Late breaking news: the Virginia Senate committee hearing HB 961 has just killed the bill.
When anti-gun rights activists say, “No one wants to take your guns,” let them know what’s going on in Virginia.
Virginia House Bill 961 not only outlaws the sale, transfer, and importation of so-called “assault firearms,” certain firearm magazines, silencers, and trigger activators, but if you have any of those tools, you must get rid of them. From the bill:
Any person who legally owns a large-capacity firearm magazine, silencer, or trigger activator on July 1, 2020, may retain possession until January 1, 2021. During that time, such person shall (i) render the large-capacity firearm magazine, silencer, or trigger activator inoperable; (ii) remove the large-capacity firearm magazine, silencer, or trigger activator from the Commonwealth; (iii) transfer the large-capacity firearm magazine, silencer, or trigger activator to a person outside the Commonwealth who is not prohibited from possessing it; or (iv) surrender the large-capacity firearm magazine, silencer, or trigger activator to a state or local law-enforcement agency.
Think about that. A law-abiding citizen of Virginia, who has honestly acquired certain firearms, magazines, and certain accessories, must turn them in, transfer them outside the Commonwealth, or destroy them. In a word: confiscation.
Imagine the government determined that because it didn’t like the car you drive, you had a year to destroy it, transfer it out of state, or turn it in to the government. We won’t see that happen, partly because there are no billionaire-funded anti-car campaigns to match what Presidential candidate Michael Bloomberg has done with the anti-gun movement.
Bloomberg invested millions in Virginia last year to flip the legislature to one that agrees with his gun control agenda. In fact, Bloomberg even outspent the NRA, $2.5 million to $300,000 in those races. Presumably, he expects to get his money’s worth.
But with over 118 counties, cities and towns in Virginia joining the growing sanctuary movement, and with some Sheriffs saying they won’t enforce the unconstitutional laws, how does the Commonwealth believe it will enforce the confiscation? Remember when Presidential candidate Beto O’Rourke said that police would visit AR-15 owners who refused to turn in their firearms? His campaign ended shortly thereafter.
The Virginia Senate will take up HB 961 on Monday, February 17th. There are 4 Democrats who may oppose this bill as it was originally drafted. It still remains to be seen whether pro-gun rights voters will punish the Democrats by proxy in the Presidential election for this extreme proposal of confiscation.