Comments Document

See attached PDF which is in support of HB 53.

Hello!My name is Natela and I been struggling for so long finding affordable housing in Fairfax County,Virginia.I am 58 years old female who have a very low income.I contacted more then 500 places trying to find one bedroom apartment or private basement and all this places asking for income 3-3.5 times bigger then cost of apartment.Making any person who is trying to rent one bedroom apartment in Fairfax county need to make around 5-6000 dollars per month.How many percent of people having this high salary jobs?I DON’T. I’m making now 12.00 dollars per hour.This amount of money disqualified me from any housing I applied.My question to HUD and all other housing authorities WHAT ARE YOU SUGGESTING PEOPLE WITH LOW INCOME??????? WHAT WE NEED TO DO TO SURVIVE LIVING IN FAIRFAX AREA?HOUSING PRICES IS ASTRONOMICAL!GROCERY PRICES IS ASTRONOMICAL! ALL AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROGRAMS ARE CLOSED.ALL WAITING LISTS FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING CLOSED TO. I BET YOU ALL JUST DON’T CARE ABOUT US!

My name is Laura, and I’m your constituent. Gun violence prevention is my top priority. Please support hi. Safety legislation that is brought up for a vote. These are the bills I support. Thank you for your time.

Please do not make life more difficult for responsible gun owners. Many of the proposed laws are clearly unconstitutional and will be struck down anyway. Others may be constitutional but are completely draconian. Virginia already has some of the toughest gun laws in the country All the bills I am providing feedback for would not make VA safer. Next time Republicans are in power they will reverse those anyway. But even if that does not happen, you are contributing to the further polarization of politics. There won't be any bipartisanship left on 2nd amendment issues or even other issues

I am opposed to all of these unconstitutional and anit-american gun laws and regulations. There is no room for more gun laws and regulations in this state.

Contrary to how certain government officials treat it, the second amendment is written using plain, easy to understand language, and insists that government has no right to take away the right for ordinary people like us to defend ourselves, as the constitution and bill of rights do not simply give people rights, but protects them from government manipulation and control. It’s incredibly disappointing and a tragedy that people choose to commit acts of violence with these rights, but restricting those who wish to exercise their rights peaceably due to those who wouldn’t follow these rules in the first place is incredibly naive. I, as well as every other person in the United States, deserve to protect my family with the best technology available. While some people look at certain defense weapon setups as a “why do you need that” situation, 1) I have the right to defend myself with the best tool available, and so I will choose that every time, 2) why do you “need” anything other than basic necessities (fast car, Gucci clothes, etc)? The government has no place in deciding what I “need”, 3) people with the intent to harm will not care what laws govern peaceful people, so what would limiting the victim’s access to proper tools do? You may think that by “banning” or otherwise restricting access to a certain thing would mean that all of the “bad” things would magically go away, but they will not. Evil has always and will always exist, and I have every right to defend myself from it using the best tool available wherever I, or my family, choose to go. Restricting access on certain properties (the government isn’t actively protecting me everywhere), requiring certain training (who is paying for this?), limiting certain types of firearms (go ahead and define “assault weapon” in plain language please), and restricting ammo purchasing (I thought you wanted us to train; how does this help then?) are all means that end up hurting the average person and helping those who wish to hurt others, as the rest of us will be left in a position to insufficiently defend ourselves. I urge you to understand that while, yes, it is awful that evil people commit horrific acts, this right ultimately allows me to protect myself and my family from these evil people as well and as evil will always exist (we certainly like to delusion ourselves into believing that we live in a utopia, but we do not), I will protect my family accordingly. The government has no right to restrict this. Leave the peaceful citizens alone, more firmly punish those who hurt others, and help communities where this is an issue to prevent the upbringing of more evil people.

I oppose these bills that are attacking the rights of law-abiding gun owners.

Please stop trying to make criminals of law abiding citizens who just want to protect themselves. Me and my partner have recently become firearm owners because of situations that have arisen in our day to day lives, such as harassment of my wife almost to the point of altercation, sketchy characters waiting in front of our door/ducking in and out of our bushes at all times of the night, people breaking into cars in the neighborhood etc (many times the police/security were called only to arrive 45mins to an hour later). with many of these nonsensical bills you condemn us to allowing any possible violence to happen to us without a chance of defending our selves. Instead of helping fix the problem, you seek to make criminals out of any Virginian who has followed the law and legal purchased a firearm. Shame on you. I am Virginian native and since I was 18 I voted leaning blue in local and state elections you all are making me think this was a mistake. I am not proud of Virginia “progressives” who would rather strip my wife of her chance and right to defend her self rather than try to address the root of crime. Don’t make law abiding people criminals. Do some actual work and address the criminals! 2 of the proposed bills would make in illegal to bring your concealed firearm into a restaurant and another makes it a crime to have the firearm in your vehicle…. Like really? This is literally just to fill jails and strip people of their rights.

Leave law abiding citizens alone.

State Legislature members, A right delayed is a right denied. Quoting the 2022 NYSRPA v. Bruen Supreme Court Case: 'The constitutional right to bear arms in public for self-defense is not “a second-class right, subject to an entirely different body of rules than the other Bill of Rights guarantees.” McDonald, 561 U. S., at 780 (plurality opinion). The exercise of other constitutional rights does not require individuals to demonstrate to government officers some special need. The Second Amendment right to carry arms in public for self defense is no different.' The recent NYSRPA v. Bruen case highlighted the significance of individual self-defense, and it's crucial to consider the rights of law-abiding citizens in crafting firearm legislation. While the goal of enhancing public safety is commendable, an outright ban on certain firearms and magazines will disproportionately impact responsible gun owners who use these tools for legitimate purposes, such as self-defense and sport. It is essential to strike a balance between public safety and the preservation of individual rights. Instead of blanket bans, and bureaucratic obstacles that only harass lawful firearm owners, we should focus on comprehensive measures that address the root causes of gun violence. This approach respects the constitutional rights of citizens while fostering a safer society. Criminals are not deterred by restrictions on lawful purchase at federally-licensed FFL Dealers. They do not bother going through the process of applying for a concealed carry permit, because they do not intend to carry lawfully. People who want to use weapons to hurt innocent citizens of Virginia will not be impeded by these House and Senate Bills. Instead, the only individuals who will have their behavior modified are lawful men and women who are unable to defend themselves against those who will commit crimes regardless of what is written into law this Legislative Session. If you pass the above laws, it will only serve to waste hard-working Taxpayers' money fighting them in Federal Court. California and New York have lost their cases seeking to uphold unconstitutional gun laws, and the sponsors of these bills will lose too. Do the right thing - the hard thing - enforce the laws we already have, get the small minority of violent criminals off the streets of Virginia, and uphold the constitutional rights of your polity.

These bills infringe on the rights of the United States citizens given to us by the second amendment. The only thing these bills will accomplish will take the firearms out of the hands of law abiding citizens, while criminals will still have access.

I do not support any bill that removes any right from law abiding citizens to protect themselves from those who WILL NOT abide by these laws. These laws ONLY give CRIMINALS the upper hand.

There are approximately 47 bills regarding gun control between the House and Senate. Rather than fix issues that actually protect and enhance the lives of Virginians, many of these bills seek to disenfranchise and reduce the safety of the citizens in this great Commonwealth. Firearms are so fundamental to the founding and continued existence of our free society that they are listed just second to the freedom of speech in amendments to the constitution. It is plainly clear to all that countries and states who have banned or severely restricted firearms that violence does not end with their banning. Unjust deaths are not prevented. It simply ensures that law abiding citizens are left defenseless from those that wish to harm them, whether that be individuals or an organization. I write this knowing that it will be completely disregarded by the bills authors, but in hopes that others feel galvanized to speak up against unjust actions made in the name of progress. To those who wish to protect themselves with firearms while simultaneously stripping them from the common man, may you take heed of the Virginia state motto.

A lot of these laws contradict one another. I can’t support them. Both of our parties have failed us.

Stop trying to strip 2nd Amendment rights from law abiding citizens with a constitutional right to own and carry firearms. Not a single one of these laws/bills you’re trying to enact would have stopped any of the mass shootings we’ve seen.

I oppose all of these blatantly unconstitutional bills and wish our elected officials would actually get to work on fixing things that matter to Virginians.

These proposed laws will do nothing but make more victims out of citizens that are exercising their 2nd amendment rights. Criminals do not care about these restrictions, these laws are merely an extension of the culture war. They are meant to punish anyone that the Northern Virginia and big city politicians don’t like. While violent criminals continue to arm themselves, the law abiding citizens of The Commonwealth would be left without defense. These laws are feckless and meant only to virtue signal. One with even a basic understanding of our constitution would see these as exactly what they are: illegal and Un-American.

There is no acceptable reason to infringe upon the Constitutionally-protected (both US and Virginia's Constitutions) rights of Americans and Virginians. None of these bills purported to reduce gun-related violence actually seem to prioritize the reduction of causal effects of overall violence. Many of these are merely attempts to curb the rights of the People to keep and bear arms, because our legislative bodies are full of corrupt, weak, and contemptible individuals. Show us the bills for addressing the root causes of violence: mental health, income inequality, social instability, lack of education and educational opportunities, drug & human trafficking, or employment & wages (this list is not all-inclusive).

Time and time again it has been proven that criminals do not care about or follow restrictive firearm laws. Virginia already has some of the most restrictive firearms laws in the country ("B+" rating from Giffords), more unconstitutional infringements upon law abiding citizens is not the answer. We need to address the root causes (access to mental health resources for example) and not throw bandaids at it by punishing responsible, law abiding, gun owners. I oppose these bills and urge you to do the same.

As a fellow Democrat, it’s important to acknowledge the complexities surrounding gun ownership and the Second Amendment. 1. Self-Defense: Firearms can be a crucial tool for individuals to protect themselves, especially in high-crime areas or situations where law enforcement response times are slow. 2. Sport and Recreation: Many Americans enjoy shooting sports like hunting, skeet shooting, and target practice as a recreational activity, fostering a sense of community and skill-building. 3. Cultural Tradition: Gun ownership is deeply ingrained in American culture, with a rich history of hunting and marksmanship passed down through generations. 4. Economic Impact: The firearms industry contributes significantly to the economy, generating jobs and revenue through manufacturing, sales, and related services. 5. Civil Liberties: Upholding the right to bear arms is fundamental to preserving individual freedoms and safeguarding against government overreach. 6. Empowerment of Marginalized Communities: For historically marginalized groups, owning firearms can serve as a means of empowerment and protection against hate crimes or discriminatory violence. 7. Emergency Preparedness: In times of natural disasters or civil unrest, responsible gun owners can help maintain order and protect their families and communities. 8. Deterrence of Crime: Research suggests that the presence of armed civilians can deter potential criminals and reduce overall crime rates in certain contexts. 9. Veterans and Law Enforcement: Many veterans and law enforcement officers transition to civilian life with a continued appreciation for firearms, utilizing their expertise for civilian defense and security. 10. Balanced Approach: Instead of blanket gun control measures, we can advocate for comprehensive solutions that address root causes of violence, such as mental health support, poverty reduction, and community intervention programs.

I oppose the proposed firearms legislation put forward by this legislature and any legislation that violates the 1st, 2nd, and 4th, amendment rights of any Virginian. The desire for safer communities, a more united nation, and healing for our public health is something that we all can share in but these bills do not achieve that. Rather, they regulate and penalize. They unconstitutionally restrict the rights of the many in the name of safety and serve only to harm our rights. I would be doing a disservice to our state and my fellow citizens if I did not also provide potential solutions or remedies to the violence we face. First, we as communities need to promote voluntary storage facilities for those who are experiencing hardship and are concerned about suicide. Ideally making it easier to put firearms safely out of reach when suicide risks are greater. To do this it would need to be a system at the lowest level with minimum government involvement besides funding and partnership with local ranges. We would also need to reach out to those in our lives who are in a bad place and encourage the use of these facilities. Second, we should promote a culture of safe handling and respect for firearms through school courses and community organizations because assault weapons or not suicide, or accidents only take one bullet from a single action firearm. Lastly and more broadly we should focus on the issues surrounding the violence. Whether it is drugs and organized criminal activity or the mental health crisis as it has become known we should be working to fix these issues first. I.e. legalize weed, adapt police training, and push to root out organized crime, promote common social values and family cohesion, increase freedom, physical activity, and discipline in the school system.

These firearms bill are either redundant or unless in any meaningful way. If you care about reducing violence, please focus on criminals. Please stop trying to disarm families and law abiding citizen from protecting themselves.

I am a liberal through and through, I believe in individual rights and the opportunity for prosperity for all. I vote democrat because I care about my community, the rights of minorities, and women’s rights. The proposed legislation limiting the ability of free, law abiding citizens to purchase firearms, carry, and general use should not be limited further. I have witnessed violence at the hands of criminals, some later caught and it was shown that they did not legally acquire these firearms. The proposed legislation will effectively stop those who abide by the laws of Virginia from being able to properly protect themselves. It is known that police will not protect you, and they have no legal obligation to do so. This puts us at a dilemma, it’s either blindly trust the police to protect us and our families or have the ability to protect ourselves. I am not advocated for looser gun laws by any means, but I am advocating for more common sense gun laws. What do I mean by this you may ask? Well I mean background checks are a must and proper certification to conceal carry. I am a former Marine, I was a firefighter, and am a current student at a great university in our nations capital. I like to think I am reasonable in my thinking, but after looking and reading the propositions I checked above, I can’t help but feel betrayed by my own party. There is more than 5 guns for every American in this country. Gun control must target the people who do not follow the law and try to prevent violence from occurring, and the proposed legislation above does not help in that manner. I am hopeful that you will read this and reconsider the language in the legislation and I am even more hopeful that I can protect my family as necessary. I will always vote for progress but that’s not to say that I will always vote against my interests. Locally, crime has been on the rise and I have had to deal with it directly with little to no help from the police. I will (to the fullest extent of the law) protect myself as necessary from anyone who wishes to inflict harm on myself or family, and I hope you see that the average citizen in Virginia can not afford a security detail or rely on our police for protection. Thank you and have a great day.

