The City of Staunton commissioned the Uniontown Neighborhood Action Plan process in 2022 Using ARPA Funds, making it the first holistic planning process ever undertaken for this community. Briefly, starting in the 1870’s, Uniontown was once a thriving neighborhood where African-American families found support in times of great struggle. However, numerous factors contributed to its long, steady decline. Today, the current version of Uniontown is the product of decades of disinvestment, mismatched land use regulations, and other variables that led to its current neglected condition. With the completed Action Plan, developed hand in hand with Uniontown residents, property owners and many other stakeholders, the City of Staunton seeks to start a path towards correcting many of the past wrongs done to this community. House Bill 136 will help to ensure the future success of one recommendation in particular: providing water and sewer utility expansion on residential lots in an affordable and just manner. In order to facilitate this utility expansion in such a manner, City Council is seeking the authority to waive utility connection fees. Staunton City Council unanimously supports being granted authority to waive these fees as part of its effort to revitalize Uniontown. Thank you for your time.

The City of Staunton commissioned the Uniontown Neighborhood Action Plan process in 2022 Using ARPA Funds, making it the first holistic planning process ever undertaken for this community. Briefly, starting in the 1870’s, Uniontown was once a thriving neighborhood where African-American families found support in times of great struggle. However, numerous factors contributed to its long, steady decline. Today, the current version of Uniontown is the product of decades of disinvestment, mismatched land use regulations, and other variables that led to its current neglected condition. With the completed Action Plan, developed hand in hand with Uniontown residents, property owners and many other stakeholders, the City of Staunton seeks to start a path towards correcting many of the past wrongs done to this community. House Bill 136 will help to ensure the future success of one recommendation in particular: providing water and sewer utility expansion on residential lots in an affordable and just manner. In order to facilitate this utility expansion in such a manner, City Council is seeking the authority to waive utility connection fees. Staunton City Council unanimously supports being granted authority to waive these fees as part of its effort to revitalize Uniontown. Thank you for your time.

Comments Document

I have attached an opinion piece I composed about HB136. This authority is an important component in revitalizing and repairing the Uniontown neighborhood in Staunton, Virginia.

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.

Many of these gun laws are unfair to law abiding citizens and do not affect criminals. These gun laws should be vetoed.

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.

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, so does the rate of violent crimes. Criminals are not afraid of police, they are afraid of armed citizens. 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 penalize the law abiding citizens.

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.

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.

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.

I oppose HB 585. Question: How far does a CONVICTED SEX OFFENDER/PEDOPHILE have to live from schools and day care centers in VA? Answer: 500 FEET! (§ 18.2-370.3. Sex offenses prohibiting residing in proximity to children; penalty.) Question: How far does the FFL the neighbors are complaining about live from the school(s)? Answer: I have no idea, but I'm willing to bet a six pack it's about 1.5 miles. So community members, local officials and Mundon King are comfortable with convicted sexual abusers of children living down the street from a school or day care center but highly regulated, legal businesses that pose no known problem or danger must be outlawed? Nice priorities. While I agree that some people should not be permitted to own pointy knitting needles, you people are obscene in your choice to protect the rights of convicted pedophiles over the rights of legal businesses. Shame on all of you!

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.

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.

I am very opposed to the vast majority of these bills. I am a legal gun owner with my CHP. Many of these bills heavily restrict my right to bear arms in a legal capacity. I don’t understand why I should be punished for doing everything legally and correctly only to become a felon in the coming months through these legislations

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 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.

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.

Hello. There are a plethora of bills that were proposed, which would clearly violate the second amendment rights of many law abiding citizens. First of all, considering concealed carry should be permit-less carry, it is counterproductive to increase the requirements for concealed carry. Restrictions on where law abiding citizens can lawfully carry their now “permitted” firearms is asinine, as well as the proposition of a bill that would make it a penalty to leave a firearm in your car. You would essentially be disarming a large number of people who wish to follow these unlawful order in a day and age where the democratic agenda is to act like there are mass shootings on a daily basis. Effectively disarming the majority and increasing the requirements and legal loopholes to carry is such a vulnerable state to be in and I hope we’re smart enough to avoid that. Restrictions on “Plastic firearms and unfinished frames etc” is not only terrible literature that does nothing to explain, but it is a direct violation of the 2nd amendment considering you have a federal right to make firearms for personal use, which would include additively manufactured parts. Wait periods are also a horrifying thing to think of, considering how many times it has been proven to be a terrible idea, keeping guns out of the hands that need them most to protect themselves and their families. “Assault firearms” and anything to do with them is nonsense considering the blatant inability to define said “assault weapon”. People who don’t understand guns, shouldn’t be making laws on guns. A shorter barrel does not make it more lethal, in fact it lowers the muzzle velocity, causing less force on impact and penetration, in turn causing less collateral damage. Any sort of “assault weapons” bills are targeting law abiding citizens who have every right to use the modern advances in firearm technology just as police officers and military. The only people these bills are effecting are the already law abiding citizens. The criminals who got their hands on said weapons illegally aren’t going to be making sure that their ALREADY ILLEGAL WEAPONS are fully compliant with state laws and regulations before they go commit another crime. In no way shape or form should someone need to disadvantage themselves in a life or death situation because political members with an armed security detail don’t feel the need for a gun. Why would I want to limit myself to a firearm that is going to be inadequate in home defense, or one that does not have a high enough capacity to protect myself from the ever growing threat of home invasion and the increased trend of multiple home invaders breaking in armed. If it was you alone in your house with 6 armed intruders who most definitely must have checked their local laws and firearm regulations and made sure their firearms aren’t violating any rules before they break into your house, would you want to limit yourself to a low capacity firearm that is going to be extremely difficult to use effectively in a high stress situation, or are you taking a rifle which for reasons that don’t make sense, must have a 16 inch barrel, with a larger capacity magazine, and a stock that you can use to safely brace the firearm to prevent stray shots and provide more accurate fire. Personally I’m going to take anything and everything I can get in a situation that means life or death for me and my loved ones EVERY SINGLE DAY OF THE WEEK. Focus on the mental health crisis.

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.

Hello, The right to own and bear firearms is intrinsic in the very nature of the founding of the United States. We must remember the spirit of the 2nd Amendment and the right of all civilians to own and bear arms. Firearms are the great equalizer and can allow and individual to defend themselves when they previously could not. Gun violence and the mental health epidemic are closely interlinked and one cannot pass restrictive firearm laws and expect gun violence to go away. Gun bans and the use of restrictive purchasing requirements, magazine limits, waiting periods, and red flag laws have been shown not to be effective in stemming gun violence. I urge anybody reading this message to say "NO" to 2nd Amendment restrictions.

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

These all seem like infringements that will do nothing to curb any crime. Further they will only create criminals out of everyday law abiding folk. These are laws that seem to be targeting victimless crimes.

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 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!

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.

I opposed HB585. This bill unjustly punishes lawful businesses. This is not a solution to prevent school shootings. There needs to be more education and training at a local level to identify and guide a potential school shooter down a different path.

Comments Document

I'm attaching an example of the areas that would be restricted in the Richmond, VA area. As you can see, this bill would make it almost impossible for a home-based FFL to operate. All of the green circles represent a 1.5 mile radius around a school. This attack on lawful, highly regulated businesses is unwarranted and unamerican. It will do nothing to promote safety and will cost the taxpayers unnecessary expenses. The bill would put 70% of the FFLs in Virginia out of business, closing over 1,400 businesses. This will cost the state tax revenue, and will decrease public safety, not increase it.

HB 585 is a deeply flawed and discriminatory proposal that directly threatens the viability of Virginia's home-based FFLs. These small businesses, which have demonstrated a commitment to safety and regulatory compliance often surpassing that of their brick-and-mortar counterparts, are integral to the state's economic fabric and community security. The legislation is alarmingly detached from objective data and is propelled by subjective biases, setting a perilous precedent of targeting lawful enterprises without just cause. Its ripple effects will be felt across the Commonwealth, establishing prohibitive barriers to lawful firearm ownership, and severely infringing upon the constitutional rights of citizens from all walks of life. In summary, HB 585 constitutes a blatant overstep that jeopardizes economic freedom, public safety, and constitutional liberties in Virginia. It is imperative that this proposal be reevaluated and dismissed to prevent the widespread and unwarranted damage it portends.

I strongly oppose HB585. It unfairly targets home-based FFLs and would virtually eliminate them in the Northern Virginia area on the basis of preventing something that is not even an issue and could actually result in more risks itself. Removing locations for lawful citizens to purchase firearms from licensed FFLs is not a logical way to prevent criminal issues from gun violence.

Eliminating home-based FFLs for any reason is unacceptable. In my experience, home-based FFLs are generally better and safer than brick & motor storefront FFLs. The lower volume of transfers/customers allows a more personal and professional experience. The home-based FFLs I use always have an atmosphere that promotes safety & thoroughness, more so than most stores I visit. I can see no merit in regulating these businesses based upon proximity to a school and cannot envision this having any positive, quantifiable impact upon public safety.

Limiting FFL’s infringes on our rights.

Dear Sir or Madame. Last year in Newport News I was assaulted by a 27 year old black man from Chesapeake because of his road rage.. This was at my local bank 11;30 in the morning. This young man almost lost his life at my hand because you cannot reel in your problem young men. His words feet from me were ' im going to kick your ass and then kill you'. My pistol changed his mind. I saw for myself the woke judges and a woke system that perpetuates the problem. The criminal justice system has been flung far far left which IS causing a public safety hazzard. No new gun control is needed. More jail time for the trash that i dealt with is. My Congressman Bobby Scott and Delegate Cia Price do not represent me.

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

When Democrats violate the Covenant between the PEOPLE and the US Constitution as well as the VA Constitution they are acting lawlessly and undermining the commitment toward good Government agreed on for over 200 + years. Seems Democrats didn't learn anything from the Civil war. The mentality of the "Tyrant" and the "Slave Holder" still exists among the Demo-rat Party, removing statues and trying to hide and rewrite history is not good government. Oaths, integrity, and Good Government, mean nothing to this Cabal of Evil minded men and women. We the PEOPLE need and demand good government not a patch work or illegal laws we are expected to "obey" while the "perps" that pass them have no consequence for breaking Constitutional law or good Government. The Demo-rat Party needs to be dismantled and the "ignorant" ejected from the Virginia legislature at once and for all. Peter Buckingham Crozet, VA 22932

I am a responsible firearms enthusiast who, though not registered with any political party, has consistently voted for Democratic candidates for the last two decades. This bill is a terrible idea; home-based FFLs provide valuable, affordable services to citizens of the Commonwealth who wish to acquire guns for personal protection and/or sport. Some home-based FFLs specialize in catering to LGBTQ+ persons or members of other minority communities who do not feel comfortable buying guns at retail outfits, many of which attract a deeply conservative clientele. All home-based FFLs are also inherently small businesses, which I do not believe Virginia should be discouraging. The bill will do nothing to make children safer, or anyone else- people will obviously still be able to possess and transport firearms near schools, in neighborhoods, etc. It just punishes residents of the state by directing sales to larger businesses, including pawn shops and big-box sporting goods chains. Please reconsider this proposal.

Comments Document

OPPOSITION to HB12 - Jones OPPOSITION to HB23 - Laufer OPPOSITION to HB158 - McClure OPPOSITION to HB183 - Simon SUPPORT of HB289 - Wiley OPPOSITION to HB351 - Clark OPPOSITION to HB585 – Mundon King SUPPORT of HB756 - Walker OPPOSITION to HB791 - Henson OPPOSITION to HB861 - Hernandez SUPPORT of HB872 - Earley SUPPORT of HB1141 - Cordoza OPPOSITION to HB1174 - Sickles SUPPORT of HB1198 - Scott

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This bill won’t do anything but ruin good people.

Hello, I'm writing this in opposition to HB585. There is no reason why law abiding FFLs should not be allowed to exist within a 1.5 mile radius around schools. There has been no research proving that even a small minority of FFLs do not follow safe practices with gun handling and storage. This law only exists to make it more difficult for legal citizens to apply for a Federal Firearms License if there home exists with few minutes drive of a school. Please vote no on this bill or else risk a lost vote on your next election cycle. Best, Shawn Foster.

