I live in Southwestern Virginia and I stand firmly against all these Bills the Democrats are trying to pass, especially my 2nd Amendment rights. I am a law abiding citizen with a concealed weapons permit. I use to work for the Department Of Corrections. I have had a lot of firearms training. I am safe and respect others. These gun laws that are trying to be passed is tyrannical gun laws. I was given this right by my Forefathers, "The right to bear arms Shall Not Be INFRINGED"! It's the law of the land. Democrats are about going against our rights. I will never ever vote for one single Democrat until they go back to the Party of the 1980's and before. Now they are against American Patriots and values. I oppose all gun laws. I oppose all the taxes as well that the Democrats get rich from us poor people. Please reconsider taking people's rights because that will have big consequences at Election time. Sandford Fields

Vote NO on bills 207, 919, and 1094. Further, do not allow bill 954 to pass. Thank you K. P. Chess

Virginia was in good shape, we had a surplus of money that Gov Youngkin gave back to the taxpayers. And NOW you want to raise taxes on everything. There are alot of us on a fixed income and can't afford the taxes. These taxes are no necessary unless it is putting money into your pockets. This needs to stop or we will vote you out, after we do a recall. You are not doing what is best for the taxpayers in Virginia. You are doing this for you and how much money it will put in your pockets. STOP THE RAISING OF ANY TAXES ON VIRGINIANS.

These proposed bills are a blatant attack on our 2nd amendment rights and personal liberties. They will do nothing to stop crime but as usual, restrict the law abiding responsible gun owners. Why don't you stop making it easier for criminals to walk our streets and at the same time try to restrict our ability to defend our families and ourselves??? You are allowed to be protected by armed security but what you're saying in these proposals is that we don't have the same right.

I oppose All of the above Gun Bills. I am not a criminal nor have I ever been one. Our Government can Not protect me my property, or my Family. I have a God given right to bear and own guns Also 2A rights. You work for ME ! You are supposed to represent ME ! Stop with All the Over reach . Let me tell you what you should be doing , You should be passing bills to benefit the American people like Health care, economy, Get rid of these taxes that benefit your needs !! Finish deporting these illegal immigrants you brought into this country !! Again No on Gun bills .

The 2nd amendment does not in any way shape or form all these changes constitutional. Every bill you are pushing through house is definition of infringement. Also the first amendment grants all US citizens the freedom of speech . As a Christian I am subject to hate speech from others and have no avenue of protection other than my 2 nd amendment rights !

I oppose ALL of the above gun bills. I am not a criminal never have been . Our Goverment can not protect me , my family or my property I have a God given right to bear arms also 2A rights .You work for ME !! You are suppose to represent ME ! Stop the over reach . Do something that benefits the American citizens , Healthcare, economy, get rid of All these taxes you have burdened the people with , Finish deporting illegal immigrates .

As a retired federal officer (Not ICE), I am concerned about a few things; the proposed magazine and firearms ban, leaving Virginia citizens unprotected against criminals who will not follow the laws, and the retired Federal, State and Local officers who DO NOT have the ability to purchase their duty firearm and 15 round magazines. As retired officers, most of us are still quietly acting as Sheepdogs, still watching over our neighbors and strangers. Not exempting retired officers from the magazine ban can be catastrophic, whether you realize it or not. While some state and local officers have the ability to purchase their duty firearm and 15 round mags, some municipalities and all Federal officers do NOT have this luxury, and it will create a disparity among those who can purchase and keep their 15 round magazines and those who cannot by either law or policy. The US Constitution does not regulate what firearms Americans can keep, with some exceptions; but it DOES permit US Citizens to keep & bear arms. Historically kept firearms have been recognized by the high courts as not illegal and have ruled in favor of this. Like many, I feel that this "gun grab" as it's called was rushed through too quickly without considering the retirees who have served this state with honor and dignity. I urge you to not just ban 15 round mags for our citizens, but especially for the retirees. The way the language is currently written, the 15 round ban will not affect officers who have the ability to purchase their duty firearms upon retirement, but would not apply to many others including all federal officers & agents. Not a good way to keep your voters; and could be considered biased by the high courts. We are all the same; we served and protected. Thank you.

I oppose all of these bills as they are against to 2nd Amendment. More importantly, do you really believe that criminals will follow these laws? No. They will continue to commit crimes and if necessary go out of state to acquire what they need. Law abiding patriots, when armed are the best deterrent to crime! I also assume that you folks will not have personal protection details and if you do they will not be allowed to carry the type of firearms you are trying to outlaw!