Please stop infringing on our god given right, protected by the constitution of the United States (which you all have sworn to uphold and protect), to keep and bear arms. Responsible gun owners are not the problem in America’s gun violence epidemic. We follow the law. Criminals don’t. We use our firearms to protect ourselves, loved ones, and community. Chipping away at this right we have makes us more vulnerable to becoming victims of gun violence, not protect us from it. These laws only serve to empower those with evil intentions. Rather, might I suggest harsher penalties for those who commit senseless acts of violence with firearms instead of going after the good men and women of the commonwealth who wish only to use their firearms for lawful purposes.

Dear House of Delegates, I'm writing to you today as a concerned citizen. The introduction of bills aimed at heavily regulating firearms, is not warranted or wanted by the people of Virginia. Our nation stands at a crossroads, where the desire to address gun violence intersects with the constitutional rights affirmed by the Supreme Court. The Second Amendment's protection of the right to bear arms is not just a legal directive but a reflection of our commitment to individual freedom. In this context, the proposed regulations, while motivated by a commendable desire to reduce violence, raise significant concerns about their effectiveness and the potential consequences for law-abiding citizens. Research, including findings published in the Journal of Quantitative Criminology, suggests that the relationship between strict gun laws and the reduction of gun violence is not as straightforward as one might hope. Cities with stringent gun regulations continue to face challenges with gun-related crimes, indicating that those intent on violence often find ways to circumvent the law. This reality prompts us to question whether new restrictions will achieve their intended goal or merely place additional burdens on those who seek firearms for legitimate purposes, including self-defense. Moreover, the abundance of firearms in the United States presents a logistical challenge to the enforcement of such regulations. With more guns than people in the country, the task of significantly reducing the availability of firearms to criminals, without infringing on the rights of law-abiding citizens, is daunting. It is within this complex landscape that I urge you to consider the broader implications of the proposed gun control measures. The parallels drawn with other contentious issues, such as the regulation of women's healthcare, highlight the potential for policy decisions to inadvertently infringe upon individual freedoms and deepen societal divisions. Such outcomes not only detract from the intended goals of enhancing public safety but also risk alienating segments of the population whose support is essential for the advancement of our collective well-being. I respectfully ask that you consider the potential consequences of the proposed gun control measures, not just for the immediate future but for the legacy we leave for generations to come. It is my hope that, together, we can find a way to address the challenges of gun violence in a manner that honors our values, respects our freedoms, and genuinely enhances the safety and well-being of our communities.

STOP INFRINGING OUR RIGHTS. Get rid of every single gun control bill that is here and START ENFORCING THE LAWS WE ALREADY HAVE. Stop trying to turn law abiding citizens into criminals. I am disgusted that all of these nonsense bills have even made it this far. You can have these laws in Northern Virginia where everyone hates guns but don’t force this garbage into the rest of the state. GET RID OF ALL OF THIS GARBAGE and keep your noses out of everyone’s business. More government is not the answer.

Virginia already has some of the strictest gun laws in the nation. We can all agree violence is an issue but making more unconstitutional, on a national and state level, gun laws will not help with the rates of violent crimes and property crimes as we see from states with stricter gun laws. We need to increase access to mental health and community resources to address the root causes of issues rather than criminalizing responsible gun owners. I am opposed to this attack on the second amendment which is the fundamental backbone that protects the other freedoms guranteed in the constitution.

The second amendment is very clear in its intent that these rights “shall not be infringed”. Removing/ restricting law abiding citizens right to self defense and protection against unwitting organizations and persons is not only more harmful, but a clear violation of the rights this country was founded on.

Dear Honorable Members of the House of Delegates, I write to you today as a concerned citizen, deeply invested in the well-being and safety of our communities, and as someone who values the principles upon which our nation was founded. The issue at hand, the introduction of bills aimed at heavily regulating firearms, is one that I believe warrants a thoughtful reconsideration in light of its broader implications. Our nation stands at a crossroads, where the desire to address gun violence intersects with the constitutional rights affirmed by the Supreme Court. The Second Amendment's protection of the right to bear arms is not just a legal directive but a reflection of our commitment to individual freedom. In this context, the proposed regulations, while motivated by a commendable desire to reduce violence, raise significant concerns about their effectiveness and the potential consequences for law-abiding citizens. Research, including findings published in the Journal of Quantitative Criminology, suggests that the relationship between strict gun laws and the reduction of gun violence is not as straightforward as one might hope. Cities with stringent gun regulations continue to face challenges with gun-related crimes, indicating that those intent on violence often find ways to circumvent the law. This reality prompts us to question whether new restrictions will achieve their intended goal or merely place additional burdens on those who seek firearms for legitimate purposes, including self-defense. Moreover, the abundance of firearms in the United States presents a logistical challenge to the enforcement of such regulations. With more guns than people in the country, the task of significantly reducing the availability of firearms to criminals, without infringing on the rights of law-abiding citizens, is daunting. It is within this complex landscape that I urge you to consider the broader implications of the proposed gun control measures. The parallels drawn with other contentious issues, such as the regulation of women's healthcare, highlight the potential for policy decisions to inadvertently infringe upon individual freedoms and deepen societal divisions. Such outcomes not only detract from the intended goals of enhancing public safety but also ***risk alienating segments of the population whose support is essential for the advancement of our collective well-being.*** Constituents see this robust effort to "see what sticks" as a weakness within our party. Comparatively imbalanced with the diverse range of issues and concerns that we face everyday. A waste. As we move forward, I encourage you to approach this issue with a balanced perspective, one that recognizes the need for effective strategies to combat gun violence while also safeguarding the constitutional rights and freedoms that define our nation. The path to meaningful change is complex, requiring a nuanced understanding of the issues at hand and a commitment to policies that truly serve the best interests of all our citizens. In closing, I respectfully ask that you consider the potential consequences of the proposed gun control measures, not just for the immediate future but for the legacy we leave for generations to come. It is my hope that, together, we can find a way to address the challenges of gun violence in a manner that honors our values, respects our freedoms, and genuinely enhances the safety and well-being of our communities.

You guys need to stop attacking our 2nd amendment and get help for these kids growing up with identity crisis’s . You coming after law abiding citizens is appalling and the fact that your leaning towards becoming the despicable state of California is saddening. If the president can have security which uses firearms that even the normal civilian can’t have this raises the issue of how can a civilian defend against a tyrannical government with a featureless 10 round ar-15 ? Keep this up and we know exactly what your end goal is.

As a left leaning voter and citizen of Virginia, these new restrictions on our right to bear arms are sickening. Stop proposing so many bans and limits, and maybe a realistic bill, like the safe credit, won’t be universally protested. If you actually want to quell gun violence, keep focused on affordable mental and physical healthcare, improving the education system, and reducing income inequality. While the right may not support these real improvements, I cannot in good faith support or vote for any politician who supports banning or restricting the rights of law abiding citizens in our beautiful commonwealth. Thank you.

The 2nd amendment states "shall not be infringed". All of these bills are infringement and are therefore unconstitutional. Should we pass laws that people must pass a test before they can have freedom of speech? What about pass a test before you can vote? What about if someone does not have training they will be slaves again? Name one other right outlined in the constitution where a citizen has to jump through hoops before they can use that right? I oppose all of these bills as they will do more harm than good. I can understand wanting to keep people safe but gun control does the opposite. These bills will only make it harder for law abiding citizens to exercise their rights while criminals will still ignore the law. Criminals will still get illegal guns or weapons and will commit more crimes since they know the public is unable to defend themselves. Benjamin Franklin once said: "Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety." You writing bills saying "give up your rights and guns and we will protect you". Well ask the Native Americans how that worked out for them. Ask a Jewish person who was under Nazi control how that worked out for them. Well Hitler's first step was to take away the guns from the public so they could not protect themselves and over 6 million people lost their lives. Since you do not know history you are writing bills which will doom us to repeat it. You know 75 years ago when you could just buy a gun in a catalog and it was shipped to your house we did not have this issue. In the 60s and 70s when people would have a gun in their truck at school or take one in for show and tell we did not have a gun issue. This is a mental health issue. Deal with mental health and you will fix the public safety issue. Zero of my guns have killed people because guns do not kill people. People kill people. Look at Ukraine and Israel for just one form of example why we need LESS gun control. All of these gun laws are unconstitutional and should be thrown out. Do the right thing and let us law abiding citizens have their rights as outlined in the constitution. Do not pass laws which infringe on our rights. If the 2nd amendment falls, the 1st will follow . When the 1st and 2nd fall the 13th will fall and our country will be lost and we will be back in chains.

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. Whether or not a person chooses to exercise this right is up to them. Otherwise, it shall not be infringed.

I can not, and nobody should, support these unconstitutional laws. THROW THEM ALL OUT.

You guys make it harder and harder to vote Democrat every single cycle. Complete ban on Semi Automatics more or less making the state even stricter towards guns then states like Maryland? I oppose all these even the "herp common sense derp" ones because the states party has made it clear they don't give a crap about anything but putting hollow wins for politicians because hhheeeyyy punishing law abiding gun owners is a whole lot easier then creating jobs or reducing crime. If these bills die before getting to the governors desk, especially the bans, then I will gladly continue to vote DNC. But if Youngkin has to veto these and you make me say something I never thought I would "Thank god Youngkin won" then I look forward to blindly going down the ticket in 2024 and checking "R" on everyone. Thank you for taking the time to read this.

I do not support more legislation infringing on my 2nd Ammendment rights. Please fund more enforcement for the proactive enforcement of existing laws and regulations pertaining to firearms.

I oppose this legislation.

The litany of gun control measures under consideration will do nothing to effectively reduce crime and violence, and will only further restrict the rights of law abiding firearms owners. Not to mention the countless examples from other locales across the country where these same measure have been put into place and the result is more violent crime as criminals can now feel safe that the general population is not armed. Strongly oppose all proposed bills.

The ridiculous litany of gun control measures under consideration will do nothing to effectively reduce crime and violence, and will only further restrict the rights of law abiding firearms owners.

We dont need MORE laws regarding firearms, we need to enforce the laws that are already on the books. If enforcement is done then these laws are redundant and not necessary. Don't pass more laws just for the sake of passing laws. They do nothing but make law abiding citizens confused and they dont do anything to stop problems.

I am writing to express my great concern, to the legislatures that continue to ignore their oath of swearing to protect and uphold the rights of the citizens as protected by the United States Constitution and the Virginian Constitution. "The Right of the People to Keep and Bear Arms, SHALL NOT BE INFRINGED". You beaurcrats do not grant that right to he people, it is God given. While you grandstand and ateemlt to make laws to hurt the everydayaw abiding American citizen, you turn a way and do nothing in these bills to punish criminals committing crimes. It is already illegal to murder people. To grandstand and think that any of these bills would stop someone from murdering or harming another person is laughable. Quite literally. You pander screaming about these firearm safety bills while you walk around with security and people with "guns" to keep you safe. Start enforcing the existing laws against criminals who commit crimes vs trying to turn law abiding people, who take training, are serious about protection of family, themselves and others, and trying to disarm them and make them criminals. Or we will vote you out! Uphold your Oath or be prepared for the consequences your actions lead to by the American people. Regards Mr. Harris

I know most modern politicians aren’t historians but the Bill of Rights is really simple. If you read that, you’ll also read the 2nd Amendment which is really simple as well. In the same docket you’re trying to give more benefits to police and take away more rights from citizens. You ought to be ashamed. What a farce freedom is anymore.

These anti gun laws are an infringement on all Virginian's 2A rights.

I am opposed to additional new laws or further regulations placed on firearms or other means of self defense, or which limit the ability to conduct commerce or carry such items. Not only does the constitution make it clear this is a violation of my rights, it does nothing to address or reduce the actions of criminals.

I am against all of these blatantly unconstitutional firearms restrictions. I'm strongly against: SB2| Deeds | Assault firearms certain ammunition, etc.; purchase, possession, sale, transfer, etc., prohibited. This tries to ban things that are in common use, which has never worked well for the government, remember Prohibition? Remember the war on drugs? Just like the last assault weapons ban, this will literally just make AR-15s more popular and easier to get illegally. And I am against: HB585 | Mundon King | Home-based firearms dealers; prohibited near schools, penalties. That specifically targets home-based FFLs whose house is somewhere near a school. This would put hundreds of Virginia residents out of business just because of where they live.

I strongly oppose any bill, law or ordinance that infringes on the undeniable constitutional right to keep and bear arms. These include any ban, any further age restrictions, if a person (18) is old enough to join the military and use real "assault weapons" then they should be fully capable to purchase a semi automatic firearm of their choice. I oppose any law or ordinance that restricts my ability to defend my family and myself as I see fit, this includes bans on where I can carry my lawful firearm, what type of firearm and the magazine size of my choice. How about we make laws that are tougher on criminals and stop punishing law abiding people who actually care and follow the law.

All infringements on the second amendment are acts of treason and should be treated as such. Acting in favor of such infringements makes you a traitor to this nation and th commonwealth.