First of all, there is no data/statistics to show that residential FFL's pose a threat to nearby schools. Residential FFL's are not conventional retail firearms dealers. All they do for the most part is run background checks for customers who order a firearm online retailer. Residential FFL's don't have stocked inventory in a retail style setting - there are no display cases full of firearms. Residential FFL's essentially operate in an administrative capacity from their kitchen table and simply facilitate the enforcement of current gun laws that require EVERYONE be subject to a background check when purchasing a firearm. With the nature of commerce shifting to primarily online shopping, firearms sales are no different. Consumers shop online to get the lowest price on the item they want to purchase. In contrast for example, every retail gun store in Woodbridge operates within 1.5 miles of a school and those stores will always have stocked inventory, etc. For example, All Shooters Tactical in Woodbridge is ~1700ft from Gar-Field High School and Woodbridge Gold and Pawn is within 4000ft (less than 1 mile) of not one, not two, not four but FIVE schools (Belmont Elementary, Fred M. Lynn MS, R Dean Kilby Elementary, Cardinal Montessori and Occoquan Elementary). 1.5 miles is an unreasonable distance to restrict this activity. Everyone lives within 1.5 miles of a school. There are already existing statutes for Gun Free School zones which mandate 1000 ft Also there is no data to support that residential FFL's are more prone to break in's, etc. Again, in contrast, all of the last firearms dealer thefts in NoVA were all from retail locations. Residential FFL's are bound to the same licensing requirements and guidelines provided by the ATF, so ALL active FFLs have met those requirements. This bill is a direct attempt to reduce the legal means in which law abiding citizens have to purchase a firearm since background checks are required by law shrouded in a false pretenses. Should be focused on ENFORCING current gun laws, which are effective when enforced.

Stop your manipulate laws to infringe our 2nd Amendment rights. We are sick and tired of you sons of vipers promoting degenerate ideology and tyrannical rules. If guns are so bad, make the government give up their guns first before the citizens. Let's see how that goes for you all liars.

I am writing in support of HB 12, 23, 158, 183, 351, 585, 791 and 861. I also write in opposition to HB 289, 756, 872, 1141 and 1198. There is ample evidence that minimal restrictions on firearms has resulted in countless deaths and injuries. Sensible restrictions on access to lethal weapons are sorely needed at this time. In fact, the Supreme Court, in deciding on the right to bear arms, has also stated that “Like most rights, the right secured by the Second Amendment is not unlimited. [It is] not a right to keep and carry any weapon whatsoever in any manner whatsoever and for whatever purpose.” If, unfortunately, assault-style weapons continue to be manufactured and owned, their access must be limited by age. In that case I would support HB 1174. Thank you for your attention to these comments.

This bill is not a step in the right direction. All it does is put honest law abiding citizens out of business. I wholeheartedly disagree with this bill and what it will do for me as a consumer.

I have historically used home-based gun dealers as they provide the best customer service to their customers. I have used my dealer Dan for many transfers for my collection because he is a veteran, very knowledgeable about our changing gun laws and procedures. This is a clear example of abusive regulation intended to drive good people out of business and is in no way related to SAFETY. My collection exceeds the number of guns stored by a small home-based dealer and thus this bill is counter-productive.

As a long time law abiding gun owner I don’t see how this legislation does anything but benefit brick and mortar gun dealers. While it feels good to cloak this in the interest of children’s safety it actually does nothing to further this. I’d like to see a focus on effectiveness rather than making a hollow gesture with unintended consequences. Why not make things more difficult for criminals and those with serious mental issues?

I am a member of the Charlottesville Coalition for Gun Violence Prevention and the Charlottesville Center for Peace and Justice. I support all the gun safety bills: 12 23 158 183 351 585 791 861 1141 1174 I oppose these bills: 289 756 872 1198

HB-585 should not be passed: Home-based FFLs follow the same standards and processes as brick and mortar gun shops and we are subject to the same compliance inspections Home-based FFLs are no more likely to let guns fall into the wrong hands than any other business model. Proximity of Home-based FFLs to a school has no effect on public safety -- FFLs are not putting fully loaded weapons in the hands of the purchasers during the firearms transfer transaction. Getting rid of Home-based FFLs reduces price competition on lower FFL fees as well as ease of access to local FFLs

This is unnecessary and harmful legislation that will not have an effect on gun violence or public safety. It will, instead, put many small businesses out of commission. Smart legislation to increase public safety is required - addressing the actual causes of gun violence. Please reconsider options to convert this from political posturing to socially beneficial.

. Unconstitutional and a solution to a non-existent problem. Home-based gun dealers don't have signs outside of their home generally. The customer has to be invited in. Opposed

I oppose HB585. This proposal is a direct attack on small business. HB585 would do nothing except hurt FFL’s. This bill will not prevent nor stop any crime, it will only serve the Democrat agenda to blindly attack the Second Amendment in any way possible.

This is an absolutely ridiculous bill that the Democratic party is using, along with Mrs. King, to force their toxic communist agenda onto the residents of NoVA. The fact that this CLEARLY targets residential FFL's is pretty sinister seeing that almost every Residential FFL is located within 1.5 miles of a school. Clearly the democrats, and Mrs. King, are just trying to shut these businesses/people down, which will almost certainly be the framework for more bills/restrictions to come soon after. Seeing that almost every physical gun store in Woodbridge and Manassas are located, and operate, within 1.5 miles of a school, again this clearly shows they are focused on shutting down the residential FFL's before moving on to the larger businesses. This bill is absolutely useless in helping solve/fix anything in today's culture. We don't need less gun stores or FFL's. Instead we need better, more competent people in power that understand that these issues across the US stem directly from the mental illnesses that are openly celebrated by the Democrats. They, and Mrs. King, are the issue/cancer in today's society, not these FFL's that are trying to operate lawfully and legally. For those reasons, I fully support throwing this bill out in its entirety and urge the committee voting on it to be very careful as this will once again set another precedent that will almost certainly take us down a slippery slope with the Democrats and their agenda towards banning all guns.

I do not support the bill that seeks to eliminate home-based FFLs from any area within 1.5 miles of a school. In Alexandria we have several of these businesses that are a benefit to the community. There isn't a square inch of property in Northern Virginia that isn't within 1.5 miles of a school, so this would effectively wipe out all home-based FFLs in NoVa. This bill would shut down thousands of small legitimate small business owners and do nothing at all to advance public safety. This benefits only retail store-front gun dealers. Home-based FFLs follow the same standards and processes as brick and mortar gun shops and are subject to the same compliance inspections. They are no more likely to let guns fall into the wrong hands than any other business model. And the proximity to a schools has no effect on public safety.

Please stop wasting your time and my money on bills that have proven to be have zero impact on public safety, Please refer to Maryland, California, and the other states that already have these laws

So, how many crimes have been committed by FFLs within 1.5 miles of a school??? Are people people picking up guns from FFLs within this area and committing crimes??? Yeah, no. This is an idiot bill submitted by an idiot. I vehemently oppose this bill. Here's an idea, how about prohibiting crime within 1.5 miles of a school?

No on 585. There is no coorelation of residential FFLs to threats to a school. This bill harms the professions of citizens without any reductuon in risk or increase in school safety.

Good afternoon, I am writing to implore you to STOP with all of the gun control bills. You are punishing law abiding citizens, who now have their RIGHTS THAT SHALL NOT BE INFRINGED, infringed. And the criminals who do NOT follow these laws but who they are directed at, are not affected. Please enforce ALL of the laws that are presently in the books and prosecute those people breaking the laws and stop letting them out on bail and bond through the Soros DA’s.

Oppose this bill. This bill seeks to destroy small-business owners. I have gone to an FFL that operates out of their house multiple times. There are no signs or indicators that the house even stores firearms. All the bill will do is criminalize the business owner, cause them to lose their own source of livelihood or forcefully move them out of an area they would have otherwise been able to conduct business as they have been in the past.

In regards to HB 585, this is a purposeless bill that will do nothing to help lower gun crimes. It would actually do the opposite and cause more by making normal law abiding citizens into criminals. It does nothing besides infringe on law abiding citizens 2nd amendment right. If this were to pass it would make me and I believe many other people second guess who to vote for in upcoming elections.

Dear state legislators, As a proud citizen of the United States of America and immigrant that escaped communist China, I wholeheartedly love America for all its values and traditions. Despite the flaws of our country, there are inherent rights we are proud of and despite the many challenges of second amendment protections and laws, the proposed legislative laws are not addressing any issues directly. Systemic issues that are being discussed do not fix the underlying problems of mental health and by taking action to make it more difficult for responsible Gun owners and enthusiasts from possessing firearms. Please reassess the systemic dynamics flaw in these proposed laws, as they are designed to negatively affect responsible gun owners and does not impact the actual crisis of mental health issues that occur when tragedies happen. Having escaped communist countries, the importance of keeping Americans safe but also protecting our rights is a difficult job, but taking away rights limiting our ability to purchase at our desire, responsibly, is a flawed process to fix the issues. I vote democratic every time I can, but these changes proposed to ban ARs and magazine capacities are not going to solve the issue. Increase funding for education, healthcare for the mentally ill, and address the root cause of parental problems that stem into more serious issues versus assuming alleviating the problem is by taking gun and firearm rights away from those that did not commit these crimes. I could speak more into this but as a young American and Virginian who believes in America, this should not be passed and will not do anything except make it clear there was no thought process that went into how this can be solved. Thank you for your time.

Proponents of allowing Federal Firearms Licensees (FFLs) to operate within 1.5 miles of schools emphasize the importance of upholding the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding citizens. The right to bear arms is a fundamental constitutional freedom that should not be unduly restricted based on geographical proximity to educational institutions. Firstly, advocates argue that imposing restrictions on the location of FFLs near schools could infringe upon the rights of responsible gun owners without significantly contributing to enhanced safety. They contend that law-abiding citizens who obtain firearms through legal channels, such as FFLs, are not the primary contributors to gun-related crimes. Instead, the focus should be on addressing illegal firearm transactions and activities that pose a real threat to public safety. Additionally, proponents emphasize the importance of self-defense and the role firearms play in protecting individuals and their property. Restricting FFLs near schools may limit access to legal means of self-defense for law-abiding citizens living or working in those areas. They argue that responsible gun ownership, coupled with proper training and background checks facilitated by FFLs, can contribute to a safer community. Furthermore, advocates highlight the need to avoid blanket regulations that may disproportionately impact law-abiding citizens while not effectively addressing the root causes of gun violence. They argue for a more nuanced approach, focusing on comprehensive background checks, mental health evaluations, and education on responsible gun ownership rather than restricting the locations of FFLs. In conclusion, proponents argue that preserving the Second Amendment rights of citizens is crucial, and imposing restrictions on the proximity of FFLs to schools may not be the most effective way to enhance public safety. They advocate for a balanced approach that addresses the underlying issues associated with gun violence while respecting the constitutional rights of responsible gun owners.

This bill is a terrible piece of legislation that will not make our communities safer, have any sort of effect on crime, will burden tax payers and destroy hundreds of legal small businesses in the Commonwealth. I have a good relationship with my local, legal, firearms dealer. His business is managed within his home. I can tell you that as a busy working parent, time is of the essence, and my life doesn’t fit neatly in a 9-6 box. Home based FFL’s offer the greater flexibilty compared to retail locations store hours. Most home based FFL’s also offer better pricing for firearms transfers compared to retail locations. Locally, the least inexpensive retail location charges $40 per transfer; my home based FFL charges half of that. So I’m getting a service that is more convenient, cheaper, and more flexible compared to purchasing from a retail location. The current system works as designed; no home based FFL is willing to circumvent federal and state laws and risk their license by engaging in illegal activity. I say all of that to say this is a bad piece of legislation that will affect thousands of LAW ABIDING VIRGINIANS with absolutely no upside.

