Virginia does not need HB 2 (Plum-D), the so-called universal background check bill. A U.S. Justice Department study from 1997 found that only 1.7% of inmates in state prison got their guns from a flea market or a gun show. HB 2 burdens gun owners for no reason. It prevents a family member to even “loan” a gun to another family member without criminal penalty! The very old false claim that 40% of all firearms are obtained without a background check got President Obama three Pinocchio’s from the pro-gun control Washington Post back in 2013. Your vote for HB 2 will put innocent citizens in prison not for harming anyone, because the word “transfer” is designed to turn citizens into felons for merely holding a firearm in a gun shop before their background check is done. Please read the bill for yourself. The Washington State Law Enforcement Firearms Instructors Association stated that Bloomberg’s laws “‘make criminals of all recreational shooters and most law enforcement officers.’ They ‘criminalize . . . good citizens’ by transforming ‘casual, innocent, ordinary, non-criminal behavior into a misdemeanor or felony.” HB 812 (Ward-D) limits handgun purchases to one a month, but will not make Virginia safer. The killer who murdered 11 victims in the Virginia Beach municipal building in early 2019, and the murderer who killed 34 teachers and students and injured many more at Virginia Tech in 2007, both obeyed the one-gun-a-month law to buy two handguns. HB 1083 (Hayes-D) needlessly takes away parental authority over teaching their children gun safety. There is absolutely no evidence that any of these bills would make Virginia safer. On the contrary, restricting the rights of gun owners will allow criminals to gain the upper hand.

Virginia does not need HB 2 (Plum-D), the so-called universal background check bill. A U.S. Justice Department study from 1997 found that only 1.7% of inmates in state prison got their guns from a flea market or a gun show. HB 2 burdens gun owners for no reason. It prevents a family member to even “loan” a gun to another family member without criminal penalty! The very old false claim that 40% of all firearms are obtained without a background check got President Obama three Pinocchio’s from the pro-gun control Washington Post back in 2013. Your vote for HB 2 will put innocent citizens in prison not for harming anyone, because the word “transfer” is designed to turn citizens into felons for merely holding a firearm in a gun shop before their background check is done. Please read the bill for yourself. The Washington State Law Enforcement Firearms Instructors Association stated that Bloomberg’s laws “‘make criminals of all recreational shooters and most law enforcement officers.’ They ‘criminalize . . . good citizens’ by transforming ‘casual, innocent, ordinary, non-criminal behavior into a misdemeanor or felony.” HB 812 (Ward-D) limits handgun purchases to one a month, but will not make Virginia safer. The killer who murdered 11 victims in the Virginia Beach municipal building in early 2019, and the murderer who killed 34 teachers and students and injured many more at Virginia Tech in 2007, both obeyed the one-gun-a-month law to buy two handguns. HB 1083 (Hayes-D) needlessly takes away parental authority over teaching their children gun safety. There is absolutely no evidence that any of these bills would make Virginia safer. On the contrary, restricting the rights of gun owners will allow criminals to gain the upper hand.

Virginia does not need HB 2 (Plum-D), the so-called universal background check bill. A U.S. Justice Department study from 1997 found that only 1.7% of inmates in state prison got their guns from a flea market or a gun show. HB 2 burdens gun owners for no reason. It prevents a family member to even “loan” a gun to another family member without criminal penalty! The very old false claim that 40% of all firearms are obtained without a background check got President Obama three Pinocchio’s from the pro-gun control Washington Post back in 2013. Your vote for HB 2 will put innocent citizens in prison not for harming anyone, because the word “transfer” is designed to turn citizens into felons for merely holding a firearm in a gun shop before their background check is done. Please read the bill for yourself. The Washington State Law Enforcement Firearms Instructors Association stated that Bloomberg’s laws “‘make criminals of all recreational shooters and most law enforcement officers.’ They ‘criminalize . . . good citizens’ by transforming ‘casual, innocent, ordinary, non-criminal behavior into a misdemeanor or felony.” HB 812 (Ward-D) limits handgun purchases to one a month, but will not make Virginia safer. The killer who murdered 11 victims in the Virginia Beach municipal building in early 2019, and the murderer who killed 34 teachers and students and injured many more at Virginia Tech in 2007, both obeyed the one-gun-a-month law to buy two handguns. HB 1083 (Hayes-D) needlessly takes away parental authority over teaching their children gun safety. There is absolutely no evidence that any of these bills would make Virginia safer. On the contrary, restricting the rights of gun owners will allow criminals to gain the upper hand.