All Virginians want our families to be safe from gun violence. However, passing such broad restrictions on firearms commonly used for self defense is not the answer. The updated definition of assault weapons and the associated prohibitions do little to nothing to stop criminals who are willing to illegally buy or steal firearms. There are plenty of firearms out there for criminals to access, with well over 400 million guns in civilian ownership in the United States. It is too late to round them all up. These bills will disproportionately affect those citizens who go out of their way to follow our commonwealth's laws; the people who are unlikely to commit a violent crime in the first place. The solutions to gun violence that stand a chance at working are community-oriented interventions that decrease poverty, drug use, gang activity, combat mental illness, and advocate for the safe storage of firearms. Sociologists know these factors correlate strongly with ALL types of violence. On average, two-thirds of firearms deaths are suicides, an assault weapons ban won't do a thing about those. Of the remaining 1/3 of firearms homicides, more than half are drug, gang, or domestic violence related. Let's pass bipartisan legislation that addresses these underlying problems, instead of preventing average Virginians from protecting themselves with firearms that are already ubiquitous.

I am Opposed to any limitations on the Second Amendment and any restrictive firearm laws. We have adequate, if not already overbearing, laws on the books now and should not be creating more laws restricting all the aspects of firearm use, sales, and any other aspects of the right to bear arms.

These firearm laws are mostly reactionary to the media response on firearms. This is a major infringement on the 2nd amendment and needs to be stopped.

An inordinate focus on the control of firearms only serves to infringe the rights of the law-abiding citizen in defense of his life and property. The State should instead focus on the apprehension and incarceration of individuals engaging in criminal behavior and associated misuse of firearms.

Any law that infringes on my Gods-given right to own and bear arms is UNCONSTITUTIONAL. Any law passed that infringes this right will be answered with a lawsuit.

I'm against any unconstitutional law and any law that strips Americans of their rights. These laws are an attack on the 2nd amendment and hold NO facts in stopping crime. They are a punishment for law-abiding people and will not make Virginia safer.

These laws are mostly going to effect law abiding citizens like myself and all the people I know. WHEN HAVE CRIMINALS FOLLOWED LAWS??? The only thing these criminals that commit gun related offenses is some kind of force of action. Why are you going to try to take our 2nd Amendment Rights away from people who follow the laws and love our great country? We should be focusing on increasing penalties against those who commit the crimes. Stop focusing on the law abiding citizens and focus on the criminals that are terrorizing all of our towns. Our government is letting millions and millions of unknown people in our country without having a clue what kind of person they are. I'm sure most are good people like you and me but not all of them are. We need our guns to be able to protect ourselves, our families, our neighbors, and our country if needed. Our founding fathers have it right and put a lot of thoughts into our constitution and bill of rights. I thought Democrats were about equality and the working man/woman. If you all want good for us law abiding citizens, work together, make compromises, and start doing your duty. We do not need more "big government" taking more rights. What we need is a closed border so we can fight this drug crisis. Slow the flow of drugs and these gangs fall apart. Once they fall apart maybe these shootings would slow down. Please do the right thing and do not sign these gun bills. All this woke crap is ruining our country. Y'all need to please make changes and focus on what's going to help all of us not just the minority.

Gun laws do not prevent firearm homicides, based upon gun control organization's own data (Giffords) •No correlation between strict gun laws and firearm homicide incidents •.07 coefficient of determination (AKA R2) where .90 is a strong association •There likely would be a weak association showing gun laws driving the firearm homicide rate higher if Washington, DC was given a score and ranked by Giffords.

I strongly, along with many fellow Virginians oppose any villainous disarmament bills disguised as "public safety". The second amendment clearly states "SHALL NOT BE INFRINGED" and out of touch elitist politicians who enjoy the luxury of armed security are choosing to ignore the constitution and force us to rely on sub-par police protection. The same people who want to defund the police want to disarm us. Embracing the second amendment is what is keeping our crime rates low compared to New York and California. We have seen the blatant disregard that criminals have for these so-called laws; emboldened criminals who are not afraid of the consequences and innocent law-abiding people who are forced to live in fear because a bunch of tyrants are letting power corrupt them. I do not want to live in fear and neither do the rest of us. In addition; a lot of counties and cities have declared themselves as second amendment sanctuaries to protect the rights of free individuals from the overreach of tyrannical politicians. These bills are a Trojan horse that will lead to more crime. You anti-gun politicians should be ashamed of yourselves; give up your private security and train yourselves. Then you will change your minds; because in the end, nobody is coming to save you. I would rather have a fighting chance against armed assailants than die waiting for help to arrive. These bills are pure evil

I oppose all of these selected bills since I firmly believe they are in conflict with the Second Amendment of the US Constitution. The Second Amendment clearly states that it shall not be infringed upon. Any and all proposed legislation that would place limits on how, where, and when responsible citizens arm themselves runs afoul of that. Our founding fathers correctly held the belief that all people have a natural born right to arm and protect themselves and that the government has no authority to interfere with that. While I agree with the sentiment of reducing violence among our society, gun laws only harm the law abiding citizen and leave criminals who already have a disregard for the law to still be armed. If our elected officials who proposed these bills actually cared about addressing our violence problem, they would focus more on addressing the root causes of violence and crime. More worthwhile pursuits in my opinion would be focused on addressing socio-economic problems that plague disadvantaged communities, creating a more robust and well-equipped mental healthcare system, and overhauling our educational systems to setup our children for better success in life. Thank you all for your time.

I'm against any unconstitutional law, and any law that strips Americans of their rights. These laws are an attack on the 2nd ammendment and hold NO facts in stopping crime. They are a punishment on law abiding people and in no way will make virginia a safer place.

I oppose all these unconstitutional, dangerous, and pointless laws.

I oppose all useless firearm changes. Criminals will not obey

I oppose this bill as it seeks to infringe on the Consitutionally proctected rights of lawabiding citizens to protect themselves from criminals, criminals who do not follow the law. This bill makes it harder for someone to keep themselves safe and is primarily a solution in search of problems to fix. Virginia has one of the lowest crime rates in the country and even less gun related crimes being committed year over year. This is not due to gun control laws, in fact as gun control laws increase, s o does the rate of violent crimes. Criminals are not afraid of police, they are afraid of armed citizens. The subject of this bill has already been defeated in courts, passing this into law will only subject the Commonwealth to more lawsuits to have it repealed costing us more in taxes. Enough of our taxpayers money has been wasted in politicians attempting to pass "feel good" bills to try and prove they are doing their job. I urge the legistature to focus on enforcing and imposing stricter penalties for those that break our exsiting laws over creating new laws that only serve to pe nalize the law abiding citizens.

I was born in Henrico county and vote in every election. Guns are currently the #1 killer of our children under the age of 18. I am writing to show my support for these bills because gun violence prevention is my top priority. Please support gun safety legislation that is brought up for a vote! Thank you so much for your time.

My name is Laura Sledge and I am your constituent. Guns are currently the #1 killer of our children under the age of 18, and gun violence prevention is my top priority. Please support gun safety legislation that is brought up for a vote. Here are the bills I support. Thank you for your time.

Please support HB 318, HB319, HB351, HB362, HB585, HB602, HB637, HB791, HB797, HB798, HB798, HB799, HB 861, HB16, HB45 Let's keep our children and other innocent bystanders safe!

My name is Jeanne Hanewich, on behalf of the League of Women Voters of Virginia, we support the passage of HB36 Willett and HB318 Helmer. Thank you

Hello, My name is Hayley Redmond Cilley. Guns are currently the #1 killer of our children under age 18, and I am calling because gun violence prevention is my top priority. Please support gun safety legislation that is brought up for a vote! We need safer communities for all, but especially for our children.

Hello!My name is Natela and I been struggling for so long finding affordable housing in Fairfax County,Virginia.I am 58 years old female who have a very low income.I contacted more then 500 places trying to find one bedroom apartment or private basement and all this places asking for income 3-3.5 times bigger then cost of apartment.Making any person who is trying to rent one bedroom apartment in Fairfax county need to make around 5-6000 dollars per month.How many percent of people having this high salary jobs?I DON’T. I’m making now 12.00 dollars per hour.This amount of money disqualified me from any housing I applied.My question to HUD and all other housing authorities WHAT ARE YOU SUGGESTING PEOPLE WITH LOW INCOME??????? WHAT WE NEED TO DO TO SURVIVE LIVING IN FAIRFAX AREA?HOUSING PRICES IS ASTRONOMICAL!GROCERY PRICES IS ASTRONOMICAL! ALL AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROGRAMS ARE CLOSED.ALL WAITING LISTS FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING CLOSED TO. I BET YOU ALL JUST DON’T CARE ABOUT US!

Everything we can do to keep our children and communities safe must be of the utmost priority. Our country has blood on its hands and state and federal leaders must open their eyes and hearts to pushing forward for what’s best for us as a society- that does not include firearms, ammunition, and hate. Mental health is but one part of the issue at hand here and it’s critical we solve the gun violence epidemic in a bipartisan and comprehensive fashion. I support all efforts to improve mental health services and school and community safety including eliminating access to automatic weapons, increasing the purchase age and increasing background check and screenings.

I am writing as a gun violence prevention advocate and voter in Loudoun County, VA. We supported many of our elected officials in the November election with the hope that they will represent the voices who have had enough. I am grateful for the Delegates who are willing to speak on behalf of those we have lost and the children and families that deserve safer communities. We stand behind you in your efforts. I support bills HB270, HB318, HB319, HB916 and those that focus on gun violence prevention. Thank you.

As a lawful firearm owner and concealed carry holder in multiple state, I urge you to oppose these unconstitutional bills. These bills will do nothing but infringe on our rights and do nothing to punish those who use firearms in an unlawful manner. Here are a few examples of why these bills are bad: HB 270 and HB 1195 - what problem does this solve for? Virginia has an "instant check" system and this bill makes that moot. HB 319 and HB 797 - reducing the places where someone can get trained on how to safely and effectively use firearms is counterintuitive. If anything, the number of firearm training locations should be increased to maximize the safe operations of firearms. HB 362 and HB 798 - misdemeanors should never deprive an individual of their rights guaranteed by the Constitution. HB 861 - this is another attempt to reduce a person's ability to protect themselves. Rather than take away the rights of lawful American citizens, please focus on punishing actual criminals and, if need be, make those penalties more harsh. All of these bills are intended to make law-abiding American citizens less able to protect themselves. They do nothing to impact the criminal or mentally unstable element of society and those are the people who commit violence whether that be with firearms, knives, hammers, or their bare hands. As legislators, you need to focus on stopping the bad buy and maximizing the freedoms and liberties of the good guys. These bills are anti-American and should be opposed vehemently.

To Firearms Subcommittee of House Public Safety, I have read and reviewed the bills referenced in this correspondence and see little value in them. All do nothing more than punish and add restrictions to law-abiding gun owners that will do nothing to prevent violent crimes committed with a firearm. In some cases, these bills seem to be personal vendettas against the NRA and USCCA. I urge members of this committee to reject all of the bills I have referenced in this correspondence.

I am a volunteer with Virginia Moms for Change, a gun violence prevention group, and we support these bills.

I support these bills.

Please oppose HB175, which should be called the "scary looking gun prohibition bill". Does nothing to advance safety and in unconstitutional per Bruen. Please oppose HB270, which is a back door gun show ban, a callous disarming of women facing domestic abusers, and puts the Commonwealth in the business of buying legal firearms. Please oppose HB318, which imposes civil penalties on manufacturers and distributors in one of the most highly regulated industries in the country for end user behavior. Additionally, it is terribly worded, adding civil liability for even things like safety devices. Please oppose HB24/861. a "facility that provides mental health" services could include any emergency room. Think about where our ER's and trauma centers are. HB319 and HB797 are comical on their face. One cannot credibly claim that training programs from the National Rifle Association are inadequate. This is politics, plain and simple. HB799 is a solution in search of a problem. 10 years ago the fingerprint req't was eliminated - what's changed? This is an attempt to add friction to people trying their best to comply with an already intrusive process. Please support HB1230, which puts defenders closer to our children when time is of the essence and creates an effective deterrent. Please support HB1235, which enables women to protect themselves against abusers and rapists while a protective order is in place. Please support HB1325, which eliminates paperwork made unnecessary.

Apparently, you all think your authority comes from you; is deserved by you; and should be used to further your agenda in disarming law abiding citizens. SCOTUS decisions in Heller and Bruen have already decided the fate of your bills. You are likely going to get sued, your bills will lose and you will have done nothing whatsoever but waste taxpayer time and money on a frivolous pursuit. Which brings me to question what, exactly is the end result? Is it to weaponize laws against law abiding citizens in lawfare? Maybe you think we will run out of money or out of steam in defending our GOD GIVEN RIGHTS. Good luck with that, you will need it. The US Constitution has been argued multiple times regarding gun rights and clearly you either do not care about the rulings; about the Constitution as ratified and adopted by Virginia; nor the views of your constituents. You neither deserve, nor are owed, any kind of allegiance from us. WE DO NOT serve YOU. As a matter of fact our government, across the entire United States, is actually opposite your entitled, two-tiered justice, elitist hypocrisy; which is to say YOU SERVE US! Your lawfare tactics; constantly thumbing your nose at our RIGHTS because 'scary gun bad,' is not going to go in your favor. We are well aware of your marxist ideologies and how much you hate your country and how you believe that the rights of the individual are outweighed by your need to subjugate. We are well aware of your continuation to craft laws carving out, little by little, more power for yourselves and less freedom for us. God will not judge us for standing against you. You took an oath to support, protect and defend the Constitution. You have an opportunity, to simply admit you are wrong and turn away from this course of action. Impaling yourself because you'd rather do that than admit you are wrong is not the way to go. I understand an admission of wrong action will come with a swath of angry people jeering and cheering against you, however, redirecting course is still a better option than trying to force your constituency to rely on 'government,' to help which is tantamount to murder. The national average police response is around 12 minutes to a crime scene, coupled with the fact that SCOTUS has ruled many times that a law enforcement officer has no duty to place him/herself in harms way to protect anyone (DeShaney vs. Winnebago and Town of Castle Rock vs. Gonzales, and Warren vs. District of Columbia), and all you have done is place criminals at the top of the food chain offering up your constituency as nothing more than their next meal.