Has there been any form of analysis on the contribution of home-based FFLs to gun violence? Home-based FFLs have the same compliance requirements as a brick-and-mortar businesses, so it seems arbitrary to apply this rule as a special case.

In reference to all of the above proposed house bills…. In short there is NO need for any more restrictions of any type on the purchase (to include locations of ffls in reference to schools and forcing purchasers to buy locks when they already safely store their firearms), carry, storage, and use of any type of firearms. It is extremely clear that more restrictions do not do anything to stem the flow of violent crimes which may or may not involve firearms (using DC, Chicago, NYC etc as examples, where very strict firearms laws have done nothing to lower violent crime). Instead, we need to focus on allowing law enforcement to aggressively enforce the numerous existing laws, demand commonwealth attorneys offices hold criminals responsible and ensure long prison sentences on offenders. As a citizen of the commonwealth for my entire life, and a local law enforcement officer for over 2 decades I can tell you from personal experience simply adding restrictions and more laws is worthless and simply slows down the system. As they say when seconds count, the police are only minutes away…. Do not place any more restrictions on residents of the commonwealth who are forced to live in increasingly dangerous localities due to the legal changes of the past 5 years, which allow offenders to go unpunished or under punished. Simply because you do not like firearms does not mean that others should not have lessened access to purchase, use, and carry the firearms of their choice. Thank you for your consideration

Comments Document

I would like for the Commonwealth of Virginia to have Constitutional Carry as the law of the entire state , our right as stated in the constitution of the united states and the constitution of the Commonwealth of virginia as written by our founders gives each citizen the right to keep and bear arms with no exclusions, to be secure in their persons, unless that right has been forfeited,. Exercising this right should never lead to forfeiture of this right.

Comments Document

I would like for the Commonwealth of Virginia to have Constitutional Carry as the law of the entire state , our right as stated in the constitution of the united states and the constitution of the Commonwealth of virginia as written by our founders gives each citizen the right to keep and bear arms with no exclusions, to be secure in their persons, unless that right has been forfeited,. Exercising this right should never lead to forfeiture of this right.

This is a violation of the second amendment and an infringement on out rights

For HB12 and HB158: Already covered by federal law, no additional expense should be put on the FFL or the consumer. For HB23 and HB861: You are adding restrictions on personal protection and safety while not ensuring my safety and that of my family. I have been to hospitals in the commonwealth over the last few years, the security provided couldn't stop a squirrel from running through the hospital, much less someone with mal-intent. If you want the citizens to rely on the government for safety, then provide, otherwise don't restrict it. For HB585: You want to prevent FFLs from being within 1.5 mile radius of a school, yet smoke shops or other convenience stores that have vaping products are allowed, with the latter being a much bigger problem in our schools, yet no restrictions. It is silly to assume an FFL poses any danger to a school and I have yet to hear of any incident involving an FFL and a school. Most home based FFLs do not have long term storage. Please educate yourself before trying to implement "feel good" laws. We have other major issues with our schools that need to be addressed, i.e. teach retention, giving teachers more power for discipline, parental involvement/non-involvement, allowing for greater choice of subjects and stopping teaching to a test where our children learn nothing. For HB183: Another "Feel good" law. There have been multiple examples of minors protecting their family over the last several years. But, how would this law have stopped someone like the Sandyhook shooter, who killed his mother and took her safe keys? It wouldn't have. Just like it wouldn't stop a home invade killing the owner and using their safe key/finger print to access a firearm. For HB1174: At the outset this is unconstitutional, but if you want to effect real change in regard to this, open it up to an expanded background, where the applicant/purchaser that is under the age of 21 must consent to a check of their juvenile record in order to purchase, specifically looking for violent crimes. If this were in place, it may thwart some from attempting to buy, while those that continue and consent it would flag in the system, like it does when a felon attempts to buy a firearm at a gunshow. There is much more that needs to go into this, i.e. at what point when the applicant has an established adult history can they purchase after having violent crimes on their juvenile record, 25? 21? I implore every law maker to due their due diligence when it comes to rights stated in both the Virginia Constitution and the US Constitution. Do not be beholden to your donors and ram "feel good" laws through our legislature. When someone spouts statistics to you, take a moment and do you own research, look at the source material, anyone can make states lean in their favor by changing a few words or omitting parts of a study. You must work for the all the people, those you agree with and disagree with and look at all the information, not just what your donors give you. Thank you for your time.

House Bill to Ban Home Based FFLs HB 585 Proposed Democrat Bill Seeks to Eliminate Home-Based FFLs from Northern Virginia The idea is to ban home-based FFLs from operating within 1.5 miles of any school. There isn't a square inch of property in NoVa that isn't within 1.5 miles of a school, so this would effectively wipe out all home-based FFLs in NoVa. Anti-gun strategists and consultants have been coming up with clever ways to disrupt the gun industry. By singling out home-based FFLs, they are coming up with a strategy that benefits brick and mortar gun shops while relying on public ignorance about how FFL transfers work. Doing so would shut down thousands of small legitimate small business owners and do nothing at all to advance public safety. As consumers, you will have to go to retail store-front gun dealers for all sales and transfers. To be clear: Home-based FFLs follow the same standards and processes as brick and mortar gun shops and we are subject to the same compliance inspections We are no more likely to let guns fall into the wrong hands than any other business model Proximity to a school has no effect on public safety

I do not support this bill. It will shut down many at home businesses and affect many more people all for just having a legal business only for having it within 1.5 miles from a school. There is no reason for this and a waste of valuable time and money.

This is an arbitrarily written law that will do nothing to prevent school gun crimes but punishes small businesses. Yet another "gun control" measure that doesn't address the source of the problem or actually make real efforts to protect children. By law, FFLs must conduct thorough background checks. The distance from a FFL to a school is irrelevant to gun crime.

We, do not approve of these numerous bills aligned with insecurities and not with logic and our constitution. NO to HB585 Hb585 is even more so illogical to our commonwealth, by slandering private firearm businesses and their integrity and passion for our constitution with manufactured fear amongst the public with non existing false realities. HOME BASED FFL business adhere to all the same state and federal requirements that Cabelas and Bass Pro do. HB585 specifically targets the community in a negative aspect only. No everyday Virginia resident will see any benefit to this for the rest of their bloodline. The only benefit is to the criminals in our communities, by removal of access of everyday law Abiding citizens to the access of firearms in the community utilizing their 2nd amendment rights. HB 585 is aimed at dismantling the gun industry and not your childs safety. There is NO DATASET in existence that links school shootings, firearm presence in schools or accidental child access to firearms, to the PROXIMITY of home based FFLs to schools. The only thing that exists is uninformed emotionally manipulated parents misunderstanding of home based FFL requirements.

HB585 is clearly a thinly veiled attempt to close every law abiding gun dealer in the state. It's a back door attempt to ban guns and violate the 2nd Amendment. Do not vote for this bill. The governor won't sign it anyway, so please don't waste any more valuable time on it. John Miller Manassas

I oppose restrictions on home-based firearms dealer. There is no evidence of any situation that it created an unsafe environment and there is evidence that will create a monopoly on specific businesses.

Home-based FFLs follow the same standards and processes as brick and mortar gun shops and we are subject to the same compliance inspections We are no more likely to let guns fall into the wrong hands than any other business model Proximity to a school has no effect on public safety This bill is a complete abuse of power and overreach by the local government.

This is absolutely egregious. A home-based FFL is an enterprise that is cleared at a higher level of proficiency and familiarity with firearms issues than any authority VA - the FFL holders are cleared and backed by the ATF. Further, an FFL, home-based or otherwise, is an enterprise in the business of safe transfer of weapons to individuals after doing criminal checks on the prospective buyer. The location near a school is irrelevant - it does not constitute a threat to a school simply because an FFL is nearby. This is a bad faith argument, and false equivalence. It’s a thin veneer. Simply put, it’s been proposed by people who do not like private ownership of firearms, and schools were picked because (deceptively) because they are evenly districted and spread through the state - after all, they’re supposed to be, to allow children access to education without having to travel unreasonably far. This also means that selecting schools as the criteria for a “no home FFL bubble” means you effectively throw a blanket over the industry. This has nothing to do with the safety of children. I find this frankly offensive and dishonest. Show me evidence where an FFL near a school has caused a problem? More than that, show me a single instance where the location was any sort of relevant. You cannot. Because it’s not true. It’s false equivalence. Let me be clear. I am a liberal person. But part of being liberal means remembering that fear mongering and bad faith, secretive agendas hurt progress. They turn people against it. Drop this frivolous nonsense. Stop making us look like idiots, please. Your crusade against portions of the bill of rights (because come on folks, we know what it is, it’s misguided) opens up very dangerous precedents for other bad faith actors to whittle down the contents of the other amendments. Read a history book. Please.

Home-based FFLs follow the same standards and processes as brick and mortar gun shops and are subject to the same compliance inspections We are no more likely to let guns fall into the wrong hands than any other business model Proximity to a school has no effect on public safety

There isn't a square inch of property in Northern Virginia that isn't within 1.5 miles of a school, so this would effectively wipe out all home-based FFLs in Northern Virginia. Anti-gun strategists and consultants have been coming up with clever ways to disrupt the gun industry. By singling out home-based FFLs, they are coming up with a strategy that benefits brick and mortar gun shops while relying on public ignorance about how FFL transfers work. Doing so would shut down thousands of small legitimate small business owners and do nothing at all to advance public safety. As consumers, we will have to go to expensive retail store-front gun dealers for all sales and transfers. Home-based FFLs follow the same standards and processes as brick and mortar gun shops and are subject to the same compliance inspections. Home-based FFLs are no more likely to let guns fall into the wrong hands than any other business model. Proximity to a school has no effect on public safety.

This bill does nothing to address any actual violence problems. There's no difference between a "home based" and a brick and mortar FFL. They are subject to the same standards of compliance per the ATF. What problem does this bill even attempt to solve?? Kids leaving school to buy guns after class?? All this does is penalize hard working honest people. It will have zero results on crime or violence.

I do not support these bills. I request you vote NO on them. HB 12, Jones, requires a locking device and informational stickers to be included with every handgun sold. Federal law already covers this and it is an unnecessary expense for gun dealers. HB 23, Laufer, prohibits guns in hospitals and emergency rooms. Not constitutional under Bruen and disarms visitors, family, and staff. HB 158, McClure, requires a locking device and informational stickers to be included with every handgun sold. Federal law already covers this and it is an unnecessary expense for gun dealers. HB 183, Simon, requires all firearms in a home be secured if there is a minor in the home. Current law already covers 14 and under. 15, 16, and 17-year-olds have used guns to save lives by stopping home invasions or violent attacks on family members. HB 585, Mundon King, prevents home-based gun dealers from operating within 1.5 miles of a school. Unconstitutional and a solution to a non-existent problem. Home-based gun dealers don't have signs outside of their home generally. The customer has to be invited in. Convenience stores that have liquor, tobacco products, and vaping products are open to the public and within 1.5 miles of schools, yet there is no concern about that. HB 791, Hanson, makes BB gun possession on school groups a FELONY. Another solution to a problem that doesn't exist. HB 861, Hernandez, prohibits guns in hospitals and emergency rooms. Not constitutional under Bruen and disarms visitors, family, and staff. HB 1174, Sickles, makes it illegal for anyone under 21 to purchase any kind of firearm. A Virginia court has struck down part of the Universal Background Check law because it made it impossible for 18, 19, and 20-year-olds to purchase a handgun. Other states have also struck down such prohibitions under Bruen.

