By Dave Workman | Senior Editor
Virginia Democrats, now in control of the General Assembly, moved swiftly with their new power by banning guns at the capitol in Richmond, the Washington Post and other media outlets reported.
The ban came just ten days before gun owners from across the state are planning to rally at the Capitol and lobby lawmakers in an effort to head off additional gun controls. Ever since Democrats won control of the General Assembly in November, they have been talking about new gun control measures, including reviving some of Gov. Ralph Northam’s gun control schemes.
The announcement came as more than 100 counties cities and towns have adopted resolutions declaring themselves “Second Amendment Sanctuaries.” Apparently, grassroots gun rights activists will be arriving from across the state in chartered buses or carpools.
Even as Democrats began using their new muscle, there was controversy surrounding the gun ban vote. According to WTOP News, House Majority Leader Charniele Herring said the ban had “been recommended by our Capitol Police.” However, the news agency also heard from Capitol Police Col. Anthony Pike, who said “he had made no recommendations on whether guns should be banned, only on how to implement the ban Democrats wanted,” WTOP noted.
Republican Delegate Kirk Cox told the station, “That was a deliberate misrepresentation. There’s just no way around that.”
Democrats gained control of the Virginia legislature last November, thanks partly to an infusion of $2.5 million in campaign support from anti-gun billionaire Michael Bloomberg’s Everytown for Gun Safety Action Fund.
“Among the reforms the party hopes to pass,” The Hill reported, “are universal background checks, a ban on assault weapons and a ‘red flag’ law that would permit law enforcement to remove guns from those deemed to pose a danger to themselves or others.” Democrats also want to revive the one-gun-a-month law and limit magazine capacity.
The National Rifle Association, based in Fairfax, issued a statement about the vote, asserting the new Democrat majority was “bought and paid for by Michael Bloomberg (and) will stop at nothing to cast your right of self-defense aside.”
The NRA is encouraging Virginia gun owners to flood the first hearing on gun legislation on Monday, Jan. 13 before the Senate Courts of Justice Committee. That hearing will begin at 8 a.m. in the General Assembly Building, Senate Sub-Committee Room #1 on the 5th Floor.
“Anti-gun zealot Gov. Northam wants the entire package of gun control bills fast-tracked for passage in the early days of this brief session,” the NRA said.