As a parent, I support these common-sense gun reform bills.

Tilting at windmills: The debate on whether an AR-15 is a military or non-military firearm is moot The anti-gunners panties are in a tight wad over AR-15s because they don’t like black guns, especially if those guns have various cosmetic features, such as a bayonet lug. You know - the scourge of drive-by bayonetings going on in Chicago? So, the anti’s latest tactic is to scream (that’s pretty much their main mode of communication) that an AR-15 is a weapon of war and should not be owned by anyone but the military, government agencies, and the police. So, if citizens don’t need so-called “weapons of war”, why exactly would the police and government bureaucrats need them? <Crickets chirping quietly in the background> Armies have not used AR-15s in war, so it’s hard to call one a weapon of war. The M-16/M-4 is superior for that purpose with its semi-automatic, burst, and fully automatic selector switch. That said, could one fight a war with an AR-15? Sure. AR-15s have a lot in common with their M-16/M-4 cousin. AR-15s use the same mid-power cartridge and the same 20 or 30-round magazine as the M-16/M-4. And the really scary issue for the antis is the AR-15 LOOKS LIKE an M-16! But all of this is totally moot. The Second Amendment and Article 1, Section 13 of the Virginia Constitution both protect the right of the People to own and carry bearable weapons of war! Even the Supreme Court back in 1939 in US v Miller made it clear that any weapon of use to a militia (think “weapon of war”) is protected by the Second Amendment. And American history and tradition back up that right. From the beginning, Americans have owned and carried weapons in use by the military: from muskets to revolvers, to pistols, to pump and semi-automatic shotguns, to lever-action, bolt-action, and semi-automatic rifles, and, to a lesser degree, both fully-automatic rifles and pistols. So, to my anti-gun friends: I am tired of arguing with you about whether an AR-15 is a sporting gun or a “weapon of war.” Call it what you want, but it is protected by the Second Amendment either way.

I ask the subcommittee to oppose the passage of these bills.

I, Carolyn Kochard, on behalf of Virginia Moms for Change support the above bills because data shows that these laws help reduce gun-related deaths.

Dear Members; What part of 'shall not infringe' do you not understand ? Donald Trump on the ballot and let's go Brandon. My congressmen Bobby Scott and my delegate Cia Price do NOT represent me ! Thank you John Zielanski

I moved to Virginia 15 years ago after I retired. I chose Virginia because of the reasonable, common sense gun laws, among other reasons, as compared to where I came from. I am an avid competitive shooter and hunter and made Virginia my home on that basis. I pay considerably more in taxes, with the exception of real estate, to support my state and county governments and ask and get little in return. In the last 8 years the state of Virginia has enacted a myriad of new firearms regulations that do nothing to prevent crime or make us safer. The new laws being considered will have the same effect. Your focus should be on crime and how to punish criminals, not law abiding taxpayers exercising their constitutionally guaranteed rights. Where I live we realistically have a 25 to 45 minute response time for fire, ambulance and sheriff’s deputies. We have an excellent sheriff’s department and volunteer corps of fire and first aid responders but sheer numbers of staff and size of our county make it what it is. People need to be self reliant and not have to worry about being punished for inadvertently breaking an ineffective gun law. Again, your focus should be be on crime and how to punish criminals and not law abiding citizens. Thanks for your time.

I almost find it difficult to believe there is even a bill like HB318 to vote on. This bill should be required to include a provision that every expense incurred by any defendant and their counsel made possible by the passage of this bill, but who are in any way determined to be not at fault, will be paid for by Helmer from personal funds. I still would not support this bill, but I would not have to because the bill would not exist. If Helmer actually believes this bill is justifiable, require that provision be included and see what happens.

I think there should be a law that allows us, the citizens of Virginia, to remove officials from office who violate their constitutional oath to protect our 2nd amendment and other constitutional amendments. I cannot for the life of me understand what the point is of swearing into office as servant to the public and take an oath only to turn around and purpose laws under the guise of reducing crime that further restrict already law abiding citizens. These laws will never EVER stop criminals, it will never EVER slow or stop people with nefarious intentions and only limit already law abiding citizens. Frankly I grow so tired and more and more disappointed in certain officials in office that don't keep their oath and just lie to the public that gun control stop criminal. IT DOES NO WORK, armed law biding citizens scare criminals from making people into victims because it creates uncertainty to the criminal's actions not knowing if people are armed would they other wise take criminal actions. Why is it people who support gun control fail to make connects to the correlations that place with security are less likely to be targeted for that very reason, because the person would face resistance to their actions. I do not support any of these gun control bills, I do support the pro gun bills and will not comply with any of these gun control bills should they pass as they are unconstitutional and violate my rights as a US citizen.

Please quit making new laws when we don’t enforce what is on the books now. Target criminals not the everyday law abiding citizens of Virginia!

As a 20 year Virginia constituent, I urge you to OPPOSE the following gun-control bills. As a whole they do nothing to increase safety of the public, ignore actual crime stats & root causes and focus solely on infringing upon rights of law-abiding Virginians, actually making us LESS safe in our ability to defend ourselves from violent criminals. Multiple bills flagrantly violate the Supreme Court rulings in the Heller v DC and Bruen v NYSRPA cases which established clear historical and Constitutional thresholds which must be met for ALL gun control laws. These bills also violate the Virginia State Constitution's sections related to keeping and bearing arms. As legislators you took an oath to UPHOLD those Constitutions, not marginalize or cut apart the Rights contained therein. * HB 175, Simon, unconstitutionally prohibits the carry of certain firearms in public * HB 270, Reid, creates a three day waiting period for a firearm purchase, making a mockery of Virginia's "instant check" system and breaking a promise to Virginia's gun owners * HB 318, Helmer, ridiculously makes the firearm industry liable for criminal misuse of firearms; are car makers or alcohol companies liable for DUIs which kill people? Are knife makers held liable for murders or robberies using a knife? * HB 319, Helmer, greatly reduces the number of places where concealed handgun permit holders can get training. A solution in search of a problem * HB 362, McClure, takes away gun rights for misdemeanor battery in a nebulous "dating relationship." Misdemeanors should never take away basic, protected civil rights for any reason * HB 797, Hope, greatly reduces the number of places where concealed handgun permit holders can get training and increases requirements to get a permit. A solution to a non-existing problem * HB 798, Hope, takes away gun rights for a misdemeanor conviction of a simple assault, assault and battery, and stalking * HB 799, Hope, requires fingerprinting for getting a concealed carry permit. Permits are only revoked for any reason at a minuscule rate of one-tenth of one percent! A solution in search of a problem. * HB 861, Hernandez, prohibits firearms in hospitals, unconstitutionally violating the rights of people to be able to protect themselves * HB 1195, Hays, creates a five day waiting period for a firearm purchase, making a mockery of Virginia's "instant check" system and breaking a promise to Virginia's gun owners * HB 1462, Laufer, creates a $500 civil penalty and towing for an unattended vehicle where a handgun is visible, punishing good people for what criminals do

As a constituent, I urge you to OPPOSE the following gun-control bills: * HB 175, Simon, unconstitutionally prohibits the carry of certain firearms in public * HB 270, Reid, creates a three day waiting period for a firearm purchase, making a mockery of Virginia's "instant check" system and breaking a promise to Virginia's gun owners * HB 318, Helmer, ridiculously makes the firearm industry liable for criminal misuse of firearms * HB 319, Helmer, greatly reduces the number of places where concealed handgun permit holders can get training. A solution in search of a problem * HB 362, McClure, takes away gun rights for misdemeanor battery in a nebulous "dating relationship." Misdemeanors should never take away basic, protected civil rights for any reason * HB 797, Hope, greatly reduces the number of places where concealed handgun permit holders can get training and increases requirements to get a permit. A solution to a non-existing problem * HB 798, Hope, takes away gun rights for a misdemeanor conviction of a simple assault, assault and battery, and stalking * HB 799, Hope, requires fingerprinting for getting a concealed carry permit. Permits are only revoked for any reason at a minuscule rate of one-tenth of one percent! A solution in search of a problem. * HB 861, Hernandez, prohibits firearms in hospitals, unconstitutionally violating the rights of people to be able to protect themselves * HB 1195, Hays, creates a five day waiting period for a firearm purchase, making a mockery of Virginia's "instant check" system and breaking a promise to Virginia's gun owners * HB 1462, Laufer, creates a $500 civil penalty and towing for an unattended vehicle where a handgun is visible, punishing good people for what criminals do Let me know how you are going to vote on these bills.

As a constituent, I urge you to OPPOSE the following gun-control bills: * HB 175, Simon, unconstitutionally prohibits the carry of certain firearms in public * HB 270, Reid, creates a three day waiting period for a firearm purchase, making a mockery of Virginia's "instant check" system and breaking a promise to Virginia's gun owners * HB 318, Helmer, ridiculously makes the firearm industry liable for criminal misuse of firearms * HB 319, Helmer, greatly reduces the number of places where concealed handgun permit holders can get training. A solution in search of a problem * HB 362, McClure, takes away gun rights for misdemeanor battery in a nebulous "dating relationship." Misdemeanors should never take away basic, protected civil rights for any reason * HB 797, Hope, greatly reduces the number of places where concealed handgun permit holders can get training and increases requirements to get a permit. A solution to a non-existing problem * HB 798, Hope, takes away gun rights for a misdemeanor conviction of a simple assault, assault and battery, and stalking * HB 799, Hope, requires fingerprinting for getting a concealed carry permit. Permits are only revoked for any reason at a minuscule rate of one-tenth of one percent! A solution in search of a problem. * HB 861, Hernandez, prohibits firearms in hospitals, unconstitutionally violating the rights of people to be able to protect themselves * HB 1195, Hays, creates a five day waiting period for a firearm purchase, making a mockery of Virginia's "instant check" system and breaking a promise to Virginia's gun owners * HB 1462, Laufer, creates a $500 civil penalty and towing for an unattended vehicle where a handgun is visible, punishing good people for what criminals do Thanks Garry Dudley

It continues to puzzle me as to why the General Assembly continues to hamper the rights of law abiding gun owners with silly legislation (some of which is clearly unconstitutional) verses addressing the actual underlying problems. Until you do so, you'll continue to look like the political hacks and stooges that you are, beholden to party marching orders rather than what's good for the Commonwealth and it's citizens. Truly sad indeed!

Keep your hands off legally owned guns. Do more to get the bad gun guns. Why do not see the laws on the books get enforced? Uphold your oath of office and protect us from bad guys,illegals, and others.

I am writing to inform the tone deaf and those in this assembly that while they dither and equivocate over Constitutional "God given Rights" of a Free People, codified into law, 16,250 innocent children are "murdered", put to death, mutilated, in the state of Virginia each and every year and each and every new session of this Legislature 16, 250 more innocents die at the hands of the inaction of this body as a whole. And we thought the Germans of the 30's were criminal for their actions with deliberate DEATH and maiming. The crime of murder in any form is a serious crime and just because it is "legalized" it is still a Sin again against humanity and the People of Virginia, who apparently foot the bill for this atrocity. Just as you should not be legalizing "Firearm Control" murder is still a unjustified morally and should be rejected as normal. If there are still anyone on the Democrat side of this body that understands morality and stands up for LIFE and LIBERTY of the People, consider well how and what you vote in favor of. May the punishment of this heinous crime be published and stopped before another thing is done, legally or illegally in this body. Sincerely, Peter Buckingham 301-646-5300 Crozet, VA 22932

The right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed

HB35 - promotes actual firearms safety without imposing upon the rights of innocent gun owners for the crimes of others. Absolutely worth the support of the legislature. HB1230 - a step in the correct direction, towards making schools LESS of a soft target, LESS attractive to mass-murderers compared to how they are now. This permits some of the people we never needed to worry about in the first place to be armed against the possibility of someone wanting to murder them in a place which was previously a victim-disarmament zone. HB1235 - this shouldn't even be a QUESTION to support it. A protective order is a mere piece of paper, and it is well known that such a piece of paper has failed miserably in defending some people from their attackers. Permitting them to carry is the ONLY proper choice. HB1321 and 1325 do not earn my support or disapproval. ALL other bills being proposed for this day's consideration should be rejected - HB175 - ANY prohibition on so-called "assault firearms" is AT BEST meaningless and worthy of opposition for that reason alone. Add to that the fact that owners and users of these firearms are overwhelmingly peaceful VA citizens innocent of any wrongdoing and this bill CANNOT be passed. HB270 - more nonsense restrictions on so-called assault weapons" and standard-capacity magazines, which are unConstitutional on their face under both the US and VA Constitutions. Nuke this proposal. HB318 - proposes to hold "firearms industry members" responsible for crimes committed by third parties due to govt's inability or unwillingness to enforce EXISTING laws already covering the crimes detailed in this bill. This is a prima-facie attempt to execute lawfare against retailers and manufacturers innocent of any actual wrongdoing. Nuke it. HB319 - a petty attempt to remove NRA and USCCA instructors and ranges from certification at what they are literally the class-of-the-world in doing, teaching firearms safety and the legalities of carry, because the proposer doesn't LIKE those groups. The mere PROPOSAL is incredibly childish and unprofessional. Nuke it. HB362 - if you want to forbid ownership or possession of someone for a violent crime, that crime needs to be a felony. Period. And you'd better be able to JUSTIFY it being a felony crime. Nuke it. HB797 - another childish and unprofessional attack on the groups best-suited and -capable of instruction in actual firearms safety. NUKE IT. HB798 - see comments for HB362. NUKE IT. HB799 - This is tiresome. See comments for HB319 and 797. NUKE IT. HB861 - the only people who need to be restricted from carrying a weapon into a hospital already ARE prohibited from even TOUCHING one. Your inability or unwillingness to deal with that does not justify more laws. NUKE IT. HB916 - VA has had laws covering the issues of emergency TROs for YEARS already. So-called "red flag" laws are an abomination, violating most of the Bill Of Right and leaving someone you claim is a threat in the position to act on that threat. NUKE IT. HB945 - Not incredibly offensive, just wholly unnecessary. Nuke it. HB1195 - Any waiting period is Constitutionally-impermissible. A right delayed is a right denied, and the state seeks to delay here. NUKE IT. HB1386 - VA has no power to set workplace rules like this. NUKE IT. HB1462 - seeks to re-victimize victims of crime AND to make it impossible for people not a threat to anyone to carry outside of victim-disarmament zones. NUKE IT.