Please vote against HB 2 (Plum-D), the misnamed background check bill which will do nothing to make us safer in Virginia, but will turn many Virginians into felons if they simply hold a gun in a firearm store before their background check. It also prevents a family member to even loan a gun to another family member unless done in their presence! Please read the bill and please do not vote for it simply because political party leaders want you to. You are elected to represent me and my neighbors, not former New York City Mayor Bloomberg. The killer who murdered 26 people in 2017, including an unborn baby at a Texas Church, was court martialed in the Air Force for assaulting his wife and their child. That should have prevented him from buying a gun, but the Air Force did not enter that data into the National Instant Criminal Background Check System. There will always be shortcomings in the system that killers will exploit. And if they’re denied by a background check, they can steal their weapon, just as the Sandy Hook killer did. But gun owners should not be made to “pay” through unjust laws, for crimes committed by others. That is not justice. HB 812 (Ward -D) limits handgun purchases to one a month. Did you know that the Virginia Beach (2019) and VA Tech (2007) murderers observed that one gun a month law when they each bought two handguns? That restriction did nothing to stop those killings. HB 1083 (Hayes-D) removes parental control over their children’s firearm safety. That will hardly make Virginia safer. Again, I urge you to vote no on these bills. If you vote yes, please explain why you think your vote will make Virginia safer. The claim that “voters gave you a mandate” is not evidence that anyone will be protected.

Please vote against HB 2 (Plum-D), the misnamed background check bill which will do nothing to make us safer in Virginia, but will turn many Virginians into felons if they simply hold a gun in a firearm store before their background check. It also prevents a family member to even loan a gun to another family member unless done in their presence! Please read the bill and please do not vote for it simply because political party leaders want you to. You are elected to represent me and my neighbors, not former New York City Mayor Bloomberg. The killer who murdered 26 people in 2017, including an unborn baby at a Texas Church, was court martialed in the Air Force for assaulting his wife and their child. That should have prevented him from buying a gun, but the Air Force did not enter that data into the National Instant Criminal Background Check System. There will always be shortcomings in the system that killers will exploit. And if they’re denied by a background check, they can steal their weapon, just as the Sandy Hook killer did. But gun owners should not be made to “pay” through unjust laws, for crimes committed by others. That is not justice. HB 812 (Ward -D) limits handgun purchases to one a month. Did you know that the Virginia Beach (2019) and VA Tech (2007) murderers observed that one gun a month law when they each bought two handguns? That restriction did nothing to stop those killings. HB 1083 (Hayes-D) removes parental control over their children’s firearm safety. That will hardly make Virginia safer. Again, I urge you to vote no on these bills. If you vote yes, please explain why you think your vote will make Virginia safer. The claim that “voters gave you a mandate” is not evidence that anyone will be protected.

I urge you to vote against HB 2 (Plum-D), the so-called universal background check bill that covers private sales of firearms. This measure does not allow family members to loan a gun to another family member unless they are immediately present, and would require friends to drive a significant distance to find an FFL store in order to sell a gun to someone they know is not a criminal! This is yet another burden placed on law-abiding gun owners and would do nothing to make Virginia safer. After the horrible 2007 murders at Virginia Tech, the state legislature changed a number of laws to track and enter mental health information into the background check system. Community Service Boards were instructed to attend commitment hearings, courts were to be notified if mandated treatment was not followed, records were to be shared by social agencies and law enforcement, and public universities were to notify parents if students became a danger to themselves or others. Extensive background checks are already in place! HB 812 (Ward-D) limiting the purchase of handguns to one a month also will do nothing to make Virginia safer. In fact, the study of the Virginia Tech murders specifically noted that the killer apparently waited just over a month to make his second handgun purchase because of Virginia’s one-gun-a-month law! He followed one minor law then broke the most serious of criminal laws by his murders of 34 students and teachers. Instead of removing parents from direct control over their children and firearms safety, like HB 1083 (Hayes-D) will do, why not include competent firearms training in schools? This would make much more sense, and provide an opportunity for parents and children to learn together. Please respond to my email which I will share with my family, friends, neighbors and coworkers.

I urge you to vote against HB 2 (Plum-D), the so-called universal background check bill that covers private sales of firearms. This measure does not allow family members to loan a gun to another family member unless they are immediately present, and would require friends to drive a significant distance to find an FFL store in order to sell a gun to someone they know is not a criminal! This is yet another burden placed on law-abiding gun owners and would do nothing to make Virginia safer. After the horrible 2007 murders at Virginia Tech, the state legislature changed a number of laws to track and enter mental health information into the background check system. Community Service Boards were instructed to attend commitment hearings, courts were to be notified if mandated treatment was not followed, records were to be shared by social agencies and law enforcement, and public universities were to notify parents if students became a danger to themselves or others. Extensive background checks are already in place! HB 812 (Ward-D) limiting the purchase of handguns to one a month also will do nothing to make Virginia safer. In fact, the study of the Virginia Tech murders specifically noted that the killer apparently waited just over a month to make his second handgun purchase because of Virginia’s one-gun-a-month law! He followed one minor law then broke the most serious of criminal laws by his murders of 34 students and teachers. Instead of removing parents from direct control over their children and firearms safety, like HB 1083 (Hayes-D) will do, why not include competent firearms training in schools? This would make much more sense, and provide an opportunity for parents and children to learn together. Please respond to my email which I will share with my family, friends, neighbors and coworkers.