Constitutional issues when made political do no justice to representatives or their constituents. Dishonesty to the public erodes any ability for trust and assumptions based on party affiliation close down civil discussion. Some representatives run for office for gun control matters and get voted in but are you being honest with your constituents. I can quote statistics as could those supporting gun control but there are logical truths being ignored. We should change our terminology from gun control, to gun control over law biding citizens because each law that is passed in most situation only further restricts law biding citizens. Most gun laws only increase the ability to become a victim to criminal actions because in order to abide by laws implemented it puts the citizen at a considerable disadvantage . Gun free zones only mean unarmed citizens open to criminal behavior due to the inability to defend one's self. Law enforcement only enforce the laws, and cannot be there to prevent the actual crimes in most situations. Criminals intent on malfeasance will not abide by any laws put in place but exploit any such laws that allow for an advantage against an unarmed individual. This is not to say that I am apposed to back ground checks even at gun shows to avoid loop holes as I support such measures but to restrict carrying at locations or gun free zones only makes for sitting ducks. Restricting common circulation of rifles or any similar type to the AR-15 platform again only further limits the citizen from criminals AND tyrannical infrastructures within the state and federal levels. We can never assume that our representatives are in power for support of the people and our constitution I am not in support of any of the current gun control bills, I am in support of all the pro gun bills. In light of whatever is voted into law ,if it further restricts my constitutional rights and civil rights I simply cannot and will not comply. Thank you for your time on this matter.

As a fellow resident of Virginia, I urge you to OPPOSE the multiple anti-gun bills being heard today (1/25/24) in the House Public Safety Subcommittee on Firearms, including: HB 12 HB 158 HB 183 HB 351 HB 23 HB 861 HB 585 HB 1174 Please focus more on protecting lawful gun owners and enforcing the laws that career criminals routinely disregard. Thank you.

This bill seems pointless. What is the point of banning a legitimate business from conducting business in or around a certain radius from public property? Banning businesses from conducting business on their own private property is a serious government overreach.

Dear Delegates of the House Public Safety- Firearms subcommittee, The selected bills are flagrantly and utterly unconstitutional and they stand as a direct violation on the sovereignty and liberties of the citizenry of the Commonwealth. Plainly stated they violate the United States Constitution ( the Supreme Law of the Land) and the God given rights of the people which the Commonwealth purports to “protect”. Such legislation is also preposterous factually as firearms are not the “problem” , they are merely tools and as such they are inert objects that are incapable of exerting will without an evil individual wielding them for malevolent purposes. Criminality is the problem , as criminals do not have any regard for the law or the well being of their fellow man, hence the definition of criminal. Therefore all of the selected legislation put hence forth only seeks to disarm law abiding citizens, those that are neither inclined nor committed to violating the law. Law abiding citizens possess firearms to defend our lives, the lives of our families, and to ensure that our sovereignty and liberty is not stripped away from us by tyrannical Marxist ideologues masquerading as “compassionate” and “caring” legislators. This is not Washington, Illinois, or even Maryland, this is the great Commonwealth of Virginia. That Virginia which led the American revolution under George Washington and in the defense of liberty against the tyrannical crown of England that once sought to oppress and yoke the citizens of the American colonies. The motto that adorns the seal of Virginia and our great state flag is “Sic Semper Tyrannis”, which means “Death to Tyrants”. Such a motto is more apropos in the tumultuous political climate of modernity than ever before, perhaps even more so than during the revolution in which it was founded. Being elected to represent the people does not confer upon any individual the power to strip the people of their inalienable rights, those rights that were enshrined by our great founders in the Constitution. To violate the United States Constitution in an effort to subjugate the people of the republic is by definition treason. The citizenry of the Commonwealth has spoken, we demand that you cease attempting to violate the rights of the people and do the actual job that you were elected to do . If such malevolently contrived shibboleth manages to pass out of the House of Delegates and Senate without veto from Governor Youngkin we will not abide by, adhere to, or sanction unconstitutional mandates in any way. Mass noncompliance will be the response to such attempts to strip the people of their Liberty. Thank you for your attention and your time, vote no to this abhorrent legislation. L.S. McClung RN, PMH-BC, CARN

I am writing to oppose these anti-gun, anti-self-defense, anti-rights, bills. Having previously lived for nearly 20 years in another state with many of them and more, the experience of that state was that, contrary to crime dropping nationally to historic lows, their crime increased after restrictions were added. Unsurprisingly, criminals don't obey laws. They seek to exploit those who do. These laws taking away liberty and presumption of innocence of people who seek to obey laws, do nothing but create a maze of rules that ensnare unsuspecting good people who are unaware of the litany of restrictions, their nuance and ever-changing interpretation in the future. At best, people are forced to forgo their rights to self-defense entirely because they have one or more stops on their daily travels in a restricted area. Worse, otherwise law abiding people unaware of these many restrictions, find themselves in violation having no intention, history or desire to violate the law, much less hurt anyone. These are not the people with whom our criminal code and law enforcement resources should concern themselves. Even beyond that, if faced with a violent threat in these "sensitive places", those law abiding people will now be at an even greater disadvantage as we, the people, do not enjoy an armed and dedicated police force traveling with and around us as many politicians do. I noticed sniper teams on the roofs in the surrounding area during this past VCDL Lobby Day ensuring your safely against some hypothetical threat. We are not so fortunate as we go out in the world to have such resources protecting us. Worse yet, we had been been required to disarm prior to expressing our first amendment rights that day both outside and inside the building. Whether storage, locality of carry, age of an adult required to purchase or restrictions otherwise, law abiding people are not and never were the problem. Stop punishing them collectively for the actions of violent individuals. Respect and protect their rights and presumption of innocence as the US and Virginia Constitutions require of you. When you regulate firearms, it is not the machine of a firearm you are regulating. It is the people you are regulating. It is the rights of the people you are taking away. With all the supposed progress we have made, how is it that we are less deserving of liberty now than we were in the past?

Every single one of these proposed laws are blatantly unconstitutional under the plain text of both the Virginia and US constitutions. The SCOTUS has ruled multiple times, must recently in June 2022, that the 2A prohibits these types of attacks on free citizens. Voting for any of these bills is a waste of tax payer dollars, morally and ethically wrong, and, by definition of the courts already having ruled on these or similar laws as unconstitutional, an act of treason against the USA and by extension an insurrection.

I urge you to OPPOSE each of the following bills: HB 12 Federal law already covers this and additional state enforcement will create unnecessary expense. We don’t need more bills that could create negative financial impact on our community. HB 23 This is not constitutional under the Supreme Court Decision made in 2022: New York State Rifle & Pistol Association v. Bruen. This bill prevents visitors, family, and staff from their right to self defense. Is it right to prevent an abused single mother from carrying her most effective tool of defense because she has to take her child to the ER? Wouldn’t this give anyone with nefarious intentions an easy location? Note: Cornell Law has published a clear summary of the Bruen Decision, easily accessed with an online search. I mention this case further below. HB 158 Federal law already covers this and additional State enforcement will create unnecessary expense. HB 183 Current law already covers 14 and under. increasing the scope of the law to apply to 15, 16, and 17-year-olds is an overreach. Minors in this age group have used firearms to save their own life and protect the lives of their families by stopping home invasions and violent attacks on their households. This bill is an overreach. HB 585 What problem is this bill trying to solve? What’s the difference between driving 1.5 miles or 5 or 10? This bill is unconstitutional and a solution to a non-existent problem. Furthermore, home-based gun dealers don't usually have signs outside of their home. Buyers have to be invited in for a purchase and FFL transfer. Also, convenience stores that have liquor, tobacco products, and vaping products (not legal for minors to purchase) are open to the public and within 1.5 miles of schools, yet there is no concern about that. HB 791 BB guns, and other pneumatic projectile devices, are specifically designed as hobbyist or sporting equipment. Making the possession of these on school grounds a felony is a complete overreach. Are we going to outlaw sticks, or stones, or archery, or baseball bats? These are all similarly dangerous. If BB guns have been used for violence at a school, please inform me. Otherwise, this is a “fix” to a problem that doesn’t exist. HB 861 This is not constitutional under Bruen and prevents visitors, family, and staff from their right to self defense. Is it right to prevent an abused single mother from carrying her most effective tool of defense because she has to take her child to the ER? Wouldn’t this give anyone with nefarious intentions an easy location? HB 1174 This bill is not constitutional. A Virginia court has struck down part of the Universal Background Check law because it made it impossible for 18, 19, and 20-year-olds to purchase a handgun. Other states have also struck down such prohibitions under Bruen. People in this age group are not minors. They are included in the same Second Amendment rights as older adults.

I'm a law abiding citizen, retired law enforcement officer, and responding Public Safety 1st Responder Chaplain. I have been called out, responding to or serving at a number of violent acts, anf times, often in dangerous areas. I believe in these violent times, and knowing that criminals don't and won't obey the laws, that I have a need and right to be able to defend and protect myself, and be able to continue carrying, as I have for many years. Our drivers permit is for all 50 states, and we don't have to stop at a state border. I believe a concealed carry permit should be the same, recognized in all 50 states. To have to leave my firearm inside my car, to go into a public building or rest area on the highway, can put me in needless danger. If I have to take off a d put my firearm in my trunk, it let's a criminal see where it is and I don't have it. That can let them steal the firearm and/or harm me. Please allow our law abiding citizens use their 2nd Amendment Right To Keep and Bear (bear = to carry) arms. We need to fully prosecuted existing gun laws snd crimes, Not Add More Gun Controls that criminals won't obey any way. Murder has been against the law for centuries, but increasingly still going on, sometimes unpunished.

To Whom it may concern, Regarding bill HB 585. I believe this bill is a waste of time. Never have I ever heard of someone picking up a firearm from an FFL and immediately running out to commit a crime with it. Normally FFL's dont have those firearms in their possession very long. As customers will usually come to pick them up after being notified that they have arrived at their FFL. Have some common sense and do away with this bill.

Please keep your gun grabbing hands off legally owned guns.Why not enforce the laws already on the books. Tell D.A. To do their jobs, go after the illegal guns. It is not legal guns that is the problem, it is the illegal guns. If more people carried legally crime could go down because the bad guys won’t know whose packing and could respond to crime. Thank you for reading my response. Alexander G. Morris IV.

The attack on the right to keep and bear arms has only increased over the past 18 months since the Supreme Court clarified in the Bruen decision the standard to which modern gun control legislation must be held. Many politicians around the country know that the bills put forth since that time are unconstitutional, but they also know it usually takes years to throw out their unconstitutional bills through court, and by then they have already cost time, money, and lives of American citizens. Rather than confront the underlying issues of our nation that lead to violence, they choose to take the easy way out and simply blame inanimate objects to deflect from their own political incompetency. Virginia representatives need to be better than that. The bills proposed are either duplicative of federal law, pointless, or dangerous. All are unconstitutional. All are a reflection of a disregard for commonsense safety measures like taking criminals off the streets. These bills must not be passed. Not because they will be signed into law, but because its the duty of Virginia state representatives to uphold the constitution and work to solve problems. These bills due neither.