As a dedicated advocate for the Second Amendment and a lifelong Virginian, I am compelled to express my deep concerns over the direction of recent legislative efforts surrounding firearm laws. I have always placed a high value on security, freedom, and the principles of logical, effective policy-making. It has become increasingly apparent that in the wake of tragic incidents, there is a tendency among some lawmakers to resort to knee-jerk reactions, such as proposing bans or stringent registration requirements for firearms the list goes on and on. While these measures are often presented as solutions to reduce crime, they fail to address the root causes of violence and, instead, serve only to infringe upon the constitutional rights of law-abiding citizens like myself. The proposal to ban or mandatorily register firearms under the guise of public safety is not only ineffective but also a clear violation of our Second Amendment rights. Such actions presuppose that restricting the freedoms of the majority, who are responsible and law-abiding, will somehow prevent the criminal actions of the few. This is not only a flawed premise but also a dangerous overreach that undermines the foundational liberties upon which our nation was built. Moreover, the creation of firearm-free zones and the push for restrictive gun laws are misguided attempts that offer a false promise of safety. History and evidence have shown that criminals do not adhere to such regulations; instead, these zones often end up as soft targets, inadvertently putting innocent lives at greater risk. In light of these considerations, I urge you and your colleagues in the Virginia House and Senate to: Stand firmly against the ineffective and reactionary proposals to ban or mandatorily register firearms. Reconsider and rescind policies that establish firearm-free zones, recognizing their failure to protect and their potential to harm. Focus on realistic, effective solutions that address the underlying causes of violence without compromising the rights and freedoms of Virginia's citizens. Our commitment to the Second Amendment is not a matter of political convenience but a fundamental principle that ensures our liberty and security. The right to bear arms is intrinsic to the American way of life, providing individuals the means to defend themselves, their families, and their freedoms. There are many egregious bills pending. firearm lock requirements, storage requirements, waiting periods, the list goes on and on I remind you democrats that you swore an oath to defend the constitution all these laws you are considering are contrary to the constitution itself and will be challenged and defeated because of the post bruen Supreme Court decisions. I am confident that with thoughtful consideration and a commitment to the principles of our Constitution, we can forge policies that genuinely enhance public safety without infringing upon our cherished liberties. I, alongside countless Virginia patriots, assert that we will not comply with laws infringing on our Second Amendment rights. This stance is rooted in a deep respect for the Constitution and the freedoms it guarantees. Thank you for your attention to my concerns and for your ongoing service to the people of Virginia. I trust that you will approach this issue with the gravity and respect it deserves, recognizing the importance of preserving our constitutional rights in all legislative actions.

None of the gun control bills being put forward will stop a single criminal event. Not one. They are designed to punish and harm Virginians exercising their natural right to self defense and are in conflict with the US and Virginia constitution. Stop. This is not in the best interest of Virginians.

The gun control bills being heard today all have one thing in common, that is to disarm the honest, law abiding citizen. There is no other reason and they will have no other effect. Gun control as a method to curb crime has failed everywhere it has been implemented. Gun control to advance tyranny , subjugation and genocide has succeeded. Please vote NO on these Unconstitutional bills.

A pro-gun vote is a vote for freedom. All the anti-gun bills are just solutions in search of problems. They thicken the code of Virginia and add nothing of value. Please, do NOT fatten the code for no reason. - Thank you

I strongly opose both these bill HB 318 and HB 319. Both of these bills don't have the goal of doing anything positive for the citizens of Virginia. They actually have the opposite goal. HB 318 looks to make it possible to make manufactures liable when a criminal with one of their products does something. Why are auto makers or manufactures of construction tools or chainsaws not held to the same proposals? That is because this is ridiculous. No one would stand for a car manufacturer to be held liable for someone using a car for an unintended purpose to harm others. There are already rightly passed laws making negligence and intentional criminal acts like murder illegal (not to mention morally bad) I strongly encourage a bit against these two bills.

Dear committee I am writing to respectfully but firmly implore you not to advance gun control bills HB 175, 270, 318, 319, 362, 797, 798, 861, 1195, 1462. These bills will not stop or reduce crime. They will only strip the rights from law abiding citizens. One example is HB 1195, which creates a 5 day wait period. A right delayed is a right denied; if someone in danger needs a firearm to protect themselves, they are in more danger as they now have to wait. Not only is this unfair in light of Virginia's instant check system, but a court ruled against it. HB 318 Makes the firearm industry liable for the actions of criminals. This is unfair. You would not sue Ford if someone misused one of their products. You also have 2 bills that would limit training and the amount of certified instructors. This is insane as it goes against gun saftey: you WANT people to be trained on proper firearms use. You have bills that limit where one can carry, which is Unconstitutional under Bruen. You have bills that punish people if a firearm if left in their car in sight. Why not go after criminals? And it's not fair to punish people with only misdemeanors. As for the dating partner? That is problematic as a jilted partner , or and partner, can make a false statement about the other person. None of these bills will deter criminals nor will they do anything to address the saftey of people or the mental health issue. The better course of action would be to address mental health system. I DO want to see the following pro gun bills passed: HB 35, 945, 1230, 1235, 1325. These bills help people in crisis and even encourage safe storage of firearms without punishing people. I like the bill that offers tax credits for trigger locks/ safes . It's an incentive to encourage people to secure their firearms when not in use/ unattended. This is a great way to keep children safe and even puts some money back in people's pockets. I like the bill that turns an order of protection ( for the person that needs it ) into a concealed carry for a limited time. This will help vulnerable people protect themselves when they need to be able to do so. There are many things that can be done to make people safe, but not at the expense of freedom and constitutional rights. I am urging you to say Nay to the anti gun bills and Yay to the pro gun bills. A better course of action would be to fund and train police, enact harsh penalties for criminals, address the mental health system ( as the governor has said ) and pass pro gun legislation to both protect the Second Amendment and to encourage safe storage, increase the availability of training instructors, and allow people to protect themselves. And this also includes commonly-owned firearms such as AR15 and AK pattern rifles. Commonly-owned firearms such as these are protected under the Bruen decision. Thank you Mr Raymond Pezzoli

Article 1 section 13 is a restriction on you, in order to protect the civil rights of all citizens but especially the minority. Whether it’s a racial minority or a religious minority or a political minority, we all have rights that cannot be taken away just because some group is in a majority. Even if it weren’t a right or a civil liberty, you would have to repeal article 1 Sect 13 of the Virginia constitution in order to have the authority to prohibit me from being armed, and not just with a firearm but armed in anyway I see fit. Gun control doesn’t work, we see the results in countless examples so this isn’t a new idea and it’s been proven to fail and actually harm the citizens. Gun control started with racist after the civil war and it continues today to be the same racist elitist ideology that says you’re not smart enough or responsible enough to protect yourself, you must have the government protect you, which of course is ridiculous because the police cannot be everywhere nor would we want that many police in our society Many victims will testify that being unarmed or having a waiting period or a background check did nothing to stop their attacker and only effected their ability to protect themself which lead to them being victimized by a criminal Murder is illegal, people are still murdered Speed limits are in place, people still speed Laws do not stop or prevent crime, the only thing that any law will do is establish a punishment AFTER you are caught, not before. There are no minority reports, there are no pre cogs you cannot stop a crime before it happens, the intended victim is the only one that can stop the crime when it happens and the only way to do that is to be armed

As a constituent of one of the Delegates of the Assembly, but not of your committee, I write to express my opposition to each/all of the anti-2A bills in this collection. Individually and collectively, they punish Virginia citizens who intend to comply with them, and fail to so much as deter those with criminal intent. While this is true of nearly all laws, these are a particularly vile assault on the innocent. I do not find any of you deplorable, for you have not yet cast a vote - but if you vote to send these bills onward (and I'll know, within hours...) then I will find you so, and will become your political enemy. I cannot wield a lot of power as an 80-year-old individual constituent, but that which I can, I will.

I am in opposition to these bills as a long time concealed carry permit holder who has lived in Virginia for. 30 years and has voted in Virginian elections since I was 18. These bills make it harder for someone to keep themselves safe while are primarily solutions in search of problems to fix. Virginia has one of the lowest crime rates in the country and even less gun related crimes being committed year over year. This is not a success of the gun control lobby but they would certainly have you believe it is. They are often unconstitutional limits on a persons 2nd amendment rights and do not serve to make Virginians safer. The ban on assault firearms is written in such a way that it would ban most modern defensive handguns carried by men and women across the commonwealth. These are law abiding concealed carry holders or regular citizens who have purchased regular firearms with regular features. Much akin to wanting a car with leather seats or GPS. These are not features only found on “scary” guns they are features that assist those with hearing or sight issues to use a handgun safely. We already have laws preventing firearms usage in crimes but these would simply disempower lawful citizens from having features on their guns that are normal and regular modern features. These bills would do nothing to prevent actual criminals from obtaining or using prohibited firearms in crime but would disenfranchise law abiding citizens from enjoying a Virginian hobby that has a history older than the state itself.

I am a member of VA Moms For Change, a gun violence prevention group and I support these bills

Oppose this bill. The bill seeks to hold manufacturers responsible for the actions of people who use their item rather than the people themselves. We cannot tell people how to live their lives, how to use things they purchased themselves, etc. When a firearm is purchased, there is an inherent responsibility that is on the user to be accountable for. If a person was run over by a drunk driver, would the auto manufacturer be held responsible? No. So why are we doing the same for an industry that is already highly regulated, like the firearms industry?

I support these bills!

I am a member of Virginia Moms for Change, a gun violence prevention group, and I support the following bills: HB1174, HB1181, HB1195, HB12, HB1424, HB1462, HB158, HB175, HB183, HB23, HB270, HB318, HB319, HB351, HB362, HB585, HB602, HB637, HB791, HB797, HB798, HB799, HB861, HB916, & HB945 I am a member of Virginia Moms for Change, a gun violence prevention group, and I oppose these bills: HB1030, HB1141, HB1198, HB1230, HB1235, HB1321, HB1325, HB1386, HB289, HB389, HB756, & HB872 Innocent children are dying on our watch. Please do something.

I am a member of Virginia Moms for Change, a gun violence prevention group, and I support these bills. I expect to see more gun violence prevention legislation *actually pass* since there is so much nonpartisan alignment on this topic. The status quo is unacceptable. Our pro-gun culture is a threat to our children, and a slap in the face to every person who has lost their lives to gun violence. Enough is enough - policy over prayers.

I am opposed to this bill. Its sole purpose is to raise the cost of doing business for legal firearms entities in the hopes that they will go out of business.

I am a member of Virginia Moms for Change, a gun violence prevention group, and I support this bill.

I am a member of Virginia Moms for Change, a gun violence prevention group, and I support this bill. Gun violence in our communities and in our state is heartbreaking and changes need to be made to protect the citizens of Virginia.

I am a member of Virginia moms for change and I support these bills.

I am a member of Virginia Moms for Change and I support these bills. To all responsible gun owners: you shouldn't be afraid of these common sense bills. These bills are directed at people who are not handling their firearms as the deadly weapons that they can be. Instead of thinking your rights are being taken away, consider instead how safe storage, permits and waiting periods could help the daily gun violence in our country. Keep your guns, we are not trying to take them away. These bills are an opportunity for you, as a responsible gun owner, to be a part of the solution to help cut down on needless violence.

Remember Delegates...you took an Oath to 'Support and Defend the Constitution of the Unites States of America' which includes the 2nd Amendment!

I am a member of Virginia Moms for Change and I support the selected bills. I believe they will make our communities safer and that gun violence is a critical issue we must address with such legislation and more.

I am a member of Virginia Mom's for Change, a group working towards gun violence prevention. We support the bills indicated above.

I am a member of Virginia Moms for Change, a gun violence prevention group. I support bills HB1174 HB1181 HB1195 HB12 HB1424 HB1462 HB158 HB175 HB183 HB23 HB270 HB318 HB319 HB351 HB362 HB585 HB602 HB637 HB791 HB798 HB799 HB861 HB916 HB945

I am a member of Virginia Moms for Change, a gun violence prevention group. I support bills HB1174 HB1181 HB1195 HB12 HB1424 HB1462 HB158 HB175 HB183 HB23 HB270 HB318 HB319 HB351 HB362 HB585 HB602 HB637 HB791 HB798 HB799 HB861 HB916 HB945

and I support these bills. The bills we support are: HB1174, HB1181, HB1195, HB12, HB1424, HB1462, HB158, HB175, HB183, HB23, HB270, HB318, HB319, HB351, HB362, HB585, HB602, HB637, HB791, HB797, HB798, HB799, HB861, HB916, & HB945

I am a member of Virginia Moms for Change, a gun violence prevention group, and I support these bills. The bills we support are: HB1174, HB1181, HB1195, HB12, HB1424, HB1462, HB 158, HB175, HB183, HB23, HB270, HB318, HB319, HB351, HB362, HB585, HB602, HB637, HB791, HB797, HB798, HB799, HB861, HB916, & HB945

I am a member of Virginia Moms for Change, a gun violence prevention group, and I support these bills. The bills we support are: HB1174, HB1181, HB1195, HB12, HB1424, HB1462, HB158, HB175, HB183, HB23, HB270, HB318, HB319, HB351, HB362, HB585, HB602, HB637, HB791, HB797, HB798, HB799, HB861, HB916, & HB945

I am a member of Virginia Moms for Change, a gun violence prevention group, and I support this bill.

