It shall be is unlawful for any person to import, sell, manufacture, purchase, possess, or transport an assault firearm. A violation of this section shall be is punishable as a Class 6 felony…
It is unlawful for any person to import, sell, transfer, manufacture, purchase, possess, or transport any large-capacity firearm magazine. A violation of this section is punishable as a Class 6 felony…
It is unlawful for any person to import, sell, transfer, manufacture, purchase, possess, or transport a silencer. A violation of this section is punishable as a Class 6 felony…
Any person who legally owns an assault firearm on July 1, 2020, may apply for a permit to possess such assault firearm…
A person issued a permit to possess an assault firearm pursuant to subsection B may possess an assault firearm only under the following conditions: While in his home or on his property or while on the property of another who has provided prior permission, provided that the person has the landowner’s written permission on his person while on such property… While at a shooting range… While engaged in lawful hunting; or While surrendering the assault firearm to a state or local law-enforcement agency…
A few things:
First, this has a grandfather clause for existing owners, though only of “assault weapons.” An earlier version of this bill (SB 16) did not. Progress? Though standard-capacity magazines and silencers are not grandfathered in.
Second, the restrictions on transport are bizarre. If you stop to get gas on your way home from the range, you’re a felon. Even with the AR-15 unloaded and locked in the trunk. That’s because you do not have the “landowner’s written permission” to possess the firearm on the gas station owner’s property. Also you can’t take your AR-15 to your buddy’s house, even if he rents 100 acres in the middle of nowhere, unless you get the “landowner’s written permission” from the landlord in advance.
Dogs will push their limits unless firmly instructed otherwise. If they nip and get away with it, they might bite. If they bite and get away with it, they might become even more aggressive. Same with the anti-constitutionalists in Virginia. This is just the beginning.
HB 961, Delegate Mark Levine’s “assault weapon,” higher-capacity magazine, and suppressor ban cleared the House Public Safety committee by a 12 to 9 party line vote. The bill that passed was a substitute that made a few insignificant changes to the original bill. HB 961 no longer requires registration for current owners to keep their “assault weapon” (no new “assault weapons” can be purchased) and it raises the legal capacity-limit for magazines from 10 rounds to 12 rounds.
The bill now heads to the House Floor. If it passes there, it will head over to the Senate, where we have a much better chance of stopping it. Be ready to fill the building when it comes up in the Senate Judiciary committee sometime in the coming weeks.
Here’s HB 961 as introduced (obviously it could change): https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?201+ful+HB961+pdf
A few things:
First, this has a grandfather clause for existing owners, though only of “assault weapons.” An earlier version of this bill (SB 16) did not. Progress? Though standard-capacity magazines and silencers are not grandfathered in.
Second, the restrictions on transport are bizarre. If you stop to get gas on your way home from the range, you’re a felon. Even with the AR-15 unloaded and locked in the trunk. That’s because you do not have the “landowner’s written permission” to possess the firearm on the gas station owner’s property. Also you can’t take your AR-15 to your buddy’s house, even if he rents 100 acres in the middle of nowhere, unless you get the “landowner’s written permission” from the landlord in advance.
Dogs will push their limits unless firmly instructed otherwise. If they nip and get away with it, they might bite. If they bite and get away with it, they might become even more aggressive. Same with the anti-constitutionalists in Virginia. This is just the beginning.
From VCDL (bad votes in bold, all Democrats):
HB 961, Delegate Mark Levine’s “assault weapon,” higher-capacity magazine, and suppressor ban cleared the House Public Safety committee by a 12 to 9 party line vote. The bill that passed was a substitute that made a few insignificant changes to the original bill. HB 961 no longer requires registration for current owners to keep their “assault weapon” (no new “assault weapons” can be purchased) and it raises the legal capacity-limit for magazines from 10 rounds to 12 rounds.
Bad votes…
YEAS–Hope, Bourne, Plum, Kory, Lopez, Rasoul, Price, Levine, Carroll Foy, Helmer, Simonds, Jenkins–12.
NAYS–Wright, Robinson, Wilt, Fariss, Rush, Davis, Campbell, R.R., Coyner, Batten–9.
ABSTENTIONS–Cole, J.G.–1.
The bill now heads to the House Floor. If it passes there, it will head over to the Senate, where we have a much better chance of stopping it. Be ready to fill the building when it comes up in the Senate Judiciary committee sometime in the coming weeks.
I did a video with much more information today. Click here to watch it. https://youtu.be/KDTG82RxXe8
Click here to watch the committee hearing. https://sg001-harmony.sliq.net/00304/Harmony/en/PowerBrowser/PowerBrowserV2/20200207/-1/13122