I strongly urge you to oppose HB 961, the misnamed “assault weapons” bill promoted by Gov. Northam and introduced by Delegate Levine. Amazingly, both are now telling Virginians they oppose confiscating our legally bought firearms. What a smokescreen! U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein was more candid and honest when she spoke on 60 Minutes in 1995 about her “assault weapons” bill. She said: “If I could’ve gotten 51 votes in the Senate of the United States, for an outright ban, picking up every one of them — Mr. and Mrs. America turn ‘em all in—I would have done it.” Delegate Levine’s memory is selective. His “assault weapons” bill from the July 2019 special session provided for confiscation of banned guns. So does his current bill, which calls for the most common rifles and certain handguns to be destroyed, taken out of state or turned into the police -- as if we who own guns are common criminals! On February 1, 2019, Governor Northam admitted that his medical school yearbook photo showed him in either blackface or a KKK robe. One day later, he denied he was in either. How can Delegate Levine or Gov. Northam be trusted? Please oppose HB 961. Gun Owners of America will let me know how you vote on this bill, should it come to the floor.

HB 961 should never see the light of day. Although the Northam-Levine HB 961 wants gun accessories classified as “assault weapons,” during Governor Wilder’s 1993 Task Force examining “assault weapons,” an ATF Bureau official stated that features like a flash suppressor, bayonet mount, grenade launcher do not contribute to a rifle’s firepower; the “killing power is the cartridge; the larger the cartridge, the more deadly the weapon.” By the way, according to Virginia’s Game and Inland Fisheries Department, the AR-15 rifles which are banned by the Northam-Levine “assault weapons” bill, HB 961, are not powerful enough and cannot be used for deer or turkey hunting in VA! Politifact (10/21/19) criticized 2020 democrat presidential candidate Beto O’Rourke who pretended his gun “buyback” plan did not amount to confiscation. Politifact noted, “As you game out scenarios … they all lead to something that most people would consider confiscation. … We rate O’Rourke’s claim that he is ‘not talking about confiscating anybody’s guns’ as False.” We must also remember that Democrat President Jimmy Carter had advocated for national gun registration. He nominated as the Director of the Law Enforcement Assistance Administration, Norvall Morris who said, “We seek a disarmed populace.” Mrs. Sarah Brady, Chair of Handgun Control, noted (1993), “To me, the only reason for guns in civilian hands is for sporting purposes.” And in Virginia, the Chief of Police for Charlottesville clearly does not want civilian gun ownership. She told the US House of Representatives Judiciary Committee on September, 2019: “I believe any weapon that can be used to hunt individuals should be banned.” Please vote NO on HB 961 and any other gun control bill. Please let me and GOA know how you intend to vote, and why on this and all proposed gun control legislation.

I strongly urge you to oppose HB 961, the misnamed “assault weapons” bill promoted by Gov. Northam and introduced by Delegate Levine. Amazingly, both are now telling Virginians they oppose confiscating our legally bought firearms. What a smokescreen! U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein was more candid and honest when she spoke on 60 Minutes in 1995 about her “assault weapons” bill. She said: “If I could’ve gotten 51 votes in the Senate of the United States, for an outright ban, picking up every one of them — Mr. and Mrs. America turn ‘em all in—I would have done it.” Delegate Levine’s memory is selective. His “assault weapons” bill from the July 2019 special session provided for confiscation of banned guns. So does his current bill, which calls for the most common rifles and certain handguns to be destroyed, taken out of state or turned into the police -- as if we who own guns are common criminals! On February 1, 2019, Governor Northam admitted that his medical school yearbook photo showed him in either blackface or a KKK robe. One day later, he denied he was in either. How can Delegate Levine or Gov. Northam be trusted? Please oppose HB 961. Gun Owners of America will let me know how you vote on this bill, should it come to the floor.

I am opposed to HB 961, the so-called “assault weapons” bill pushed by Gov. Northam and sponsored by Delegate Levine. Amazingly, both men now say they support the Second Amendment and don’t support confiscating legally owned firearms. What a cover-up! Perhaps Michael Bloomberg is writing their script. Mayor Bloomberg, gave Democrat candidates $4 million (2017-2019), and claimed in his amicus brief in the Supreme Court’s Heller case, that the Second Amendment applied only to state militias, not individual Americans. Governor Northam, Delegate Levine and Mayor Bloomberg are showing Virginians that “gun control” really means gun prohibition and gun confiscation. Delegate Levine’s “assault weapons” bill, from the July 2019 special session on guns, provided for firearm confiscation. His current HB 961 wants guns destroyed, turned into police, or sold or given away out-of-state. That sounds like confiscation to me! Virginia’s Constitution states, “the General Assembly shall pass no law whereby … private property shall be damaged or taken for public use without just compensation to the owner.” Not even one dime is offered to gun owners for complying with the Democrats’ illicit gun grab. Not that I would want monetary “compensation” for my firearms! I cannot defend my life with dollar bills. In addition, the Levine-Northam bill would make me pay $50 for each gun that Governor Northam and Delegate Levine “permit” me to own to defend my life. And, if I do not pay $50 and also register my guns, I cannot keep them and I will go to jail for five years! How is this fair? Governor Northam cannot be trusted to keep his word. On February 1, 2019, Gov. Northam admitted he appeared in his medical school yearbook as a man in blackface or in a KKK robe. Then, one day later, he denied being in either. How can either Del. Levine or Gov. Northam be believed? They can’t.