Blatantly unconstitutional proposals.

The end of solitary confinement must be done My son was murdered in solitary confinement at Red Onion Prison in Pound Va on 1/3/22.

Our Constitution does not provide citizens with privileges. It establishes a government with checks and balances and specifically limits the governments ability to remove the rights of its people. In regards to the matter at hand, it specifically says the the government cannot place limitations on the right of a citizen to keep and bear arms. Before I get the typical response, I know you are already aware that the phrase "well regulated" specifically refers to an being trained and ready to bear said arms. The language at the time did not use the term "regulated" as we do with modern regulations. It has been proven in the courts repeatedly that the laws you are currently considering are unconstitutional. Of this I am sure you are already aware. By spending time and tax dollars discussing laws that you know to be unconstitutional, you are in fact wasting time and tax dollars that could be spent on productive issues. I can only assume your intent is to intentionally waste time, and force members of the firearms industry to waste money on legal fees defending the constitution you have sworn to uphold. Please consider actual data and actual facts when considering gun legislation. No data supports the claim the "assault weapon" bans actually reduce gun related crime. More guns are being purchased now than ever before, yet now that the latest FBI data has been released, we can see that gun related crimes have not increased. Also, like every year that the FBI has released data, so called "assault weapons" make up a very small portion of all gun crimes. For your general knowledge the term "assault weapon" was first coined by Adolf Hitler. He renamed one of their new automatic firearms, the Sturmgewehr, because he felt that the name "assault weapon" would strike fear in allied forces. This is also the exact reason the gun control community uses this term as well. The fact is that these firearms are not fully automatic and cannot be made so without a high degree of machining skills and mechanical knowhow. Plus doing so is already illegal. The fact is the Biden's latest gun control act has not been equally enforced. It was supposed to provide additional support for school security and mental health services. It was supposed to provide stronger punishments for those cought breaking existing gun laws. It was supposed to allow FFL's to use the NICS system to check employees. It was supposed to allow FFL's to be able to instantly check inventory or potential purchase/trades by their serial number to determine if the firearm has been stolen or used in any crimes. None of these provisions have been acted upon or enforced. Please drop these latest gun control bills. They are unconstitutional and will never pass. Please do not waste your time and our tax dollars on these wasted efforts. Regards, Jonathan Goodman

I'm a volunteer with Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America, and I support this bill. More than 100,000 people are shot and killed or wounded in the United States each year, but the gun industry plays by a special set of rules that allows it to avoid responsibility and endanger public safety.

Hello!My name is Natela and I been struggling for so long finding affordable housing in Fairfax County,Virginia.I am 58 years old female who have a very low income.I contacted more then 500 places trying to find one bedroom apartment or private basement and all this places asking for income 3-3.5 times bigger then cost of apartment.Making any person who is trying to rent one bedroom apartment in Fairfax county need to make around 5-6000 dollars per month.How many percent of people having this high salary jobs?I DON’T. I’m making now 12.00 dollars per hour.This amount of money disqualified me from any housing I applied.My question to HUD and all other housing authorities WHAT ARE YOU SUGGESTING PEOPLE WITH LOW INCOME??????? WHAT WE NEED TO DO TO SURVIVE LIVING IN FAIRFAX AREA?HOUSING PRICES IS ASTRONOMICAL!GROCERY PRICES IS ASTRONOMICAL! ALL AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROGRAMS ARE CLOSED.ALL WAITING LISTS FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING CLOSED TO. I BET YOU ALL JUST DON’T CARE ABOUT US!

Comments Document

Fighting for a right to pee or poop with dignity (and without the whole world knowing) make people not want to shop, go out in public, or travel. All for fear- Is there going to be somewhere I can go to the bathroom? That is a very real fear, for many. My father hasn’t traveled to visit me in over a year for this very reason. I look at books like “Everybody poops” and I laugh, but I also cry because it has become such an emotional issue for me. Help myself and those that struggle like I do with their bladder and or bowel enjoy the freedoms of being in public again. Help take away some of that fear. Not everyone can tell their local UPS it is their right to pee; it is the law like I did- but that is why you represent us. You can tell these businesses. You can make it right; you have the power to make Virginia a place that stands for the rights of everyone and is a great place for those with disabilities to live. Everybody has a right to use the bathroom with dignity.

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Hello!My name is Natela and I been struggling for so long finding affordable housing in Fairfax County,Virginia.I am 58 years old female who have a very low income.I contacted more then 500 places trying to find one bedroom apartment or private basement and all this places asking for income 3-3.5 times bigger then cost of apartment.Making any person who is trying to rent one bedroom apartment in Fairfax county need to make around 5-6000 dollars per month.How many percent of people having this high salary jobs?I DON’T. I’m making now 12.00 dollars per hour.This amount of money disqualified me from any housing I applied.My question to HUD and all other housing authorities WHAT ARE YOU SUGGESTING PEOPLE WITH LOW INCOME??????? WHAT WE NEED TO DO TO SURVIVE LIVING IN FAIRFAX AREA?HOUSING PRICES IS ASTRONOMICAL!GROCERY PRICES IS ASTRONOMICAL! ALL AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROGRAMS ARE CLOSED.ALL WAITING LISTS FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING CLOSED TO. I BET YOU ALL JUST DON’T CARE ABOUT US!

Richmond has become one of the most unaffordable states in the country to rent, only state action can keep rents down.

I support this bill because of the soaring prices for rent. Please vote YES!

Vote YES on SB366/HB721! This bill would tackle soaring rent prices in Virginia by allowing localities to adopt anti-rent gouging provisions, stating that any rent increases would be based upon the CPI or 7% (whichever is less); exemptions can be made. The locality would also be allowed to establish civil penalties for non-compliance. -Lakevia Randolph Burrell

In my work at Peninsula Agency on Aging, I often hear from older adults who are struggling to pay rent on their fixed incomes, only to be faced with a massive rent hike as housing costs go up across the region. Rent gouging is leading to housing insecurity and homelessness for far too many already-vulnerable citizens across our state. SB366/HB721 puts in place reasonable limits that protect renters. As a voter, a person of faith, and a resident invested in my community, I support this bill, and I ask that you vote yes on this bill when it comes before you. Thank you.

Vote YES on SB366! This bill would tackle soaring rent prices in Virginia by allowing localities to adopt anti-rent gouging provisions, stating that any rent increases would be based upon the CPI or 7% (whichever is less); exemptions can be made. The locality would also be allowed to establish civil penalties for non-compliance. -Vivian Daniels

Dear Members of the General Assembly, I know you are aware of the plight of Virginians who constantly deal with the soaring cost of housing in the Commonwealth. All one must do is listen to the local news to realize the seriousness of the problems surrounding affordable housing, especially if one is in a low economic status. SB 366/HB721 provides the necessary steps to ensure rent stabilization. It is imperative for localities to adopt anti-rent gouging provisions. Likewise, localities should also be allowed to establish civil penalties for non-compliance, at their discretion. For those claiming the status of Evangelical (Black or White), remember these admonishments as this is not about the separation of Church and State but is how the Christian is to demonstrate the love and loyalty to YAHWEH. Proverbs 19:17 says, “Whoever is kind to the poor lends to the LORD, and He will reward them for what they have done.” Deuteronomy 15:11 says “For there will never cease to be poor in the land. Therefore, I command you, 'You shall open wide your hand to your brother, to the needy and to the poor, in your land. Kind Regards, Reverend Carol A. Graham-Lee (CMSgt, USAF, retired)

Hello, my name is Carlos Hunter and I live in Hampton Virginia, 91st district. I thank you for allowing me to discuss Senate Bill 366/HB721 with you. I am writing to express my strong support for SB 366/HB721, which aims to tackle the issue of rent gouging in Virginia. I am deeply concerned about the rising rent prices in our state, this bill presents a crucial opportunity to protect tenants and ensure affordable housing for all. SB 366/HB721 proposes empowering localities to adopt anti-rent gouging provisions, which would establish reasonable limits on rent increases. Specifically, the bill suggests tying rent increases to the Consumer Price Index (CPI) or a maximum of 7%, whichever is less. I believe this approach not only safeguards tenants from excessive rent hikes but also provides landlords with a fair and predictable framework for managing their properties. Furthermore, SB 366/HB721 allows localities to establish civil penalties for non-compliance, ensuring accountability and enforcement of these provisions. By providing tools for local governments to address rent gouging, this bill promotes stability in our housing market and fosters healthier communities. Housing is a fundamental human right, and it is imperative that we take proactive measures to address the affordability crisis facing many Virginians. SB 366/HB721 represents a significant step towards achieving this goal by striking a balance between the interests of tenants and landlords. I urge you to support SB 366/HB721 and to advocate for its passage in the legislature. Your commitment to addressing rent gouging will not only benefit countless individuals and families struggling to afford housing but also contribute to building a more equitable and prosperous future for our state. Thank you for your attention to this critical issue. Please vote yes to SB 366/HB721 and to work together to ensure that all Virginians have access to safe, stable, and affordable housing. Respectfully, Carlos Hunter USN Retired

In a time of slow growth and an uncertain political future, this bill would tackle soaring rent prices in Virginia by allowing localities to adopt anti-rent gouging provisions, stating that any rent increases would be based upon the CPI or 7% (whichever is less); exemptions can be made. The locality would also be allowed to establish civil penalties for non-compliance. Many Virginia families have yet to recover from Covid pandemic and yet are faced with higher cost of living in all areas. They can try to economize on food but living quarters are a different matter. Being unable to find or afford housing can break a family. I urge support of this bill. Eileen Engel

Hello!My name is Natela and I been struggling for so long finding affordable housing in Fairfax County,Virginia.I am 58 years old female who have a very low income.I contacted more then 500 places trying to find one bedroom apartment or private basement and all this places asking for income 3-3.5 times bigger then cost of apartment.Making any person who is trying to rent one bedroom apartment in Fairfax county need to make around 5-6000 dollars per month.How many percent of people having this high salary jobs?I DON’T. I’m making now 12.00 dollars per hour.This amount of money disqualified me from any housing I applied.My question to HUD and all other housing authorities WHAT ARE YOU SUGGESTING PEOPLE WITH LOW INCOME??????? WHAT WE NEED TO DO TO SURVIVE LIVING IN FAIRFAX AREA?HOUSING PRICES IS ASTRONOMICAL!GROCERY PRICES IS ASTRONOMICAL! ALL AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROGRAMS ARE CLOSED.ALL WAITING LISTS FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING CLOSED TO. I BET YOU ALL JUST DON’T CARE ABOUT US!

Comments Document

We have all heard the definition of insanity is “doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.” HB 721 is a perfect example of that definition! Rent control policies across the country have proven to be an absolute failure. No jurisdiction that has adopted rent control policies has succeeded in keeping housing affordable. Further, not a single city which implemented rent control has seen an increase in housing availability or an increase in the quality of housing. It has not worked in Seattle, Portland, San Francisco, Los Angeles, New York or St. Paul, MN. One only needs to do a quick google search of "rent control and St. Paul" to see how devastating rent control has been to the construction of more rental housing in that city. According to HUD’s count (https://socds.huduser.gov/permits/), St. Paul’s apartment construction permits fell 48% after rent control passed in 2021, and that 48% is only after the city went back and revised their ordinance to exempt new construction for 20 years. We can also look at suburban Maryland to see exactly what will happen to VA if rent control is allowed to pass. Rental housing investment in Prince George’s County has ground to a halt in the past year in response to the County’s temporary rent control law and uncertainty over the County Council’s consideration of a permanent ordinance. In Montgomery County, longtime investors have sounded the alarm about the dangers of the recently passed rent control ordinance, arguing it will hamstring the County’s ability to expand its tax base and attract new businesses. Lastly, Takoma Park has had rent control in place since 1981. According to a city-commissioned report published in 2017, no new multifamily rental properties have been constructed since rent control passed. In summary: • Has rent control in any city made housing more affordable? NO! • Has rent control in any city made housing more available? NO! • Has rent control in any city lead to better quality housing? NO! Let’s avoid repeating the mistakes of Seattle, Portland, San Francisco, Los Angeles, New York, St. Paul and suburban Maryland. Vote NO on HB 721! (Attachment is a graph from HUD data of building permits in St. Paul illustrating what happened after Rent Control passed in St. Paul.)