Please do not vote for or advance any anti gun bills. Each one limits a citizens 2nd Amendment rights... I.E. banning commonly owned and used semi automatic rifles, which is unconstitutional under Bruen... Raising the age to purchase firearms. If one can serve in the military, one can purchase a firearm. Plus, its unconstitutional under Bruen AND a Virginia court ruled against it as well. Limiting where one can carry. This only creates more soft targets which criminals will not obey anyway. Banning unserialized firearms . Unconstitutional since some were made before 1968, when numbers were not required. Also, people have the right to build unserialized firearms in their homes for personal use. This has never been an issue, but decriminalization of crimes is causing an increase in violent crimes. THAT is a problem. Limiting how many firearms one can purchase in a given period is unfair. These are just a few . Please understand all the anti gun bills are unconstitutional, especially in light of the Bruen decision. I do urge you to vote for any pro gun bills. The right to keep and bear arms is a constitutional right. The Heller, McDonald, and Bruen decisions reinforce that right. The only limits on this right should be for criminals, illegal aliens, and anyone who has been mentally adjudicated/ forced into an institution. The issue we face should be how to repair our broken mental health infrastructure, not to limit the constitutional rights of law abiding citizens. Thank you Mr Raymond Pezzoli

I am writing to express my opposition to Virginia House Bill 585. This bill, which seeks to prohibit home-based Federal Firearms Licensees (FFLs) within 1.5 miles of elementary or middle schools, seems to be a solution in search of a problem which does not exist. Based on ATF data from January 2024, there are over 2,100 FFLs in Virginia. The vast majority of these are home-based businesses, and I would speculate that a substantial number of them are located within 1.5 miles of a school. This bill, in attempting to address a non-existent risk, does not take into account the exceptional record of safety and compliance of home-based FFLs in Virginia, and puts the livelihood of many hundreds of small business owners at risk. Home-based FFLs are a vital part of our community and economy. They provide essential services for responsible firearm ownership, including education, safety training, and lawful access to firearms. The majority of these FFLs are run by individuals deeply committed to promoting safe and responsible gun ownership in their local communities. Home-based FFLs also provide equitable access to the increasing ranks of traditionally underrepresented groups in the firearms community such as women and people of color. These home-based FFLs often serve as vital access points in diverse communities, offering more convenient and comfortable environments for these groups who might otherwise feel alienated in traditional gun store settings. Secondly, the rationale behind the bill seems to be rooted in a perception of increased risk or danger, which is not supported by data. Home-based FFLs have consistently demonstrated a high level of adherence to federal and state regulations. The stringent licensing requirements imposed by the ATF and by local regulatory bodies ensure that these businesses operate under strict guidelines to maintain public safety. Even with nearly 2,000 data points in communities across the state, there is simply no evidence supporting the risks this bill seeks to address or that the proximity of home-based FFLs to schools poses any increased risk to students or the community. The operation of these businesses is highly regulated, discreet, and does not interfere with the safety and security of school environments. In conclusion, while the intention of HB 585 to protect children is commendable, its approach is misguided and is an example of fear-based vs. fact-based legislation. It is a feel-good bill that unfairly targets law-abiding home-based FFLs, some of the most highly regulated individuals in the firearms community, without addressing any demonstrable risk. I urge you to consider the negative impact this bill would have on responsible small business owners across the state and to vote against it or any variation of it. Thank you for your attention to this matter.

Greetings, My business is currently affected by this propose law, I'm within 800 feet of a school. I started a home based FFL because of my interest in firearms and also as a way to provide for my family. This law is solving a problem that doesn't exist. There are also more than 2,000 FFLs in Virginia, most of which are home-based in the state. I am not in support of this proposed legislation and neither are any home-based FFLs or their clients. We provide a service for the state and do background checks for every possible firearm to avoid criminals obtaining firearms. HB 585 is not a smart piece of legislation, this is an attack on small business owners and the second amendment as well.

To Whom It May Concern, HB 585, while under the guise of “public safety” is infringing upon the rights of public citizens to possess and do what they like on their private property. It is a step toward infringe upon their second amendment rights and I ask that this bill be struck down. Sincerely, Kelly Cabana

This proposed bill will put thousands of Virginians out of business for no reason. It will do nothing to advance public safety. Home based FFLs provide vital services to our communities in a safe and secure environment. We follow the same laws and standards as "brick and mortar" gun shops, children are no more likely to illegally obtain a firearm from us than they are any firearms business. The idea of banning entire business categories based on proximity to a school is arbitrary, deliberate, and bad faith attempt to shut down legitimate, tax paying firearm dealers and limit the public's access to firearms. Shameful.

Our freedom was won with illegal and unregistered firearms. Please look to the G.O. A. And VCDL for guidance on Second Amendment issues. Freedom first, safety second.

I support these bills!

Hello, I am providing my written statement in opposition to the following bills. I strongly feel these bills will undermine constitutional liberties to carry and possess firearms by law abiding citizens and in fact many of these bills are an attempts to fix a problem that doesn't exist. HB 12 Jones - requires a locking device and informational stickers to be included with every handgun sold. Federal law already covers this and it is an unnecessary expense for gun dealers. Do criminals purchase guns from dealers through a legal process? No, they don't. So providing a locking device and a "warning" sticker won't serve to curb any gun violence, only be one more thing for legal law abiding citizens to have to contend with when purchasing legally. HB 23, HB158, HB861 - prohibits guns in hospitals and emergency rooms. Not constitutional under Bruen and disarms visitors, family, and staff. Have you been to Chippenham or MVC hospitals lately? In the last 90 days there have been multiple shootings inside these facilities by criminals and people intent on doing harm to those in need. I am a law abiding citizen who holds a concealed weapons permit in Chesterfield County, I attend frequent gun safety and training courses. Simply put, if you ban Concealed carry in these facilities, a good guy with a gun could never stop a bad guy with a gun, you would in effect be leaving the door open for criminals to commit mass casualty incidents against unarmed citizens. And are we supposed to rely on police response in these facilities? The mean time to respond by police forces across the country is 5-6 minutes. HB 585, Mundon King, prevents home-based gun dealers from operating within 1.5 miles of a school. This is unconstitutional and a solution to a non-existent problem. Home-based gun dealers don't have signs outside of their home generally. The customer has to be invited in. Convenience stores that have liquor, tobacco products, and vaping products are open to the public and within 1.5 miles of schools, yet there is no concern about that. What data do you have and who thought there was such a "need" to fix this issue? How many home based gun dealers actually live within 1.5 miles of a school in Virginia? HB 791, Hanson, makes BB gun possession on school groups a Felony. Another solution to a problem that doesn't exist. What data was pulled to show the number of BB Gun incidents in schools in Virginia? This is a solution to a non-problem. How about you pass legislation that increases school resource officers funding, or better yet pass legislation that allows teachers to conceal carry with proper training in classrooms so god forbid there is another shooter incident, they can properly neutralize the situation without waiting on police response of 5-6 minutes. Less criminals would try to harm school children with the proper deterrence in place. This bill achieves very little in terms of moving the needle for safety in schools. HB 1174, Sickles, makes it illegal for anyone under 21 to purchase any kind of firearm. A Virginia court has struck down part of the Universal Background Check law because it made it impossible for 18, 19, and 20-year-olds to purchase a handgun. Other states have also struck down such prohibitions under Bruen. Thanks for your time in these matters.

Hello, My name is Sameet Singh, I was born in Punjab, India and moved to Northern Virginia when I was 1 year old. Since then, I’veattended some great K-12 schools in the NOVA area, graduated from George Mason University in 2020, and now work in the Cyber Security field, serving one of our largest US Government Departments. My message to you today is not regarding any single bill in particular, but more of a mindset. I’m sure everyone here has a family that they would do anything for. We work hard everyday to provide for and to protect our families. And a big part in being able to protect, is having the right tool to protect yourself and your family members. This is why the best tool to have at your disposal is a firearm, a gun. Because if you or your family were attacked by someone in your home or out and about in public, a firearm, would be the best tool to have to save yourself and them from an attacker. Even if you’re able to call the police, it’ll at least take a few minutes for them to arrive, and sadly, within those minutes, only a few seconds are needed to completely change your world. Therefore, you are always your OWN first responser, before any other help arrives. This is why, anything, that would hinder your ability to protect yourself or your family with the best tool that you could use, a firearm, should really be re-thought. Unfortunately our society is not at the point where crime dosen’t happen, there’s no supernatural being or superhero that will swoop in to protect us in our times of need, there’s no Spider-Man or Superman who will save the day for us. However, the next best thing we have, is an responsibly armed citizen. A citizen who who is able to be gentle and loving with their kids and partner, but at the same time, prepared and alert at a moments notice when danger reveals itself. Thank you for listening, and thank you for your service to your communities, I wish you all a prosperous new year. Best, Sameet Singh

HB12 - Jones . I not not support . All firearms dealers currently offer a Firearm locking device on the sale or transfer of handguns. All new firearm come with a locking device and warning labels. child safety warning required. This doesn't change the current practice by dealers in offering for free locking devices. HB 23 Weapons; possession or transportation into facility that provides mental health services, etc. I do not support,. This bill does not exempt ems medical services or the fire service which many carry concealed when transporting patients to an emergency room or mental health facility on the duty. HB158 - McClure I do not support . All firearms dealers currently offer a Firearm locking device on the sale or transfer of handguns. All new firearm come with a locking device and warning labels. child safety warning required. This doesn't change the current practice by dealers in offering for free locking devices. HB183 - Simon HB289 - Wiley I support carrying a concealed handgun with a permit into public parking lots and storing there gun makes sense and do not unarm the citizen while in their personal vehicle. HB351 - Clark I not not support . All firearms dealers currently offer a Firearm locking device on the sale or transfer of handguns. All new firearm come with a locking device and warning labels. child safety warning required. This doesn't change the current practice by dealers in offering for free locking devices. most police departments give away free locking devices. HB585 - Mundon King I do not support this bill changes little firearms transactions which must be performed at a already approved ATF dealer location. 1.5miles is overreach by the state. HB756 - Walker I do not support. This limits gun rights. Not protection for EMS or fire personnel HB791 - Henson I do not support. This bill eliminates the number of programs that have pneumatic bb gun competition for 4 H at private or religious schools. HB861 - Hernandez I do not support,. This bill does not exempt ems medical services or the fire service which many carry concealed when transporting patients to an emergency room or mental health facility in the duty. HB872 - Earley I support . Always a lawful citizen to store a lawfully possessed firearm and ammunition in a locked private motor vehicle parked at any parking area owned or controlled by the Commonwealth. HB1141 - Cordoza I support HB1174 - Sickles I do not support changing the definition of an assault weapon widely and increasing the age which will make little difference. HB1198 - Scott, P.A. I support in reducing the fee

Vietnam Veteran - Retired Special Agent & LEO ( military 19 yrs & Federal 10 plus years) - that is me. Please consider the Bill of Rights; law abiding citizens rights to freedoms and rights of self protection. Criminals don’t follow laws against violence and criminal acts. Thank you

I oppose all of the gun control measures proposed in this session. I support Mr. Freitas' proposal for permitless carry.

Seems to me the General Assembly needs to pay attention to the Supreme Court rulings. Most of these bills if not all ignore what the Court has ruled on. Does the Gov. of Virginia think they are above the highest court in the land? Also, do not think for a Nano second that I believe these bills are about crime control. They are all about people control PERIOD. A Tyrannical state. I will fight this!!

I am submitting comments in opposition to these anti-gun rights bills. These bills do nothing to increase actual safety of Virginians. They serve only to further infringe upon our Second Amendment rights and those rights enshrined in our Virginia Constitution. Instead of focusing on the root causes of violent crimes, Democrats have chosen to target lawful Virginians' firearms rights. Most of these bills are a false solution for non-existent problems. Some of these bills would flagrantly be un-Constitutional and in opposition to prior U.S. Supreme Court decisions to include the Heller and Bruen decisions. In the 2023 Virginia elections, no candidate ran on a pro-gun control platform, therefore no mandate was handed to the House to implement such infringements. Virginians made our pro-Second Amendment stance clear in RIchmond in January 2020 when 40,000 people rallied against similar bills during that session and over 95% of Virginia counties' Board of Supervisors passed Second Amendment Sanctuary statuses. I urge the Committee Members to vote No on these bills. Thank you.

I am against this bill since it is baseless and not help reducing crimes. There is not enough scientific, objective, and long term studies with convincing proofs that home based FFLs would cause security risks if the FFL is within 1.5 miles radius of a school. This bill is based on imagination or discrimination. I am against this bill.

As a constituent, I urge you to OPPOSE the following bills: HB 12, Jones, requires a locking device and informational stickers to be included with every handgun sold. Federal law already covers this and it is an unnecessary expense for gun dealers. HB 23, Laufer, prohibits guns in hospitals and emergency rooms. Not constitutional under Bruen and disarms visitors, family, and staff. HB 158, McClure, requires a locking device and informational stickers to be included with every handgun sold. Federal law already covers this and it is an unnecessary expense for gun dealers. HB 183, Simon, requires all firearms in a home be secured if there is a minor in the home. Current law already covers 14 and under. 15, 16, and 17-year-olds have used guns to save lives by stopping home invasions or violent attacks on family members. HB 585, Mundon King, prevents home-based gun dealers from operating within 1.5 miles of a school. Unconstitutional and a solution to a non-existent problem. Home-based gun dealers don't have signs outside of their home generally. The customer has to be invited in. Convenience stores that have liquor, tobacco products, and vaping products are open to the public and within 1.5 miles of schools, yet there is no concern about that. HB 791, Hanson, makes BB gun possession on school groups a FELONY. Another solution to a problem that doesn't exist. HB 861, Hernandez, prohibits guns in hospitals and emergency rooms. Not constitutional under Bruen and disarms visitors, family, and staff. HB 1174, Sickles, makes it illegal for anyone under 21 to purchase any kind of firearm. A Virginia court has struck down part of the Universal Background Check law because it made it impossible for 18, 19, and 20-year-olds to purchase a handgun. Other states have also struck down such prohibitions under Bruen.

