[XLMiguel]

Good news in the Old Dominion - got this from the Governor this PM.

Governor@gov.state.va.us wrote:
To:
Subject: Email from the Office of the Governor
Date: Mon, 7 Apr 2003 14:40:07 -0400

Thank you for your e-mail regarding House Bill 1516. I support this bill, which provides that no person may be prosecuted or convicted of a violation of any ordinance regulating the possession, carrying, or transportation of a firearm if he or she is in possession of the firearm not in violation of any provisions and he or she has a valid concealed handgun permit. Accordingly, I have signed this measure into law.

Again, thank you for your support.

Sincerely,

Mark R. Warner

Kudos to VCDL for an outstanding mobilization effort in geting the wod out and making sure that local juristicitons can't mess with CCW holders who are lawfully exercising their 2nd Amendment rights.

[Mike Irwin]

You know, I have to admit...

Mark Warner is a lot better on the gun front that I ever had reason to hope that he would be.

[Mal H]

Same here. He has been a real surprise on several issues.

[Seawolf]

Warner essentially ran as a Republican on several issues to get elected. Now he has to keep his word.

Can Governors be re-elected in VA now? I recall some time in the recent past that they could not.

[Blackhawk]

I support this bill, which provides that no person may be prosecuted or convicted of a violation of any ordinance regulating the possession, carrying, or transportation of a firearm if he or she is in possession of the firearm not in violation of any provisions and he or she has a valid concealed handgun permit.That sentence could be written only by a lawyer. :rolleyes:

[Mike Irwin]

"Now he has to keep his word.

Can Governors be re-elected in VA now?"

That's the thing, Wolf.

He doesn't need to keep his word. Governors are single-term here in Virginia.

The fact that he is is surprising.

[Pendragon]

So..

Whats the bill do?

[WonderNine]

not in violation of any provisions and he or she has a valid concealed handgun permit.

Gee, still enough hoops to jump through....I'm jumping for joy here.....:rolleyes:

Perhaps someday there won't be different classes of citizens......those with CCW's and those without....

[JohnBT]

Governors can serve a second term here...just not consecutively. From the state site:

"Governors of Virginia serve a single four-year term as allowed by the Constitution of Virginia. A governor can be re-elected by popular vote again only after a break in service. Mills Godwin, Jr. achieved that feat most recently by serving from 1966-70 and again from 1974-78."

JT

[Leatherneck]

Whats the bill do?

It preempts local and county governments from enforcing any laws they may have passed infringing on CCW. Northern Virginia and richmond, plus certain cities in tidewater were notoriously anti-gun. This stae law trumps the myriad local restrictions. Good law. :D

TC
TFL Survivor

[David Park]

Whats the bill do? The new law overrides all local laws and regulations regarding transportation, possession, and carry of firearms, even the "grandfathered" ones (they can stay on the books, but nobody can be prosecuted under them). Here's the VCDL explanation:
http://www2.vcdl.org/cgi-bin/wspd_cgi.sh/vcdl/vadetail.html?RECID=146529&FILTER=

Here's the text of the bill as signed by the Governor:
http://leg1.state.va.us/cgi-bin/legp504.exe?031+ful+CHAP0943

If some of our "pro-gun" :scrutiny: Republican state Senators were as true to their word on gun rights as the Governor, our laws would be a lot better.