Comments Document

The attached PDF is being submitted by African Communities Together in support of the passage of H.B. 721. All across the nation, renters have made it clear: the rent is too high and Virginia is unfortunately no exception. Twenty-two percent of Virginia renters fall within income ranges below 30% AMI and can therefore only afford to pay $855/month in rent without becoming housing cost burdened. Fair market rate one bedroom apartments in Virginia cost on average $1,203/month, putting our most vulnerable renters at a deficit of $348 each month. That’s $348 that could be spent on food, clothing, medical expenses, and other necessities. To put this into further context, the hourly wage needed to afford the average one bedroom apartment in Virginia is $23.13. Here is a list of a few workers who make less than that: service workers, teaching assistants, nursing assistants, security guards, maintenance workers, accounting clerks, home health aides. The list goes on and we must do something now to protect all these vital members of our community who are in constant threat of displacement because they can no longer afford to live here. House Bill 721 addresses these issues by giving localities the power to implement rent control and prevent the displacement of working class families from the communities they have made home. Please note, the bill does not force localities to pass rent control ordinances, but simply gives them the option to do so when in the best interest of their residents. Some opponents to the bill argue that rent control negatively affects housing supply. However, studies show that in jurisdictions where rent control has been implemented, there has been no statistically relevant effect on supply. Conversely, lack of rent control has also not been shown to increase housing supply. Additionally, economists have pointed to the economic benefits of rent control, as it prevents evictions and homelessness thereby reducing government spending on related systems. We must also acknowledge that rent control is not a new concept, nor is it one we should shy away from. Homeowners have their own version of rent control through fixed 30-year mortgages, and we encourage and applaud homeownership yet ignore the needs of renters who wish to have a similar level of financial security. Housing is a human right, and it is time that our laws reflect that, which is why I sincerely hope you will join us in supporting the passage of HB721. Thank you for your consideration.

HB721 is a strong step in the right direction to address the housing crisis in Virginia. To be clear, the affordability of housing in Virginia is a major facet of this complicated crisis, and protecting Virginia tenants from the practice of rent-gouging is critical to maintaining the state's affordable housing stock. In the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commissions 2020 review of Affordable Housing in Virginia it was found that in 2019 (Pre-COVID-19) 29% of Virginia households were housing cost-burdened (meaning they spent at least 30% of their income on housing expenses) with half of cost-burdened Virginians spending 50% of their income on housing. According to the JLARC review, "approximately 44 percent of renting households are cost burdened compared with 21 percent of owning households." These JLARC findings should emphasize how there is an urgent need to address how almost ONE THIRD of Virginians have financial stress imposed upon themselves in order to keep a roof over their heads. Individuals and families are regularly forced to make painful prioritizations of one basic need over the other (such as food over medication) because their rent costs 50% of their income. Despite this growing crisis, there are Property Management Companies and Private Landlords - a growing number of which are LLCs, private equity firms, and aggregators from out-of-state - that seek to exploit the times by extracting larger and larger quantities of rent from Virginians who are already struggling to survive in the midst of this housing crisis. Hopefully the testimony from today will have highlighted some of the ways in which people's lives can be derailed by exploitative corporate tactics, like rent-gouging. Virginia tenants who come into conflict with these entities over issues like rent-gouging are frequently bullied into either submission or eviction purely because of the amount of legal resources, time, and bodies that are available to these corporations, and typically unavailable to tenants especially those who are low-income. HB721 is vital for the preservation of Virginia's affordable housing stock in that it will preserve existing affordable rental rates and critically prevent and punish corporations that try to exploit the most vulnerable Virginians via rent-gouging. In the midst of this state-wide housing crisis I implore you, our elected leaders, to vote for and advocate strongly in favor of HB721 which will protect Virginia tenants right to affordable housing. If you are not convinced, I highly recommend you to revisit the testimony of your constituents and other documented cases of rent-gouging. Truly it is a vile business tactic that only services the greed of out-of-state corporations, and devastates the lives of your neighbors.

ChamberRVA opposes HB 721. Limiting rent increases to escalation in the Consumer Price Increase is far too tight a limitation. and does not account for the many, varied, individual circumstances of a landlord and tenant. At this low rate of inflation, this really is not an anti-gouging provision that deals with very large rent increases; it's rent control. In other areas of the country, such rent control has had the adverse impact of decreasing the availability of housing. Given the shortage of affordable housing, this is not a result Virginia should use.

The Goldwater Institute engages on housing and property rights issues nationwide. HB721 and similar rent control measures fail to solve the underlying supply issues facing our housing market and can even raise market prices in some scenarios. Many economists and policy analysts have studied rent control policies, and the verdict is clear: these policies disincentivize development of new housing supply and incentivize the conversion of rental units into owner occupied units, which exacerbates the true pricing problem this legislation purportedly hopes to solve. For more information on how rent control policies negatively impact housing markets, please consult the Goldwater Institute paper examining this issue at the following link: https://www.goldwaterinstitute.org/policy-report/rentcontrol/ Instead of misguided rent-control policies, the legislature should turn its focus to market-oriented solutions that expand housing supply. These solutions include: removing (or reforming) minimum lot size and density requirements; restoring the right of property owners to build duplexes and triplexes on single-family zoned lots; streamlining the permitting process and prohibiting the use of vague or ambiguous design requirements; legalizing ADU's on single-family residential lots; and allowing by-right multi-family development on commercially zoned land. This is certainly not an exhaustive list of policy tools at your disposal, but each of these policies would represent progress toward truly alleviating the housing crisis in Virginia. Thank you for your time and consideration.

Allow the free market to function as designed! Oppose bill HB 721. If there is evidence of rent gouging from a housing provider, then focus on that party, not the whole industry.

My name is Sue Frankel Streit and I teach English as a Second Language in Louisa. Over the last few years I have seen rent prices in both apartments and trailers climb steeply in the county, just as they have in much of the rest of the county. But on top of inflation, some landlords, especially trailer park absentee landlords, are engaging in price gouging. This is bad for the community, as hard-working people whose children attend our schools are being forced out to leave even the cheapest housing available. Please help us maintain affordable housing!

Complex owners excessively increase the rent from 2022, from $200 and more each year when renewing the contract, this figure is excessive, if this continues, housing in Virginia will no longer be insurable for our working class communities of color, we urgently need a rent stabilization in Virginia. Because the problems do not even ensure that we have optimally maintained homes, they only seek to increase their bank accounts regardless of the crisis that their tenants are going through. Please Vote YES HB721.

This bill, HB 721, imposes rent control, which economists say is bad. It punishes landlords for inflation, since the ordinances it would allow local governments to enact would limit rent increases to the LESSER of inflation, or 7 percent. So if the inflation rate is over 10 percent, the ordinance would not allow any increase over 7 percent, even if the landlord's costs are going up over 10 percent, and the tenants' wages are going up over 10 percent. That's unfair. Raising rent by the same amount as inflation to keep up with costs is not "gouging." Almost all economists think rent control is a bad idea: In a 1992 poll, 93% of them agreed that rent control reduces the quantity and quality of housing available. The Wall Street Journal said, "If there’s any consensus in economics, it’s that rent control achieves the opposite of its intended goal. It leads to housing shortages by discouraging new development and maintenance of existing properties." Reason Magazine says "rent control has a history of constricting the supply of rental housing and reducing housing quality.” Rent control reduces rental housing's value, shrinking the property tax revenue that funds schools and local governments. "Researchers at the University of Southern California said rent control hurt property values in St. Paul, Minn. by $1.6 billion," reported Market Watch. Similar past legislation to allow local rent control ordinances failed to advance not just in this House, but also in a committee of the Democratic-controlled Senate in 2023. A ranking progressive member of the committee, who is now its chair, worried “that the proposal could keep landlords from paying for maintenance needs or changes. ‘I’m sympathetic, I have a lot of constituents, including some who spoke about the high cost of housing, and I’ve got a lot rental housing in my district,’ Sen. Ebbin said…'But I’m wondering if we’re going to limit them to consumer price index, if you have a apartment complex, particularly a large one that needs some kind of major renovations or wants to upgrade, that you’re really kind of handcuffing them.'" This is a concern shared by both liberal and conservative economists. As the liberal Brookings Institution notes, “Rent control can also lead to decay of the rental housing stock; landlords may not invest in maintenance because they can’t recoup these investment by raising rents." When landlords can’t raise rents to pay for repairs and renovations, they may let buildings decay. After New York limited rent increases to pay for major capital improvements to 2 percent, landlords cut back on improvements. A survey of rent-stabilized landlords found that when rent increases were curbed, "Three out of four reported cutting back on essential building-wide repairs, such as a roof or boiler replacement, since the rent law passed. Nearly 90 percent said they had forgone kitchen or bathroom renovations. Just over half decided against revamping their buildings’ security systems to include cameras or video intercoms or adding storage lockers for deliveries to thwart porch pirates. Efficiency upgrades have also been pushed to the back burner. Over 40 percent of respondents said they would not replace lighting with LED fixtures that use 90 percent less energy — a budget saver for tenants. A quarter said they opted against installing fuel computers, which better regulate heat and hot water systems and reduce a building’s energy consumption"

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Hello!My name is Natela and I been struggling for so long finding affordable housing in Fairfax County,Virginia.I am 58 years old female who have a very low income.I contacted more then 500 places trying to find one bedroom apartment or private basement and all this places asking for income 3-3.5 times bigger then cost of apartment.Making any person who is trying to rent one bedroom apartment in Fairfax county need to make around 5-6000 dollars per month.How many percent of people having this high salary jobs?I DON’T. I’m making now 12.00 dollars per hour.This amount of money disqualified me from any housing I applied.My question to HUD and all other housing authorities WHAT ARE YOU SUGGESTING PEOPLE WITH LOW INCOME??????? WHAT WE NEED TO DO TO SURVIVE LIVING IN FAIRFAX AREA?HOUSING PRICES IS ASTRONOMICAL!GROCERY PRICES IS ASTRONOMICAL! ALL AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROGRAMS ARE CLOSED.ALL WAITING LISTS FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING CLOSED TO. I BET YOU ALL JUST DON’T CARE ABOUT US!

Our rural green county is plagued with high speed commuter traffic between DC and Winchester VA daily. Rte 7 is designated at 55 mph and this traffic speed is typically 70-85 mph from 6 am to 9:30 am and again from 3 pm to 7 pm daily. Our rural roads have no stop lights and we suffer accidents DAILY, many of which are fatal. My husband survived a direct rearend hit of 70 mph by an underinsured woman texting on her way to work, as he was in the left turnaround lane to go to work. 3 concussions and shoulder knee injuries are still an issue for him7 years later. His medical reflect the consequences. He is just one of many. I have suggested speed cameras with fines to slow down the high speed traffic and was told it was not possible 6 years ago. I am so grateful that it IS now possible and support the use of the new technology to save lives. Please pass these life saving bills. Thank you.

I am a resident of Dunn Loring and oppose any and all efforts to establish or place speed cameras outside of school zones. These cameras do nothing to stop speeders, and are almost exclusively used to impose onerous fines on those that cannot afford them. Similarly, towns setting speed limits below 25mph has been historically used as a tool to selectively enforce rules with the effect of disproportionately affecting minorities. If speed is an issue, road design is the solution. Narrower lanes, hard bike lanes, and more traffic lights are the solution, not a money grab by way of automated fines administered by a third party in the private sector. I am an active voter and will actively oppose anyone voting for regulations that allow for automated traffic enforcement.

Speed Ticket Camera's: DO NOT get sick from COVID or other diseases. Always ready to do the job to enforce speed limits. DO NOT Abandon their post, or look for work elsewhere for higher paying salaries. DO NOT get injured on the job, or harmed by a violent driver in the car. Are NOT Prejudice regarding race or gender, and DO NOT show favoritism of social-economic status or business relations. Do the job 24 hours a day if programmed that way, 365 days a year. Function day and night, in any weather. Proven data from other states that speeding reduces quickly over time. Free up Law Enforcement to focus on other speeding locations where cameras are not present. Free up Law Enforcement to engage in many other society problems and responsibilities. What Speed Ticket Camera's Cannot Do that Police Can Do: Just about everything else that is criminal behavior and to protect and serve communities. Police will always have jobs to do because we have alot of problems in society and Fauquier County. Police forces are struggling since COVID 2020 to refill positions as are just about any business is these days. Data from VDOT, Sheriff and State Police show speed citations dropped around covid because there were less police to address the speeding problems, but VDOT data shows speeding was STILL VERY MUCH present in the millions on Route 17 Marshall to Warrenton. They issue a speed citation at 11mph over the set speed limit, so some speeding is still being allowed. Parents or guardians will end up having conversations with the young drivers in their homes to be aware NOT to speed. My father had same conversation with me back when I was 16 with 1st drivers license driving the family car. He told me any tickets I get I will be paying him back thru summer work. Any damages done to the vehicle I will pay him back thru summer work. I never got a speeding ticket, but I did put a dent in my father's truck backing up into a pole and I had to pay for it. I NEVER dented the car again after that bill to fix it. Young drivers are MORE prone to cause crashes that lead to death and injury and that is why insurance rates are MUCH higher for them. So parents having conversations IN ADVANCE knowing speed ticket camera's are present on Fauquier Roads will establish GOOD driving behavior before it gets BAD and dangerous. Best education starts in the home with Mom and Dad, and speed ticket camera's will stimulate that because Mom and Dad will NOT want to get a $100 bill in the mail. Some Virginia counties are implementing a 1st time citation to be only $50 so as to provide a KIND WARNING Wake UP Call . I think that is fair, and legislation could work that into the various speed ticket camera bills as needed.

I support speed ticket cameras to be allowed on dangerous roads in Virginia, especially Route 17. These devices will get the speeding under quick serious control. This is NOT about making money as I have read in some online articles about speed ticket camera's. They do make money as does any citation would, however if they make a lot of money it is because an area must have a SERIOUS speeding problem in that area. The online articles often refer to the money reinvested back into a county to repair or implement other public safety project needs that otherwise would NEVER get done or cause the need to raise our taxes. Its a WIN-WIN situation. Lives will be saved thru less crashes due to speeding, and I constantly see people driving and texting on Route 17 all the time. It scares me often. Police just cannot keep up with the speeding problem, and I am watched a video for Richmond General Assembly 2024 session about how gangs, drugs and human trafficking are on a continued dangerous rise. So let the speed ticket camera's help take a HUGE burden off of police on the worst roads so they can focus on these other criminal elements PLEASE. Republicans from information shared with me show they have primarily VOTED NO for these bills and stopped them multiple times in the past. We need these devices and the technology is available to support them now in 2024 so USE IT. These devices are proven to work well in Maryland, and Ohio and other states. Tractor trailers using Route 17 is going to continue to rise due to the Ports of Virginia growth I per trade journals I read. They care only about speeding thru Fauquier to make money to deliver cargo quicker. I rarely see them pulled over by police, except for more recently around June thru September 2023 which I was told was due to a fellow supporter speaking with Governor Youngkin helping us out some. If the Governor made a call to get the police out on Route 17 for speeding than the problem must be bad.