NOT ONE OF THESE BILLS ARE CONSTITUTIONAL &/OR NECESSARY! THEY'RE SIMPLY SOLUTIONS IN SEARCH OF NONEXISTENT PROBLEMS! HB 12: Federal law already covers this and it is an unnecessary expense for gun dealers. HB 23: Not constitutional under Bruen and disarms visitors, family, and staff. HB 158: Federal law already covers this and it is an unnecessary expense for gun dealers. HB 183: Current law already covers 14 and under. 15, 16, and 17-year-olds have used guns to save lives by stopping home invasions or violent attacks on family members. HB 585: Unconstitutional and a solution to a non-existent problem. Home-based gun dealers don't have signs outside of their home generally. The customer has to be invited in. Convenience stores that have liquor, tobacco products, and vaping products are open to the public and within 1.5 miles of schools, yet there is no concern about that. HB 791: Another solution to a problem that doesn't exist. HB 861: Not constitutional under Bruen and disarms visitors, family, and staff. HB 1174: A Virginia court has struck down part of the Universal Background Check law because it made it impossible for 18, 19, and 20-year-olds to purchase a handgun. Other states have also struck down such prohibitions under Bruen. Thank you.

HB 12, Jones - requires a locking device and informational stickers to be included with every handgun sold. These requirements represent an unnecessary expense for gun dealers. HB 23, Laufer, prohibits guns in hospitals and emergency rooms. Not constitutional under the Supreme Court's Bruen decision and disarms visitors, family, and staff. HB 158, McClure, requires a locking device and informational stickers to be included with every handgun sold. Federal law already covers this and it is an unnecessary expense for gun dealers. HB 183, Simon, requires all firearms in a home be secured if there is a minor in the home. Current law already covers 14 and under. 15, 16, and 17-year-olds have used guns to save lives by stopping home invasions or violent attacks on family members. HB 585, Mundon King, prevents home-based gun dealers from operating within 1.5 miles of a school. Unconstitutional and a solution to a non-existent problem. Home-based gun dealers don't have signs outside of their home generally. The customer has to be invited in. Convenience stores that have liquor, tobacco products, and vaping products are open to the public and within 1.5 miles of schools, yet there is no concern about that. HB 791, Hanson, makes BB gun possession on school groups a FELONY. Another solution to a problem that doesn't exist. HB 861, Hernandez, prohibits guns in hospitals and emergency rooms. Not constitutional under Bruen and disarms visitors, family, and staff. HB 1174, Sickles, makes it illegal for anyone under 21 to purchase any kind of firearm. A Virginia court has struck down part of the Universal Background Check law because it made it impossible for 18, 19, and 20-year-olds to purchase a handgun. Other states have also struck down such prohibitions under Bruen.

This is just a solution in search of a problem. Don't make laws we do not need. Thank you!

So there is nothing as important in and for Virginia other then Supporting Communist Legislation against the Constitution of VA and the US Constitution that all this effort must be the first thing on the agenda when a Demo-rat Majority is fraudulently elected to the House and Senate. You fools must make the people that pay you off very happy to have you ear and sell yourself to the Communist Party. Demo-rats are an embarrassment to Freedom and Good Government. Patrick Henry, you may have heard of him? Show me that age and country where the rights and liberties of the people were placed on the sole chance of their rulers being good men, without a consequent loss of liberty? ********************************** The eternal difference between right and wrong does not fluctuate, it is immutable. ********************************** The Constitution is not an instrument for the government to restrain the people, it is an instrument for the people to restrain the government - lest it come to dominate our lives and interests. ********************************** Are we at last brought to such humiliating and debasing degradation that we cannot be trusted with arms for our defense? Where is the difference between having our arms in possession and under our direction, and having them under the management of Congress? If our defense be the real object of having those arms, in whose hands can they be trusted with more propriety, or equal safety to us, as in our own hands? ********************************** Guard with jealous attention the public liberty. Suspect everyone who approaches that jewel. Unfortunately, nothing will preserve it but downright force. Whenever you give up that force, you are ruined.... The great object is that every man be armed. Everyone who is able might have a gun.

I strongly support House bills 12, 23, 158, 183, 351, 861 and 585, These bills will make our communities safer by requiring safe storage of firearms, banning the sales of assault weapons to people under 21 years of age, and restricting the public places where people can carry firearms, including mental health facilities. Safe storage will protect children and teens from inadvertent shootings and school shootings, and everyone from suicide. Waiting periods for purchase can prevent impulsive misuse. I oppose bills 389, 872, 1141, and 1198. Allowing more guns into more places will not make us safer. Every shooter is a law-abiding citizen with 2nd amendment rights, until they open fire on other people. I don't trust a "good guy" with a gun to have the current training or expertise to shoot down a criminal without accidentally hitting innocent people, or themselves. There is always the threat that a criminal will grab a gun from the "good guy" and turn it on him/her. As a diplomat representing the United States in foreign countries during my 33 years in the U.S. State Department, my heart bled every time we had another mass shooting. People there would ask me, "What is wrong with your society?" The first seven gun safety bills passed in 2020 made Virginia a leader in gun safety legislation. Subsequent shootings, such as six-year old shooting his teacher with his mother's gun, demonstrate the need for evidence-driven initiatives that will reduce gun death and injuries in our Commonwealth.

HB 585, Mundon King, prevents home-based gun dealers from operating within 1.5 miles of a school. Unconstitutional and a solution to a non-existent problem. Home-based gun dealers don't have signs outside of their home generally. The customer has to be invited in. Convenience stores that have liquor, tobacco products, and vaping products are open to the public and within 1.5 miles of schools, yet there is no concern about that.

I urge you to OPPOSE the following bills: HB 12, HB 23, HB 158, HB 183, HB 585, HB 791, HB 1174 For some of these bills... they are meaningless, as they are already covered by Federal Law... the committee and legislature should not be wasting time on bills and laws that are already on the books! For some of the other bills... they are already deemed UNCONSTITUTIONAL under the 2nd Amendment and existing Supreme Court decisions. If these become law, they have a high probably of being voided/vacated within a year or two. Aside from taking away existing rights of Virginia citizens in that time... you will ensure lawyers on both sides of the issue will make a lot of money so they can drive fancy cars and send their kids to expensive schools. Stop indirectly putting money (half of which are paid with tax dollars) in lawyers’ pockets. I'd rather our courts address real crime and issues... not laws already deemed unconstitutional. Many of these bills attempt to create a tactical "solution"... except that the specific problem the "solution" addresses doesn't or never existed or occurred in the Commonwealth. I request that my elected officials address meaningful solutions, and ensure existing rights of law-abiding citizens are not infringed upon. Thank you for your time.

These proposals are solutions in search of problems. Many of these violate the Bruen decision. I would love for us to eliminate sovereign immunity. These politicians must be able to be sued personally, held both criminally and civilly liable for any vote in favor of a law, if they knew or should have known it violates or God given rights.

I feel violated. This legislation scares me and I'm a constituent. Show me the evidence that the legislation you are proposing will actually reduce crime and violence. There is none. These are "do something" acts that restrict my right as a good, sane, sober, moral and prudent citizen to keep and bear arms. If there were a violent criminal act for which I was now unprepared, restricted in my ability to defend innocent life, who will bear responsibility for that?

Good afternoon Delegates, I stand in opposition to all of these unconstitutional bills that will not do anything to curb and only demonize legal, lawful Virginians. Also, many of these bill are redundant to either existing commonwealth law or federal regulations. Lawful firearm owners are the back bone of this great commonwealth and country. I urge you all to recognize that Virginia is one of the safest states in the nation and that all of these proposed laws are violations of the Constitution and should not moved forward to a vote. Thank you for your time and consideration on this very important matter D Scott Burns

As a born and bred Virginian; a father and husband; a disabled veteran and active member in the community; I cannot understand why individuals who are elected, willingly do what they can to violate both the Virginia and United States Constitutions to penalize law-abiding citizens such as myself. I have spent a life of duty and dedication in service and occupations to protect our State and Country from those who wish to subjecgate its citizens or worse. Not only do all of these restrictions seek a perspective only solution, they do so at the cost of innocent citizens. Law-abiding citizens do not commit drug gang offenses, home invasions, mass shootings. These are the acts of career criminals or mentally disturbed individuals. None of these proposed bills addresses those issues or the deeper problem of why people are so quick to commit these acts. Murder is murder, whether a gun is used or a cane, it is still wrong. I'm more concerned about why, instead of the tool. Obviously, certain politicians are only worried about the tools. These proposed bills are all clearly agenda focused without factual information to support true results that may be gained by violating state and federal laws to enact. The Supreme Court very clearly defined the right to arms and most of these bills would violate those freedoms. Nor is it legislators purview to dictate what citizens do with what they have within the confines if their own home. THAT, is yet another violation. It is also disturbing that legislators seem to be focused on separating Virginia from reciprocity, thus affecting relations with other states, which ultimately led to a civil war last time. They are also creating more areas where people who mean to harm can do so without fear of being stopped such as adding a new gun free zone. This is a very bad and ill-conceived premise. If the point has not been made yet, then perhaps citizens need to start holding legislators civilly responsible for lives lost as a result of such zones. Clearly they are not effective. I ask that you stop operating under partisan politics and quid pro quo agendas which only serve to penalize and subjegate our citizenry. This is not what servicemembers and veterans served, sacrificed and vowed to defend. Freedom has a cost, and it is difficult to understand, especially through the fear and pain. There is NO such thing as safety. There never was, and never will be. America has MANY enemies out there in the world, and it's citizens; it's armed citizens; are the LAST line of defense. Continuing to attempt to disarm law-abiding citizens only further prompts the question by citizens for the legislators... "Whose side are you truly on?" Please repeal these bills and focus more on actual crime, deterrence for early release, stiffer penalties for existing criminals who continue to commit them and stop bringing in more and more illegal immigrants. Thank you for your attention. Lessons of the Past, Lost to Actions of the Present, Will Forever Damn the Future. -Sean Flippin - 1989

Please stop wasting our money, as a taxpayer, on initiatives and regulation that are at best ineffective and at worst making things safer for Criminals. Creating areas that are gun-free makes safe areas for Criminals as they know that their victims will not have the tools necessary to defend themselves. Stop trying to make us, the public, less safe. Stop releasing criminals, especially repeat-offenders, Releasing criminals causes us to acquire tools to keep ourselves and our families safe.