I am opposed to HB 961, the so-called “assault weapons” bill pushed by Gov. Northam and sponsored by Delegate Levine. Amazingly, both men now say they support the Second Amendment and don’t support confiscating legally owned firearms. What a cover-up! Perhaps Michael Bloomberg is writing their script. Mayor Bloomberg, gave Democrat candidates $4 million (2017-2019), and claimed in his amicus brief in the Supreme Court’s Heller case, that the Second Amendment applied only to state militias, not individual Americans. Governor Northam, Delegate Levine and Mayor Bloomberg are showing Virginians that “gun control” really means gun prohibition and gun confiscation. Delegate Levine’s “assault weapons” bill, from the July 2019 special session on guns, provided for firearm confiscation. His current HB 961 wants guns destroyed, turned into police, or sold or given away out-of-state. That sounds like confiscation to me! Virginia’s Constitution states, “the General Assembly shall pass no law whereby … private property shall be damaged or taken for public use without just compensation to the owner.” Not even one dime is offered to gun owners for complying with the Democrats’ illicit gun grab. Not that I would want monetary “compensation” for my firearms! I cannot defend my life with dollar bills. In addition, the Levine-Northam bill would make me pay $50 for each gun that Governor Northam and Delegate Levine “permit” me to own to defend my life. And, if I do not pay $50 and also register my guns, I cannot keep them and I will go to jail for five years! How is this fair? Governor Northam cannot be trusted to keep his word. On February 1, 2019, Gov. Northam admitted he appeared in his medical school yearbook as a man in blackface or in a KKK robe. Then, one day later, he denied being in either. How can either Del. Levine or Gov. Northam be believed? They can’t.

I strongly urge you to vote NO on HB 961, the so-called “assault weapons” bill and any other similar bill pushed by Governor Northam and sponsored by Delegate Levine. Frankly, I am annoyed that the Governor and the Delegate claim this bill does not authorize confiscating legally owned firearms. HB 961 mandates gun registration which is the first step to confiscation. Delegate Levine introduced an assault weapons bill for the July, 2019 special session. It too provided for firearm confiscation just like HB 961. Delegate Levine says we can avoid five years prison for owning a banned gun if we destroy our guns, turn them into the police, or move the firearms out-of-state. That is not acceptable. As a duly elected representative of the people, you swore to uphold Virginia’s Constitution which states, “the General Assembly shall pass no law whereby … private property shall be damaged or taken for public use without just compensation to the owner.” There is no “compensation” in Delegate Levine’s bill. Of course, no monetary compensation from the Commonwealth would make up for confiscating the firearms I could use to defend me or my neighbors against home invaders. Adding insult to injury, the Levine-Northam bill makes me pay Virginia $50 to own each firearm approved by Governor Northam and Delegate Levine to defend my life and that of my family. If I don’t pay the $50 per gun, and register each one, to keep my own guns, I could be imprisoned for five years! Yet professional law enforcement and bodyguards hired by the Governor and state legislators use the same guns with greater than ten round magazines that would be off-limits to ordinary citizens. Please tell me how this is not an abuse of power? On February 1, 2019, Governor Northam said that he did appear in a medical school yearbook photo as either a man in blackface or in a KKK robe. One day later, he denied being in the photo at all! Did you believe him when he reversed his story? That is why I find it so hard to trust what he says. I urge you to stand with Gun Owners of America in opposing HB 961.

HB 961 should never see the light of day. Although the Northam-Levine HB 961 wants gun accessories classified as “assault weapons,” during Governor Wilder’s 1993 Task Force examining “assault weapons,” an ATF Bureau official stated that features like a flash suppressor, bayonet mount, grenade launcher do not contribute to a rifle’s firepower; the “killing power is the cartridge; the larger the cartridge, the more deadly the weapon.” By the way, according to Virginia’s Game and Inland Fisheries Department, the AR-15 rifles which are banned by the Northam-Levine “assault weapons” bill, HB 961, are not powerful enough and cannot be used for deer or turkey hunting in VA! Politifact (10/21/19) criticized 2020 democrat presidential candidate Beto O’Rourke who pretended his gun “buyback” plan did not amount to confiscation. Politifact noted, “As you game out scenarios … they all lead to something that most people would consider confiscation. … We rate O’Rourke’s claim that he is ‘not talking about confiscating anybody’s guns’ as False.” We must also remember that Democrat President Jimmy Carter had advocated for national gun registration. He nominated as the Director of the Law Enforcement Assistance Administration, Norvall Morris who said, “We seek a disarmed populace.” Mrs. Sarah Brady, Chair of Handgun Control, noted (1993), “To me, the only reason for guns in civilian hands is for sporting purposes.” And in Virginia, the Chief of Police for Charlottesville clearly does not want civilian gun ownership. She told the US House of Representatives Judiciary Committee on September, 2019: “I believe any weapon that can be used to hunt individuals should be banned.” Please vote NO on HB 961 and any other gun control bill. Please let me and GOA know how you intend to vote, and why on this and all proposed gun control legislation.