I support HB 20, 461, 521, 533, 905, 1032 that all have to do with Speed Ticket Camera to ASSIST police to get the long term speeding under serious control. Too many tractor trailers tailgating drivers to speed above the 55mph speed limit on Route 17. Commuter vehicles DO NOT respect locals when they slow down to turn into driveways off of Rte 17 with TOO MANY near misses. Some citizens have died due to speeding while texting. Information in this posting is specific to Route 17 Marshall to Warrenton which is dangerous with many large and small hills, blind curves and x3 Deadly intersections of Belvoir Rd, Old Tavern Rd and Blantyre Road where crashes occur a lot at Old Tavern Rd intersection. VDOT made some minor upgrades at Old Tavern Rd intersection, but primarily is NOT Helping as speeding still continues. VDOT's actions are typically NOT affective to help and ignore majority of citizens input at June 7th 2022 Public Meeting to simply lower the speed limit to 45mph or 50mph from Warrenton to Marshall as a way to help traffic enter and exit Route 17. Slow moving LONG equestrian and farm livestock trailers are at highest risk plus the school buses trying to navigate ONTO or OFF of Route 17 due to speeding in both directions. The gaps have become much more limited than in the past to find SAFE breaks in the traffic flows in both directions. Speed Ticket Camera's function in the following sensible way: 1. Issue speed ticket at 11mph over the speed limit. State Police and Fauquier Sheriff Dept data combined with VDOT data shows Millions of speeders above the 55mph zone on Route 17 Marshall to Warrenton yet only around 300 to 400 speed citations issued per year COMBINED by State Police and Deputies on this section of Route 17. 2. Police data shows they Primarily write speed citations at 74mph in a 55mph zone on Route 17. Speed ticket cameras would issue a citation at 66mph in a 55mph zone which is MUCH better and would capture MILLIONS of speeders to STOP speeding. 75mph in a 55mph zone in Virginia per law is Reckless driving, so police are allowing reckless driving before they engage to chase down a speeder if the police are even present. They are outnumbered and NEED HELP thru Technology. 3. Cameras ONLY take photo of rear of Vehicle so no invasion of privacy. DMV and VDOT camera systems on I-66 HOV lanes to collect payment and issue fines. Camera systems also mounted on poles all along I-66. School buses in Fauquier have camera systems on ALL sides of a bus to help capture speeders that are supposed to STOP behind a school bus picking up or Dropping off children on Rte 17. Warrenton Walmart, grocery stores and businesses have camera's in their parking lots. Cell phones are worst tracking of a person privacy than they realize. So invasion of privacy is a POOR excuse NOT to implement these devices that will save peoples lives thru speed reduction. 4. Because school buses on Rte 17 drop off and pick up children as they do in school zones where speed ticket cameras are now allowed per 2020 law, Rte 17 essentially is a EXTENSION of a SCHOOL zone. Rte 17 is MUCH more Dangerous than a school zone, and the school buses BY LAW must STOP in the RIGHT hand lane of Rte 17 and NOT allowed to pull off onto a shoulder. Shoulder lanes barely exist anyway. 5. VDOT has NOT provided wide enough shoulder widths for police safe enforcement. Speed Ticket Cameras DO NOT need widened road shoulders to do the job well.

I support HB 20, 461, 521, 533, 905, 1032 that all have to do with Speed Ticket Camera to ASSIST police to get the long term speeding, increasing fatalities and injuries due to vehicle crashes on Route 17 Marshall to Warrenton (8.5 Miles). Police need HELP and unable to keep the speeding under long term control. Statements by Virginia Secretary of Transportation Sheppard Miller said to Senate Transportation Committee and House of Delegate Transportation Committee in 2023 and 2024: "Critically important to them is public safety and highway deaths are still a serious problem in Virginia for many years. Over 1000 deaths per year on Virginia highways for many years in Virginia is too many and that needs serious attention." Used the analogy that if 1000 deaths were from x3 jet airliners crashing in the same year that it would garner immediate attention to fix it, but because the deaths are spread out across a year on Virginia Highways in different locations it does not get serious attention. NOTE* Mr Miller made no mention of the many other regular road ways that have speeding and fatalities besides just on highways. Terrance C. Cole Secretary of Public Safety and Homeland Security said to House of Delegates Public Safety Committee on January 12th 2024. "Overall decline in individuals serving in law enforcement has placed additional strain on existing personal.” "Police forces are under INCREASING Threats, and causes increase stress, PTSD, and anxiety in their lives." This supports the need for Speed Ticket Camera's to assist police to get a serious handle of the out of control speeding for public safety all over Fauquier County and Virginia because of police forces diminished since COVID and struggling to hire more officers per my direct contact with State Police about this also. State Police informed me COVID just sped up a known problem with many State Police Officers were ready for retirement, and past Sheriff Robert Mosier said in all his years in law enforcement he had NEVER witnessed the mass exodus of police forces. Terrance Coal Secretary of Homeland Security and Public Safety stated the following facts to the House of Delegate Public Safety Committee at this 2024 Session: 1. Human and sex Trafficking has increased in Virginia Common Wealth and linked to gangs and organized criminal organizations. Violent crimes on the rise. Public safety is a serious position, and emphasized killing of kids is happening due to gang growths. 2. Illegal Drugs in Virginia also on the rise. Mexican cartels stated as main problem distributing Fentanyl is the main problem and serious influence in Common Wealth of Virginia. More dangerous drugs on the rise such as Nitazene that is 10x deadlier than Fentanyl. 3.Gang activity increasing in common wealth of Virginia. 648 Home Grown and National Gangs operating in Virginia. “The commonwealth of Virginia is experiencing significant public safety and homeland security challenges which is attributed to the violence associated with Street Gangs, Human / Labor Trafficking, Influx of illegal narcotics, Legislation which has weakened law enforcement’s ability to interdict, sale of unregulated marijuana products” Essentially POLICE have plenty of work to keep them BUSY protecting society from further break down. Speed Ticket Camera's can address the speeding problem to allow police to focus more on gangs, drugs and human sex trafficking.

Hello!My name is Natela and I been struggling for so long finding affordable housing in Fairfax County,Virginia.I am 58 years old female who have a very low income.I contacted more then 500 places trying to find one bedroom apartment or private basement and all this places asking for income 3-3.5 times bigger then cost of apartment.Making any person who is trying to rent one bedroom apartment in Fairfax county need to make around 5-6000 dollars per month.How many percent of people having this high salary jobs?I DON’T. I’m making now 12.00 dollars per hour.This amount of money disqualified me from any housing I applied.My question to HUD and all other housing authorities WHAT ARE YOU SUGGESTING PEOPLE WITH LOW INCOME??????? WHAT WE NEED TO DO TO SURVIVE LIVING IN FAIRFAX AREA?HOUSING PRICES IS ASTRONOMICAL!GROCERY PRICES IS ASTRONOMICAL! ALL AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROGRAMS ARE CLOSED.ALL WAITING LISTS FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING CLOSED TO. I BET YOU ALL JUST DON’T CARE ABOUT US!

Hello!My name is Natela and I been struggling for so long finding affordable housing in Fairfax County,Virginia.I am 58 years old female who have a very low income.I contacted more then 500 places trying to find one bedroom apartment or private basement and all this places asking for income 3-3.5 times bigger then cost of apartment.Making any person who is trying to rent one bedroom apartment in Fairfax county need to make around 5-6000 dollars per month.How many percent of people having this high salary jobs?I DON’T. I’m making now 12.00 dollars per hour.This amount of money disqualified me from any housing I applied.My question to HUD and all other housing authorities WHAT ARE YOU SUGGESTING PEOPLE WITH LOW INCOME??????? WHAT WE NEED TO DO TO SURVIVE LIVING IN FAIRFAX AREA?HOUSING PRICES IS ASTRONOMICAL!GROCERY PRICES IS ASTRONOMICAL! ALL AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROGRAMS ARE CLOSED.ALL WAITING LISTS FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING CLOSED TO. I BET YOU ALL JUST DON’T CARE ABOUT US!

Hello!My name is Natela and I been struggling for so long finding affordable housing in Fairfax County,Virginia.I am 58 years old female who have a very low income.I contacted more then 500 places trying to find one bedroom apartment or private basement and all this places asking for income 3-3.5 times bigger then cost of apartment.Making any person who is trying to rent one bedroom apartment in Fairfax county need to make around 5-6000 dollars per month.How many percent of people having this high salary jobs?I DON’T. I’m making now 12.00 dollars per hour.This amount of money disqualified me from any housing I applied.My question to HUD and all other housing authorities WHAT ARE YOU SUGGESTING PEOPLE WITH LOW INCOME??????? WHAT WE NEED TO DO TO SURVIVE LIVING IN FAIRFAX AREA?HOUSING PRICES IS ASTRONOMICAL!GROCERY PRICES IS ASTRONOMICAL! ALL AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROGRAMS ARE CLOSED.ALL WAITING LISTS FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING CLOSED TO. I BET YOU ALL JUST DON’T CARE ABOUT US!

Hello!My name is Natela and I been struggling for so long finding affordable housing in Fairfax County,Virginia.I am 58 years old female who have a very low income.I contacted more then 500 places trying to find one bedroom apartment or private basement and all this places asking for income 3-3.5 times bigger then cost of apartment.Making any person who is trying to rent one bedroom apartment in Fairfax county need to make around 5-6000 dollars per month.How many percent of people having this high salary jobs?I DON’T. I’m making now 12.00 dollars per hour.This amount of money disqualified me from any housing I applied.My question to HUD and all other housing authorities WHAT ARE YOU SUGGESTING PEOPLE WITH LOW INCOME??????? WHAT WE NEED TO DO TO SURVIVE LIVING IN FAIRFAX AREA?HOUSING PRICES IS ASTRONOMICAL!GROCERY PRICES IS ASTRONOMICAL! ALL AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROGRAMS ARE CLOSED.ALL WAITING LISTS FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING CLOSED TO. I BET YOU ALL JUST DON’T CARE ABOUT US!

Hello!My name is Natela and I been struggling for so long finding affordable housing in Fairfax County,Virginia.I am 58 years old female who have a very low income.I contacted more then 500 places trying to find one bedroom apartment or private basement and all this places asking for income 3-3.5 times bigger then cost of apartment.Making any person who is trying to rent one bedroom apartment in Fairfax county need to make around 5-6000 dollars per month.How many percent of people having this high salary jobs?I DON’T. I’m making now 12.00 dollars per hour.This amount of money disqualified me from any housing I applied.My question to HUD and all other housing authorities WHAT ARE YOU SUGGESTING PEOPLE WITH LOW INCOME??????? WHAT WE NEED TO DO TO SURVIVE LIVING IN FAIRFAX AREA?HOUSING PRICES IS ASTRONOMICAL!GROCERY PRICES IS ASTRONOMICAL! ALL AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROGRAMS ARE CLOSED.ALL WAITING LISTS FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING CLOSED TO. I BET YOU ALL JUST DON’T CARE ABOUT US!

Hello!My name is Natela and I been struggling for so long finding affordable housing in Fairfax County,Virginia.I am 58 years old female who have a very low income.I contacted more then 500 places trying to find one bedroom apartment or private basement and all this places asking for income 3-3.5 times bigger then cost of apartment.Making any person who is trying to rent one bedroom apartment in Fairfax county need to make around 5-6000 dollars per month.How many percent of people having this high salary jobs?I DON’T. I’m making now 12.00 dollars per hour.This amount of money disqualified me from any housing I applied.My question to HUD and all other housing authorities WHAT ARE YOU SUGGESTING PEOPLE WITH LOW INCOME??????? WHAT WE NEED TO DO TO SURVIVE LIVING IN FAIRFAX AREA?HOUSING PRICES IS ASTRONOMICAL!GROCERY PRICES IS ASTRONOMICAL! ALL AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROGRAMS ARE CLOSED.ALL WAITING LISTS FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING CLOSED TO. I BET YOU ALL JUST DON’T CARE ABOUT US!

Liberty University supports HB1505. HB1505 will provide Virginia Universities flexibility and some beneficial protections in dealing with NIL as things continue to progress at the Congressional and NCAA level in the future. We join several Virginia Higher Educational institutions in support of HB1505.

Hello!My name is Natela and I been struggling for so long finding affordable housing in Fairfax County,Virginia.I am 58 years old female who have a very low income.I contacted more then 500 places trying to find one bedroom apartment or private basement and all this places asking for income 3-3.5 times bigger then cost of apartment.Making any person who is trying to rent one bedroom apartment in Fairfax county need to make around 5-6000 dollars per month.How many percent of people having this high salary jobs?I DON’T. I’m making now 12.00 dollars per hour.This amount of money disqualified me from any housing I applied.My question to HUD and all other housing authorities WHAT ARE YOU SUGGESTING PEOPLE WITH LOW INCOME??????? WHAT WE NEED TO DO TO SURVIVE LIVING IN FAIRFAX AREA?HOUSING PRICES IS ASTRONOMICAL!GROCERY PRICES IS ASTRONOMICAL! ALL AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROGRAMS ARE CLOSED.ALL WAITING LISTS FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING CLOSED TO. I BET YOU ALL JUST DON’T CARE ABOUT US!