❌ Oppose HB 207 (Keys-Gamarra) HB 207 imposes additional firearm restrictions that burden lawful gun owners while doing nothing to address violent crime. Laws that target possession rather than criminal misuse undermine constitutional protections and divert attention from enforcing existing laws against violent offenders. ❌ Oppose HB 566 (McNamara) HB 566 expands government control over lawful firearm ownership without historical justification or evidence of effectiveness. The Second Amendment protects the right of ordinary citizens to keep and bear arms, and broad regulatory schemes like this fail constitutional scrutiny under the Supreme Court’s Bruen framework. ❌ Oppose HB 919 (Lopez) HB 919 penalizes lawful firearm possession and commerce rather than criminal behavior. Public safety is not enhanced by placing additional legal and financial barriers on responsible citizens, and this bill risks chilling the exercise of a fundamental constitutional right. ❌ Oppose HB 954 (Watts) HB 954 advances sweeping firearm restrictions that are unsupported by historical precedent. Under the Constitution, rights cannot be limited simply because lawmakers believe regulation is preferable—restrictions must be narrowly tailored and historically grounded, which this bill is not. ❌ Oppose HB 1008 (Tran) HB 1008 infringes on the rights of law-abiding Virginians by expanding firearm prohibitions beyond constitutional limits. Collective punishment and preemptive restrictions violate due process and ignore the Supreme Court’s clear instruction that firearm regulations must align with historical tradition. ❌ Oppose HB 1094 (Laufer) HB 1094 imposes excessive regulatory burdens that disproportionately impact responsible gun owners while failing to deter criminal violence. The Constitution does not allow rights to be conditioned on convenience, compliance costs, or bureaucratic discretion. ❌ Oppose HB 1362 (McNamara) HB 1362 further erodes the Second Amendment by restricting access to commonly owned firearms and lawful activities. Policies that treat constitutional rights as privileges undermine public trust and expose the Commonwealth to costly and unnecessary litigation. ❌ Oppose HB 1474 (O’Quinn) HB 1474 expands government authority over private firearm ownership in ways that conflict with constitutional protections and established legal precedent. Virginia should focus on punishing criminal misuse of firearms—not restricting the rights of citizens who obey the law.

I oppose HB207, HB919 and HB1094!!!

To All Involved, We the People DO NOT want all of the tyrannically oppressive bills you are considering to be passed. Especially the ones related to OUR second amendment rights. No where in the constitution is a state given the authority to restrict any of OUR rights and freedoms guaranteed under the constitution. To make any attempt to do so is dancing precariously close to the line of exercising DESPOTISM over the people. Which is exactly why the founding fathers ensured we had a bill of rights written and ratified. At least take some time to seriously think through the implications of any legislation you may want to consider. V/R Charles

What happened to the campaign promise of cost cutting, lower taxes and making life more affordable for citizens? Defending the bills in court will use taxpayers cash, court time ,labor..Raising taxes on items you don't like and stating costs will lowered is a lie..from the general assembly to the governors office..Honor your oath and correct your lies with truth..Vote no on gun bills..

Politicians system of tax , spend, waste, is a system created by them ..This has been around for years A corrupt system of power. A group think of nonsense..Where they can only see there side and are blinded to any common sense..Will not listen to anyone and if they seem interested it is just to look good in front of everyone..They pretend to listen.But there mind is made up already on there own plans. The liberal base who voted for them include guns owners..This should tell you they don't care about there voting bloc..They know this will end up in court ..Wasting tax payers money ..The courts time..And don't care about citizens in general. There campaign mantra was cut costs for citizens.But taxpayer cash will be used to defend there gun bills

I urge you to vote "NO" on all the above bills,. We are already taxed enough! I believe the new Governor pledged to make VA affordable and that would logically mean no more taxation!

Good morning, and thank you for the opportunity to speak. I’m here today to address why this proposed state tax on suppressors is unnecessary, economically harmful, and disconnected from public safety. At the federal level, lawmakers recently removed the $200 federal tax stamp that had long been attached to suppressors. That change recognized an important reality: suppressors are not criminal tools—they are safety devices. They reduce harmful noise, protect hearing, and lessen the impact on surrounding communities. Despite that federal shift, this proposal would move our state in the opposite direction by imposing a $500 state tax on the very same lawful item. Suppressors remain heavily regulated even without the federal tax. Purchasers are still subject to extensive background checks, fingerprinting, registration requirements, and approval processes through the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Nothing about this bill improves oversight or accountability. It simply adds cost. That cost has real consequences. A $500 state tax will not deter criminals—because criminals do not acquire suppressors through lawful channels. What it will do is suppress economic activity inside this state. Consumers will purchase elsewhere, businesses will lose sales, and in-state manufacturers and dealers will be put at a competitive disadvantage. Lawful commerce will decline, while neighboring states benefit. This proposal effectively replaces a removed federal tax with a larger state-level penalty, undoing economic momentum rather than building on it. Any projected revenue must be weighed against reduced sales, lost jobs, and businesses choosing not to operate here at all. There is also a fairness issue. When the government stacks fees this high, it creates a system where lawful ownership is dictated by income. That is not public safety—it is a financial barrier imposed on compliance. Finally, this bill sets a troubling precedent. If the state can justify a $500 tax on suppressors today, it becomes easier to justify new taxes on other lawful equipment tomorrow. That kind of incremental policy creep erodes trust and punishes responsibility. Suppressors reduce noise. They protect hearing. They are already regulated. The federal government recognized this by removing its tax burden. This bill ignores that reality and replaces it with an even heavier one—at the expense of our state’s economy and law-abiding citizens. For those reasons, I urge you to oppose this proposal. Thank you for your time.

