 of Chapter 12 of Title 18.2 a section numbered 18.2-511.2, relating to outdoor shooting ranges; prohibited adjacent to residential areas; exceptions; civil penalty.

———-Patron– Bell———-Referred to Committee for Courts of Justice———-Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:

1. That the Code of Virginia is amended by adding in Article 3 of Chapter 12 of Title 18.2 a section numbered 18.2-511.2 as follows:

§ 18.2-511.2. Outdoor shooting ranges; prohibited adjacent to residential areas; exceptions; civil penalty.

A. As used in this section, “outdoor shooting range” means any partially enclosed or unenclosed area or facility designed for the use of rifles, shotguns, pistols, silhouettes, skeet, trap, black powder, or any other similar sport shooting.

B. It is unlawful to operate an outdoor shooting range within 500 yards of any property zoned for residential use unless the Range Design Criteria developed by the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Health, Safety and Security have been met.

C. Any person who violates the provisions of this section is subject to a civil penalty of not less than $1,000 nor more than $100,000 for the initial violation and $5,000 per day for each day of violation thereafter.

By stipulating “any partially enclosed or unenclosed area,” they seem to want to outlaw any backyard or woods shooting, regardless of county or town regulations.  In other words, your “range” doesn’t have to be a formally designated range open for business.  It might be your backyard, as long as you’ve put up a berm or some steel targets.

I guess they really are coming for the Fudd regardless of what he thinks.  Shooting is a perishable skill.

There appears to be no depth to which they will not stoop.

American Partisan, The Mother of all Buffalo Jumps.

Just make sure that you’re not being stampeded toward a cliff, by devious political operatives who are more clever and cold-hearted than you. Remember Charlottesville, and what happened at Twin Peaks. Please think long and hard about stampeding into Richmond for what might turn out to be the mother of all buffalo jumps.

Keep it smart, and keep it local. Be the Indian, not the buffalo.

I’ve already got my finger of blame ready to point.

In the mean time, I really wonder if it might be a much better use of time and resources to leave Richmond alone (after all, there is virtually nothing that can be done to stop the controllers on their way to the Tower of Babel), and schedule a cup of coffee with your local town police, county Sheriff or county deputies.

You can see exactly where they stand, and perhaps make a difference in their views.  If not, you know exactly where you stand.  Yes?

Shhh … quiet.  Hidden from view.  Don’t telegraph your plans to the controllers.  Prepare your own terrain, physical and human, and meet them there.  Focus on your strengths, not theirs.  The pit of vipers is their terrain.  Don’t silhouette the skyline.

HB 567:

Indoor shooting ranges; prohibited in buildings not owned or leased by the Commonwealth or federal government; exceptions; civil penalty. Prohibits the operation of an indoor shooting range, defined in the bill, in any building not owned or leased by the Commonwealth or federal government unless (i) fewer than 50 employees work in the building or (ii) (a) at least 90 percent of the users of the indoor shooting range are law-enforcement officers or federal law-enforcement officers, (b) the indoor shooting range maintains a log of each user’s name, phone number, address, and the law-enforcement agency where such user is employed, and (c) the indoor shooting range verifies each user’s identity and address by requiring all users to present a government-issued photo-identification card. The bill provides that any person that violates the provisions of this section is subject to a civil penalty of not less than $1,000 nor more than $100,000 for the initial violation and $5,000 per day for each day of violation thereafter.

This is a strange one.  It begins quite draconian, and then stipulates that it doesn’t apply to buildings where fewer than 50 employees work.

Why the cutoff of 50?  I’m not familiar with indoor shooting ranges in Virginia.  Are there any which employs over 50 people?  And why would any of this matter?  What do they think they gain with this legislation?

I’m not sure to whom this would apply?  Or am I misreading this?  Also, could it be that a simple change in the future (e.g., strikethrough of the number 50) might be the next step?

NC Renegade.

My neighbors said that the newspapers had been printing false information on town hall meetings. Said that votes were not going to be taking place when in fact they did. Seems the powers that be didn’t want the people coming to express their opinions. Neighbors also stated that buses have already been chartered for taking people to the capitol on the 20th. They are expecting thousands from their area to travel.

Ammo is being purchased as quickly as possible. The sound of Gunfire could be heard throughout the hills during the day.

Read the rest here.  He says “false” information.  I have no doubt.  It just isn’t that difficult for journalists to round up accurate information.

“These people are crazy”, “Yea, they’re like little kids. As long as we don’t reply we’ll get through this.”

Some listeners are claiming that it’s impossible to hear it accurately.  I could, especially with the help of the comments which link this cleaned up version.  The contact information for this group of vipers is here.