Hi. This is Delegate Rob Bloxom with a special edition of my Capitol report covering this week’s special session. The Governor called for this session to enact gun control measures within four days of the murders, before the funerals and memorials were even completed and when the investigation was in its earliest stages. We convened July 9 to accept his gun control bills along with dozens of other proposed bills from both Democrats and Republicans. The bills were referred to the appropriate committees, as are all bills. At that point, the committees re-referred all the proposed legislation to the Crime Commission. The Crime Commission is a bi-partisan committee consisting of delegates, senators, representatives appointed by the Governor, and a representative from the Attorney General’s office. It is a commission staffed with four full-time state employees who are non-partisan.
This commission staff will take all the proposed legislation and do a complete analysis and comparison to states that have enacted similar legislation. They will also analyze the entire police report when it is finished. The commission will meet later this summer in order to hear the staff’s report and will also hold public meetings. This is a very similar approach that Tim Kaine took, when he was the governor, after the Virginia Tech tragedy.
The largest debate we encountered July 9 concerned the actual rules. The Republicans felt that there was a need to include a discussion on other important issues concerning gun violence, mainly the area of mental health. On the other hand, the Democrats wanted to limit the issue to gun control without any consideration of other outside factors.
As I am sure you have read in the news, Governor Northam has admitted more than once that none of his gun-related proposals would have prevented what happened in Virginia Beach. For this reason, it sickens me that politics had more to do with this trip to Richmond than anything else. It is my hope that the Crime Commission brings viable solutions back to us, solutions that will help prevent tragedies such as what happened to our Virginia Beach May 31st.
I continue to be honored to represent you in the 100th District, and will keep you updated on future developments concerning this issue. Thank you.
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If you want to use gun control for gun violence control, then all guns capable of wreaking havoc must be removed from the hands of the people. All of them.
Handguns are the instrument used most often in routine day-to-day homicide, and also the most commonly used instrument in mass shootings. Clearly they must go.
Shotguns are the most devastating weapon when used at close range. Shotguns have been used in mass shootings in Maryland and at a Texas school. Clearly they must go.
Rifles enable a shooter to kill from hundreds of yards away. A common Remington bolt-action hunting rifle was used to kill a dozen or more at the University of Texas Library Tower. Clearly they must go.
Trying to make changes in homicides by enacting detailed rules about magazine capacity or semi-automatic rifles is nothing more than window dressing. If you could make every “high-capacity” magazine and every “assault rifle” disappear, it would not make a meaningful change in the homicide rate.
One does not need to look at foreign nations to assess the relationship between gun laws, gun ownership, and homicide. One need only look to Virginia’s neighbor to the north, Maryland.
Maryland already has many of the laws GOV Northam dreams about. No concealed carry. No open carry. “Assault weapons” and “high-capacity” magazines are banned. No private sales of handguns. A license with finger-printing and a waiting period are required to purchase a handgun.
Based on these facts, one would think that Maryland is a very peaceful state, at least compared to Virginia. But when we look at the data, what is revealed?
The total homicide and gun homicide rates in Maryland are always HIGHER than in Virginia, often by 50% to 80% HIGHER. Maryland is usually ranked #4 to #6 for HIGHEST HOMICIDE rates in the nation.
Why does Governor Northam want to make Virginia more like Maryland?