How did the authors of the bills such as a 500 dollar tax on suppressors,11 percent tax on ammo, create the numbers? Research ? Educated guess? Tax fairy? Similar to the dog walking tax...Nonsense tax meant to fund bloated programs...If as a delegate and if you have common sense you would vote against all of the anti gun bills..Citizens ,Lafave vs Fairfax county is a case of Fairfax county being sued in court by Lafave. Fairfax denied carry in parks.. The case had made its way to the supreme Court..Judge Roberts granted the writ on the shadow docket. Fairfax has until Feb 16 26 to answer ..If the case is accepted and plaintiff wins..This will affect other gun laws..

Adding a higher tax on firearms will make it so only the rich can afford them. This will not stop crime in any way or form.

I’m writing to let my concerns known on all of these laws that are being voted upon. We as law aboding citizens are the only ones that will be affected and obey these laws. You want to decrease the time criminals do for horrible crimes such as murder and rape, but make law abiding citizens (that have done nothing wrong) into criminals. We obey the laws (most i see as unconstitutional) and then you turn around and make those rights into crimes and punishments. “Assault Weapons” as you refer to them have been around since the 1940s. Everything i have obtained, i did so legally. Now you want to make them illegal, and even go as far as to punish me for doing so. Why do we play these ignorant games. Legal one day, illegal another! We have right under the 2nd Amendment. How does doing any of this make people “safe”? Criminals will use whatever they do to commit crimes, cause that is their very nature. Disarm the public and allow criminals to take advantage of your laws. We will be less safe. How does charging $500 tax on suppressors make anyone safe? You are just mad they did away with the tax. We will still purchase these items, but you just punish us for doing so. You do nothing to make us safe , and you tax us on more than just firearms! You take, and take and take, yet provide nothing more! What happened to running on affordability? Taxes on dog grooming, home repairs, vehicle repairs, and so much more. Increase our taxes when our state was doing so well that we had a surplus if 2.2 billion dollars. You count on people being ignorant, but by doing that you educate them. I hope you can put you pride and egos aside, and realize we are starting to do better. All you will do is hurt your citizens with these numerous amount of laws and taxes. As politicians you are called upon to make our lives better. You cant make us safer by what you propose. You will only destroy our trust and our economy. We are not ignorant people that need to be taken care of. We need you to get out if our way and let us live our lives and protect ourselves. One last thing. Europe did this to their population and knife crimes skyrocketed. Everyone of you know this. Do the right thing and empower us to live our lives. Don't put more laws and taxes on us. There is more to Virginia than Richmond. As a veteran i have taken the same oath. I still honor that oath, as i hope you all do.

I’m writing to let my concerns known on all of these laws that are being voted upon. We as law aboding citizens are the only ones that will be affected and obey these laws. You want to decrease the time criminals do for horrible crimes such as murder and rape, but make law abiding citizens (that have done nothing wrong) into criminals. We obey the laws (most i see as unconstitutional) and then you turn around and make those rights into crimes and punishments. “Assault Weapons” as you refer to them have been around since the 1940s. Everything i have obtained, i did so legally. Now you want to make them illegal, and even go as far as to punish me for doing so. Why do we play these ignorant games. Legal one day, illegal another! We have right under the 2nd Amendment. How does doing any of this make people “safe”? Criminals will use whatever they do to commit crimes, cause that is their very nature. Disarm the public and allow criminals to take advantage of your laws. We will be less safe. How does charging $500 tax on suppressors make anyone safe? You are just mad they did away with the tax. We will still purchase these items, but you just punish us for doing so. You do nothing to make us safe , and you tax us on more than just firearms! You take, and take and take, yet provide nothing more! What happened to running on affordability? Taxes on dog grooming, home repairs, vehicle repairs, and so much more. Increase our taxes when our state was doing so well that we had a surplus if 2.2 billion dollars. You count on people being ignorant, but by doing that you educate them. I hope you can put you pride and egos aside, and realize we are starting to do better. All you will do is hurt your citizens with these numerous amount of laws and taxes. As politicians you are called upon to make our lives better. You cant make us safer by what you propose. You will only destroy our trust and our economy. We are not ignorant people that need to be taken care of. We need you to get out if our way and let us live our lives and protect ourselves. One last thing. Europe did this to their population and knife crimes skyrocketed. Everyone of you know this. Do the right thing and empower us to live our lives. Don't put more laws and taxes on us. There is more to Virginia than Richmond. As a veteran i have taken the same oath. I still honor that oath, as i hope you all do.