As a constituent, I urge you to OPPOSE the following bills: HB 12, Jones, requires a locking device and informational stickers to be included with every handgun sold. Federal law already covers this and it is an unnecessary expense for gun dealers. HB 23, Laufer, prohibits guns in hospitals and emergency rooms. Not constitutional under Bruen and disarms visitors, family, and staff. HB 158, McClure, requires a locking device and informational stickers to be included with every handgun sold. Federal law already covers this and it is an unnecessary expense for gun dealers. HB 183, Simon, requires all firearms in a home be secured if there is a minor in the home. Current law already covers 14 and under. 15, 16, and 17-year-olds have used guns to save lives by stopping home invasions or violent attacks on family members. HB 585, Mundon King, prevents home-based gun dealers from operating within 1.5 miles of a school. Unconstitutional and a solution to a non-existent problem. Home-based gun dealers don't have signs outside of their home generally. The customer has to be invited in. Convenience stores that have liquor, tobacco products, and vaping products are open to the public and within 1.5 miles of schools, yet there is no concern about that. HB 791, Hanson, makes BB gun possession on school groups a FELONY. Another solution to a problem that doesn't exist. HB 861, Hernandez, prohibits guns in hospitals and emergency rooms. Not constitutional under Bruen and disarms visitors, family, and staff. HB 1174, Sickles, makes it illegal for anyone under 21 to purchase any kind of firearm. A Virginia court has struck down part of the Universal Background Check law because it made it impossible for 18, 19, and 20-year-olds to purchase a handgun. Other states have also struck down such prohibitions under Bruen. I thank you. Mr. & Mrs Lon Horiuchi

Licensed firearms dealers are among the most regulated businesses in the US. Licensed firearms dealers in Virginia are regulated and licensed at the federal, state and local levels. Banning home-based licensed firearms dealers within an arbitrary 1.5 mile radius of schools will solve no problem, and clearly is intended to harass small business owners, as there is zero data showing that home-based licensed firearm dealers are an unusually high source of crime any more than any other business. It is arguable that drugs and alcohol are a far bigger problem for school-aged kids, yet Virginia does not have distance restrictions on alcohol being sold near schools, only that alcohol may not be consumed "on the grounds" of the school. Cannabis dispensaries have a 1000 ft from schools restriction. Furthermore, why 1.5 miles. Why not 2 miles? or 10? If you're going to create a law like this in the name of "safety", you should also ban the sales of any other weapon as well. According to the DOJ, knives are used in homicides 2-3 times as much as so called "assault weapons" or any rifle. Will you also ban knife sales? Finally, this law is unconstitutional under the Bruen standard. Unless the state legislature wants to tie itself up in lawsuits, lose, and then pay the legal fees of the plaintiffs, this absurd bill must not become law.

Everyone of these bills further restricting the rights of the law abiding citizen should be voted down.

This bill must be OPPOSED. These bills do NOTHING to prevent/reduce crime. In fact, these types of bills will eventually ENABLE and allow MORE crime (just look at crime in Maryland and DC) by reducing Virginian's ability to adequately and easily protect themselves. This bill is immoral, unjust, unconstitutional and racist as it will HARM black and brown people, other minorities, women, the elderly, and children who will be the eventual victims as a result of laws like this. Using these types of bills to slowly deny the public's human right of self defense will NOT save lives or keep people safe. This has been proven again and again. As lawmakers, you have an obligation to ensure that the laws you enact *protect* our God-given, human right of self defense -- you should *not* be disenfranchising us and making us MORE vulnerable to crime and injustices with these ignorant bills. Thank you.

As a voting resident and veteran I strongly OPPOSE the following bills: HB 12, Jones, requires a locking device and informational stickers to be included with every handgun sold. Federal law already covers this and it is an unnecessary expense for gun dealers. HB 23, Laufer, prohibits guns in hospitals and emergency rooms. Not constitutional under Bruen and disarms visitors, family, and staff. HB 158, McClure, requires a locking device and informational stickers to be included with every handgun sold. Federal law already covers this and it is an unnecessary expense for gun dealers. HB 183, Simon, requires all firearms in a home be secured if there is a minor in the home. Current law already covers 14 and under. 15, 16, and 17-year-olds have used guns to save lives by stopping home invasions or violent attacks on family members. HB 585, Mundon King, prevents home-based gun dealers from operating within 1.5 miles of a school. Unconstitutional and a solution to a non-existent problem. Home-based gun dealers don't have signs outside of their home generally. The customer has to be invited in. Convenience stores that have liquor, tobacco products, and vaping products are open to the public and within 1.5 miles of schools, yet there is no concern about that. HB 791, Hanson, makes BB gun possession on school groups a FELONY. Another solution to a problem that doesn't exist. HB 861, Hernandez, prohibits guns in hospitals and emergency rooms. Not constitutional under Bruen and disarms visitors, family, and staff. HB 1174, Sickles, makes it illegal for anyone under 21 to purchase any kind of firearm. A Virginia court has struck down part of the Universal Background Check law because it made it impossible for 18, 19, and 20-year-olds to purchase a handgun. Other states have also struck down such prohibitions under Bruen. This bills have gone beyond the scope of "safety" and are clearly an attempt to strip the constitutional rights of law abiding citizens of this great Commonwealth. The majority of these bills have already been struck down my the SCOTUS. Remember your oath: I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter. So help me God. v/r Thomas Speich

I do not support any proposed gun restriction bills. I have been a resident of VA for 40 years and have never been in trouble with the law. I do not think the bills that are being proposed will deter gun violence. The issue is not guns. It is mental health.

Dear Democrats proposing duplicative and unconstitutional bills: It is apparent that you seek to propose bills that ARE UNCONSTITUTIONAL based on the US Supreme Court. Please reference the Heller and Bruen decisions. It would appear you are taking that as a mere suggestion? Further, the "catch me if you can" approach to lawmaking is ridiculous. Yes, we know the strategy made famous by Obama...pass laws you know are unconstitutional knowing it will take ~5 years and millions of dollars to undo them. In the interim, the damage is done. This is the stuff of tyrants. HB 12: DUPLICATIVE OF FEDERAL LAW. HB 23: UNCONSTITUTIONAL UNDER BRUEN. HB 158: DUPLICATIVE OF FEDERAL LAW. HB 183: DUPLICATIVE. 14 and under is covered. There are many cases were 15, 16, 17 year olds defending themselves and family from crime using firearms. HB 585: UNCONSTITUTIONAL. HB 791: a solution looking for a problem. Most normal people grew up playing with BB guns. Cite all the crime associated with BB guns? HB 861: UNCONSTITUTIONAL UNDER BRUEN. HB 1174: UNCONSTITUTIONAL UNDER BRUEN. already heard and struck down in other states. The disarmament agenda is tiresome. If you spent half the energy in Richmond, Hampton, Norfolk, and Petersburg, 95%+ of "gun violence" would be taken care of. Your main perpetrator group is black men killing black men, 18-34. Don't you read the Virginia Crime Commission's reports? if you were serious, you'd be going after ACTUAL criminals vs. passing meaningless laws that only impact the law abiding.

HB 12, Jones, requires a locking device and informational stickers to be included with every handgun sold. Federal law already covers this and it is an unnecessary expense for gun dealers. HB 23, Laufer, prohibits guns in hospitals and emergency rooms. Not constitutional under Bruen and disarms visitors, family, and staff. HB 158, McClure - Federal law already covers this and it is an unnecessary expense for gun dealers. HB 183, Simon - Current law already covers 14 and under. 15, 16, and 17-year-olds have used guns to save lives by stopping home invasions or violent attacks on family members. HB 585, Mundon King, is Unconstitutional and a solution to a non-existent problem. Home-based gun dealers don't have signs outside of their home generally. The customer has to be invited in. Convenience stores that have liquor, tobacco products, and vaping products are open to the public and within 1.5 miles of schools, yet there is no concern about that. HB 791, Hanson, makes BB gun possession on school groups a FELONY. Another solution to a problem that doesn't exist. HB 861, Hernandez, is not constitutional under Bruen and disarms visitors, family, and staff. HB 1174, Sickles, A Virginia court has struck down part of the Universal Background Check law because it made it impossible for 18, 19, and 20-year-olds to purchase a handgun. Other states have also struck down such prohibitions under Bruen.

We are encouraging our state politicians to work on meaningful solutions that will actually help reduce gun violence, violence in general, theft, and improve the quality of our lives. Let's start enforcing current laws that are reasonable and remove those that aren't. Work on quickly improving the number of quality jobs in VA. Through good local educational services that focus on the required skills, people can improve their own lives, the lives of their family, and have more hope for the future. Childcare assistance can help families that are working. It's time to create a new playbook and stop passing additional restrictive laws that only burden our citizens and families. Start improving our lives which leads to less violence, good jobs, and strong families that can raise our children better.

Why is it that you want to continue to go against your sworn oath to office and institute further gun restrictions and control on law biding citizens? With control of the senate and house why don't you focus on the root of the problem which is more to improve the socio-economic issues regions face which should in turn lower drug and gang related problems which in turn is the true reason behind your "gun violence" issue you continue to speak on. WE DO NOT HAVE A GUN VIOLENCE ISSUE, we have violence issue that you need to address not through more gun restrictions. Enough with the gun control bills, it is the first thing the democratic party pushes when they get control of the majority. Use this time to better the communities or is that just tok difficult for you? As all you want to do is make it so criminals have more power over law biding citizens, pull our children into gang and drug culture and go easy on crime so they know there is no accountability for their actions.

I wish congress would treat firearms and firearms owners in Virginia like they do illegal aliens. Turn a blind eye to them and just let them be free. Never make rules about securing access or entry to them. Ensure that none of them need paperwork or if they do, wait so long before you check to make sure any of it is accurate, you never find the illegals and in this case, firearms. That would be swell.

"The right to keepand bear arms shall not be infringed..." Those who carry firearms should not leave them in vehicles. Many guns used in crimes are stolen, often from vehicles. Hospitals and other places people gather are where trained armed civilians can thwart a crime or mass shooting. The AR-15 is a civilian multi-purpose rifle -- easy to operate, inexpensive, accurate, low recoil, low cost ammo, and potentially lethal when necessary. It is the best rifle ever invented for U.S. civilian use...hunting, self and home defense, and target shooting. Resources in VA should be used for law enforcement, crime prevention and mental health. Take ILLEGAL guns off the streets.

Given the second amendment of the constitution, there shall be no laws that prevent me from being able to protect myself. I am a conceal carry holder and have been for almost 10 years now. We vehemently oppose any laws that would prevent Conceal Carry Holders from carrying our weapon. Our goal is to have protection and not need it rather than needing protection, and not being able to have it. We will not comply.

When will misguided legislators learn that infringing the right of law abiding citizens to exercise our Second Amendment liberties does nothing to make the public safe? In fact, it makes us all less safe because criminals love restrictions on lawful firearm ownership. Wake up! Follow the Constitution. “The right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed!” Bishop E.W. Jackson STAND Virginia PAC

First, SCOTUS has addressed gun rights; access to magazines & ammo multiple times. Multiple times, SCOTUS' decision has sided with law abiding gun owners. I am curious as to why you continue to suppress our God given constitutionally protected right to bear arms? I can only assume one of two reasons. Either (A) you are completely uneducated as to the writers of the constitution, as well as their separate and several memoirs on the right to keep and bear arms; and furthermore ignorant of the right of the People to keep and bear arms as a result of the People having fought against tyranny using NOT federally provided military arms and ammunition - rather, PRIVATELY owned arms and ammunition. Below are just a few examples of historically accurate statements on said RIGHTS : “No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms.” – Thomas Jefferson, Virginia Constitution, Draft 1, 1776 “A strong body makes the mind strong. As to the species of exercises, I advise the gun. While this gives moderate exercise to the body, it gives boldness, enterprise and independence to the mind. Games played with the ball, and others of that nature, are too violent for the body and stamp no character on the mind. Let your gun therefore be your constant companion of your walks.” – Thomas Jefferson, letter to Peter Carr, August 19, 1785 “Before a standing army can rule, the people must be disarmed, as they are in almost every country in Europe. The supreme power in America cannot enforce unjust laws by the sword; because the whole body of the people are armed, and constitute a force superior to any band of regular troops.” – Noah Webster, An Examination of the Leading Principles of the Federal Constitution, October 10, 1787 “To disarm the people…[i]s the most effectual way to enslave them.” – George Mason, The Debates in the Several State Conventions on the Adoption of the Federal Constitution, June 14, 1788 “I ask who are the militia? They consist now of the whole people, except a few public officers.” – George Mason, Address to the Virginia Ratifying Convention, June 4, 1788 My questions are simply these, who do you expect to follow these laws that you put forth? Criminals? Why would you expect someone who is a CRIMINAL to obey the law? Maybe you should take some time and learn the definition? Which brings me to part (B) as to why I think you are trying to bar citizens from owning semi-auto rifles & there average magazines - you fear us to the point where you want to disarm us in much the same way HITLER disarmed HIS constituency. Clearly Thomas Jefferson had it correct - when he said “The laws that forbid the carrying of arms are laws of such a nature. They disarm only those who are neither inclined nor determined to commit crimes…. Such laws make things worse for the assaulted and better for the assailants; they serve rather to encourage than to prevent homicides, for an unarmed man may be attacked with greater confidence than an armed man.” – Thomas Jefferson, Commonplace Book (quoting 18th century criminologist Cesare Beccaria), 1774-1776. Tyranny is the only reasonable explanation for your efforts because the lies spread by the US Government regarding death tolls, etc., is a complete fallacy. All you have to do is a little independent research regarding 'mass shootings.' And yes, private citizens did in fact have legal ownership of canons all the way through the Civil War era. Only an idiot would believe the lies that they did not.