Do not vote for these bills

I oppose any and all legislation that goes against the second amendment. The 2nd amendment is a right not a privilege that can be taken away period . How about dealing with the criminals and being harder on them like reinstating the death penalty!

I am opposed to ANY law that limits my ability to carry, use, purchase, or own firearms. This includes the right to carry in public places or my vehicle, and it includes the right to defend myself. I am totally and completely opposed to ANY leftist agenda, and I am informing you, whoever you are, that there is a lot of anger out here over what's going on in our state, and indeed, in our nation and our world. It's become apparent that, far from what we voted for, Pres. Trump will continue to knuckle under to the left. Therefore, we shall have to fight for our rights in our state. Be warned: not everyone will knuckle under! There are some of us patriots left!

The recent passage of HB217 and related gun control measures in the Virginia House, including bans on so-called "assault firearms" and large-capacity magazines, represents a direct assault on the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding Virginians. These laws, which criminalize the sale, manufacture, and transfer of commonly owned firearms, ignore the Constitution's clear protections and the Founding Fathers' intent. The Second Amendment states: "A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed." James Madison, the amendment's primary drafter, emphasized in Federalist No. 46 that an armed citizenry serves as a bulwark against tyranny, arguing that the federal government would be restrained by "the advantage of being armed which the Americans possess over the people of almost every other nation." Similarly, Thomas Jefferson wrote in a 1787 letter to William Stephens Smith that "what country can preserve its liberties if their rulers are not warned from time to time that their people preserve the spirit of resistance? Let them take arms." The Founders viewed the right to bear arms as essential for self-defense, hunting, and resisting oppression—not limited to outdated muskets, but evolving with technology. Supreme Court precedents affirm this. In District of Columbia v. Heller (2008), the Court held that the Second Amendment protects an individual's right to possess firearms for lawful purposes, including self-defense, and struck down D.C.'s handgun ban. Justice Scalia noted that it safeguards "arms in common use at the time," which today includes semi-automatic rifles like those targeted by HB217. McDonald v. Chicago (2010) extended this to the states via the Fourteenth Amendment. Most recently, New York State Rifle & Pistol Association v. Bruen (2022) invalidated restrictive carry laws, requiring gun regulations to align with historical traditions—something Virginia's broad bans fail to do, as they prohibit weapons millions of Americans own without incident. These measures won't reduce crime—criminals ignore laws—but they disarm the innocent. Virginia's Founders, like Patrick Henry, warned against disarming the people: "Guard with jealous attention the public liberty. Suspect everyone who approaches that jewel." Lawmakers should repeal these unconstitutional infringements and uphold our heritage of freedom.

You have all betrayed your constituents with all of these new laws stripping our constitutional rights. Trying to make it so hard to own, carry, and purchase guns and ammunition that people just give up or cant afford it. Expansion of the Red Flag laws to people who are in no way qualified to make that decision to strip someone of their constitution rights. Giving that option especially to Spouses like no one would ever use that to satisfy a grudge against an ex. Also creating a system that punishes people for seeking help with medical counselors or lose their constitutional rights. The tax on ammunition alone is an obvious attempt to make it even harder for people to afford to practice with their firearms which is required for proficiency and price people out of purchasing them to begin with. The tax on suppressor when the fed stamp has been removed is just more obvious money grabbing and trying to make it restricted by putting a "poll tax" on it just like ammunition. Trying to outlaw the sale of commononly used firearms like AKs and ARs even though the Supreme Court has already ruled that the second amendment protects guns in common use. This is the first time ever I have been absolutely ashamed to be a Virginian in my entire life. You have all sold out the people and every one of you should lose your seat if you vote for these bills. Why do you need all these new taxes when you were handed a several billion dollar surplus at the end of last year? Answer is its not about the money, its about taking away guns. Try staying out of our wallets, homes, and lives for a change. How about fulfilling the promise of affordability that was made? How about reducing taxes instead of creating new ones? How about protecting the freedom of Virginians instead of trying to control us so you can use us like little cash shelters. Disgusting behavior and you should all be ashamed.