Comments Document

In Caetano v. Massachusetts (2016), the Supreme Court reiterated its earlier rulings that "the Second Amendment extends, prima facie, to all instruments that constitute bearable arms, even those that were not in existence at the time of the founding" and that its protection is not limited to "only those weapons useful in warfare". New York State Rifle & Pistol Association, Inc. v. Bruen (2022) is a landmark: [ In a 6–3 decision, the Supreme Court ruled that New York's law was unconstitutional and that the ability to carry a pistol in public was a constitutional right guaranteed by the Second Amendment. — A 2022 poll found that 64% of Americans were in favor of the ruling in contrast with 35% of Americans that say they oppose the decision.[50] Additionally, 36%, the largest single share, said they strongly support the Court's ruling in contrast with 16% who said they strongly oppose it. The Legal Aid Society said the decision "may be an affirmative step toward ending arbitrary licensing standards that have inhibited lawful Black and Brown gun ownership in New York."[46] Former house minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R‑CA) supported the ruling, saying it "rightfully ensures the right of all law-abiding Americans to defend themselves without unnecessary government interference."[47] Law professor Steve Vladeck said the decision will "have monumental ramifications far beyond carrying firearms in public" and predicts there will be a "slew of litigation challenging any and every gun-control measure". Tread AROUND the 2nd amendment to our Constitution of the United States of America. Around it. Not on it; not lightly upon it! Carefully consider your vote! (Attachment: Photo of one night of a dangerous riot in a public place.)

Please leave law abiding citizens alone and focus the Commonwealth’s limited resources on the arrest, conviction, and incarceration of violent individuals. Paul Trible Blue Grass, VA

Suggest instead of Firearms Safety Subcommittee... Crimes Safety Subcommittee. greatly more effective! THE REAL ISSUE!

None of these proposals will impact the behavior of a criminal - only making law abiding citizens vulnerable as a new "gun free" zone attracts people seeking to make a statement with a gun and want time to do so before someone with a gun shows up. Additionally, most of these targeted problems are not currently problems or represent a growing trend that needs additional protections enacted to address. In my view, these bills have limited to no chance to provide additional protections or impact criminal behavior but DO further strip your constituents God give rights to provide the illusion of protection.

As a constituent, I urge you to OPPOSE the following bills: HB 12, Jones, requires a locking device and informational stickers to be included with every handgun sold. Federal law already covers this and it is an unnecessary expense for gun dealers. HB 23, Laufer, prohibits guns in hospitals and emergency rooms. Not constitutional under Bruen and disarms visitors, family, and staff. HB 158, McClure, requires a locking device and informational stickers to be included with every handgun sold. Federal law already covers this and it is an unnecessary expense for gun dealers. HB 183, Simon, requires all firearms in a home be secured if there is a minor in the home. Current law already covers 14 and under. 15, 16, and 17-year-olds have used guns to save lives by stopping home invasions or violent attacks on family members. HB 585, Mundon King, prevents home-based gun dealers from operating within 1.5 miles of a school. Unconstitutional and a solution to a non-existent problem. Home-based gun dealers don't have signs outside of their home generally. The customer has to be invited in. Convenience stores that have liquor, tobacco products, and vaping products are open to the public and within 1.5 miles of schools, yet there is no concern about that. HB 791, Hanson, makes BB gun possession on school groups a FELONY. Another solution to a problem that doesn't exist. HB 861, Hernandez, prohibits guns in hospitals and emergency rooms. Not constitutional under Bruen and disarms visitors, family, and staff. HB 1174, Sickles, makes it illegal for anyone under 21 to purchase any kind of firearm. A Virginia court has struck down part of the Universal Background Check law because it made it impossible for 18, 19, and 20-year-olds to purchase a handgun. Other states have also struck down such prohibitions under Bruen.

I'm a volunteer with Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America, and I support this bill.

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.

My fellow Virginia’s I write today to comment on the bills before you. I am a retired Army veterans. I grew up in Virginia, went to ODU and instead of seeking residency in other states, stayed a Virginian and paid taxes while on active duty. I fought in war and lost good Soldiers and friends defending this nation, you and our Constitution. I retired in Virginia because I love this state. Your body will decide, with its vote, to either infringe on our rights or defend them. I ask you to defend them like those friends and Soldiers that also did. I am a responsible gun owner who raised his children to be responsible gun owners (all three are serving or served). I am also a CCP holder who is willing to defend his fellow citizens. If you vote for any of these bills to limit our rights it will impact my ability to defend myself and my family. Please do the right thing and defend the 2nd Amd. My wife and I already decided to leave the state if you enact these measures to limit our rights. Thank you Oliver Rose

HB 12, Federal law already covers this and it is an unnecessary expense for gun dealers. HB 23, Not constitutional under Bruen and disarms visitors, family, and staff. HB 158, Federal law already covers this and it is an unnecessary expense for gun dealers. HB 183, Current law already covers 14 and under. 15, 16, and 17-year-olds have used guns to save lives by stopping home invasions or violent attacks on family members. HB 585, Unconstitutional and a solution to a non-existent problem. Home-based gun dealers don't have signs outside of their home generally. The customer has to be invited in. Convenience stores that have liquor, tobacco products, and vaping products are open to the public and within 1.5 miles of schools, yet there is no concern about that. HB 791, Hanson, makes BB gun possession on school groups a FELONY. Another solution to a problem that doesn't exist. HB 861, Not constitutional under Bruen and disarms visitors, family, and staff. HB 1174, A Virginia court has struck down part of the Universal Background Check law because it made it impossible for 18, 19, and 20-year-olds to purchase a handgun. Other states have also struck down such prohibitions under Bruen.

The selected bills are unconstitutional! They must be voted down!

This proposed legislation is blatantly unconstitutional and, if passed, it will, no doubt, be challenged in court. The taxpayers of Virginia will then be obligated to defend these unconstitutional measures, and those defenses will almost certainly lose. This will result in costly, meaningless court costs for all Virginia taxpayers. Those tax dollars could be spent on more meaningful and productive activities that benefit all citizens.

HB 23 above disarms legally armed citizens while doing nothing to prevent crime. It makes another "self defense free" zone where criminals will ignore it.

All of these anti 2nd amendment bills DO NOT represent the vast majority of the citizenry of Virginia. All of these anti-gun bills will do absolutely nothing to impact crime, and are only a form of punishment to responsible gun owners in the commonwealth. These bills are meant to only meant to elicit “feel-good” emotions for those sensing they are impacting gun crime. Stop letting criminals go free early and do not focus the legislatures efforts on infringing on the rights of the people to legally defend themselves from those who mean to do grievous harm.

It is outrageous that the General Assembly is using our 2nd Amendment right to punish law abiding citizens who have done nothing wrong other then to defend themselves. It’s clear that Democrats pander to their bases without a thought about the citizens of this Commonwealth or this nation. This issue amongst others, galvanize the voters to get out and vote for the party that does not seek to encroach our rights under the State and Federal Constitution. There is zero proof that We The People are deranged killers, a mob or even the radical right that the Democrat who currently occupies the White House has said. He’d called us Nazis and portrayed honest, hardworking and law abiding citizens as the problem. We are not. Opens border, out of control spending, child indoctrination and parroting the DNC is the problem that is self inflicted and deserves nothing less then our disgust and rebuke come November 2024. The General Assembly reflects the divide between Northern Virginia to Richmond and the difference in South Eastern, Western Virginia. The Democrat party and Legislature know full well that gun control laws if enacted, will not reduce violence but increase victimhood that they’ll blame on Republicans and the cycle continues. Pathetic fools and they wonder why I’ve stopped contributing to candidates who never deliver to fools who govern us.

Please, NO more gun control. You all KNOW that criminals do not follow your laws. All your gun control does is limit my and my family's rights to self defense and peaceful enjoyment of the shooting sports. Instead, put, and keep, actual violent offenders in jail. It really is that simple.

As a woman and a 30 plus year Emergency Department nurse I ask you to reject these onerous gun control laws. Laws like these discourage women who are most at risk from being able to obtain the means to defend themselves. I worked many a late night shift in Northern Virginia and walked through empty parking lots and garages worried about my safety. Women should not have to suffer this and should have ready access to the means to defend themselves. You aren't disarming criminals your are disarming women.

The bills under consideration will do nothing to increase the safety of Virginians while infringing on our right to defend ourselves. They are designed to make it more difficult to obtain a firearm, possess a firearm, or use a firearm to defend oneself or others. Meanwhile criminals will continue unabated. Moreover, most of these unconstitutional laws have been rendered moot as they have been struck down by state and federal courts. As a former police officer and detective I implore you to reject these useless and unconstitutional laws. Thank you

No more gun control legislation. It's not the gun that's the issue. It's the mentally ill folks that obtained a gun.

I strongly oppose these bills as they are direct infringements on the 2nd Amendment of The Constitution. Most of these have already been found to be unconstitutional by various courts yet they are still being presented as bills. I am completely against these and any other such bills that infringe on the constitutional and inalienable rights of the Citizens of the United States of America and of the Commonwealth of Virginia.

No more unconstitutional gun control.

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 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.

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.

The Virginia NAACP supports this bill. We support common sense gun legislation that will have a significant impact on reducing gun violence and saving lives; this includes comprehensive background checks on the sale of firearms, limitations on purchasing firearms and prohibition of selling and transporting assault weapons - this is necessary legislation to keep Virginians safe.

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.

The Virginia NAACP supports this bill. We support common sense gun legislation that will have a significant impact on reducing gun violence and saving lives; this includes comprehensive background checks on the sale of firearms, limitations on purchasing firearms and prohibition of selling and transporting assault weapons - this is necessary legislation to keep Virginians safe.

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

THe Virginia NAACP supports this bill. We support common sense gun legislation that will have a significant impact on reducing gun violence and saving lives; this includes comprehensive background checks on the sale of firearms, limitations on purchasing firearms and prohibition of selling and transporting assault weapons - this is necessary legislation to keep Virginians safe.

The Virginia NAACP supports this bill. We support common sense gun legislation that will have a significant impact on reducing gun violence and saving lives; this includes comprehensive background checks on the sale of firearms, limitations on purchasing firearms and prohibition of selling and transporting assault weapons - this is necessary legislation to keep Virginians safe.

THe Virginia NAACP supports this bill. We support common sense gun legislation that will have a significant impact on reducing gun violence and saving lives; this includes comprehensive background checks on the sale of firearms, limitations on purchasing firearms and prohibition of selling and transporting assault weapons - this is necessary legislation to keep Virginians safe.

The Virginia NAACP supports this bill. We support common sense gun legislation that will have a significant impact on reducing gun violence and saving lives; this includes comprehensive background checks on the sale of firearms, limitations on purchasing firearms and prohibition of selling and transporting assault weapons - this is necessary legislation to keep Virginians safe.

The City of Newport News strongly supports this bill. Although downtown Newport News is not considered a military installation, we host 5000-7000 sailors at any given time while their ships are in being built or maintained at Huntington Ingalls. An incentive such as this would be extremely helpful to encourage private investment in downtown, which would greatly improve the quality of life for our military who are stationed there.

I am looking for information on this bill which I was told passed and being sent to the House for approval. The property has to do with West Neck. Please point me to where I can read more on this bill proposed by Bobby Knight. Thank you

In support of bill