at 1 A6 Wednesday, January 22,2020 GENERAL ASSEMBLY Martinsville Bulletin martinsvillebulletin.com Democrats spike Republican gun-rights bills Within about two hours, Democrats defeated 11 bills. By Amy Friedenberger The Roanoke Times: RICHMOND The morning after thousands of people carrying firearms surrounded to voice their opposition to gun control, House Democrats shot down a batch of gun rights bills from Republicans. The subcommittee of the. House Public Safety Committee was once known for swiftly killing "gun control bills Democrats introduced for years when the House was under Republican control. But newly empowered Democrats on Tuesday turned the tables.
"It's an honor to be the first to go down for the cause," Del. Chris Head, R- Botetourt, said as he walked out of a meeting room after Democrats killed his bills. Head sponsored two bills aimed at helping people who are hunting on property that spans, multiple localities that have different firearm ordinances. Within about two hours, Democrats defeated 11 bills, including one that would. have increased the mandatory minimum sentences for use or display of a firearm when committing certain felonies and another that would have repealed.
a longtime law that makes that would have repealed. a longtime law that makes it a misdemeanor to carry a weapon in a place of religious worship. "We're going to go beyond thoughts and prayers," said. Del. Jeff Bourne, D- Richmond, chairman of the subcommittee.
"We're going to give voters laws that will make Virginia safer." Del. Carrie Coyner, R- Chesterfield, broke ranks to vote with Democrats against carrying a concealed weapon without a permit and localities waiving their. protection from lawsuits if they create gunfree zones. whose loved ones have been shot or killed in mass shootings in Virginia testified about the bills. Jason: Nixon, whose wife was killed during the May Beach shooting, supported the legislation making it easier for gun violence victims to sue localities.
He said his wife considered taking a gun to work to protect herself from the co-worker who went on to kill 12 people, but she didn't because of the city's policy prohibiting guns in the workplace. "She obeyed the laws. She obeyed the rules," Nixon said. "And she's dead now." The delegates said, they believed the issue of receiving protection against lawsuits was worth future discussion. Gun control advocates said they.
didn't believe the was useful in preventing gun violence. Lori Haas and -Andrew Goddard have been attending this subcommittee's meetings since 2007, when their children survived after being shot at Virginia Tech. "We had elections in November that represented the true will of the people, and that number of voters is far higher than any masses gathered on Main Street or Franklin Street." A Del. Chris Hurst, D-Montgomery. "There have been families in this building for, years pleading to have this issue addressed," Haas said.
"We're not going away. We will be back, as I been, as other families have been." Goddard said families challenged sovereign immunity with lawsuits against Virginia Tech. The school was ultimately not held liable. "No amount of money whether sovereign immunity is in place or will bring this man's wife Goddard said. "My son was under the sovereign immunity issue, and it didn't make a.
difference. Nothing is going to make him as healthy as he was before he was shot." healthy as he was before he was shot." The General Assembly is expected to pass sweeping gun control legislation this session under Democratic leadership. The Senate has already passed three gun control bills. On Tuesday, senators reached an agreement on a fourth bill that could receive a floor vote today. The bill would allow courts to temporarily remove, guns from someone deemed a risk to themselves or others.
Republicans pushed back against the gun control, measures and said the thousands of people with firearms at the Capitol on Monday, none of whom were arrested for committing violence, highlighted that gun control was. not wanted or needed. and" rules out before They obeyed. the laws them," Del. Michael Webert, R-Fauquier, said on the floor.
"When the majority and governor threw them curveballs: by changing the rules, they obeyed them." Chris Hurst, D-Montgomery, said he didn't think the crowd of people the. Capitol, many represented the "true will of the people of Virginia." "We had elections in November that represented the true will of the people, and that number of voters is far higher than any masses gathered on Main Street or Franklin Street," Hurst said on the House floor. "Two million, three hundred" eighty eight thousand, two hundred thirteen voters, and those who want action on gun violence to save lives voted in larger numbers than those who want the status quo." Visit martinsvillebulletin.com to opt-in to receive our Daily Newsletter Families ask legislators to back hands-free driving bill Texting while driving makes a crash more likely, according to a Virginia Tech group. By JUSTIN MATTINGLY Richmond TimesRICHMOND Meredith Spies stood in front of legislators Tuesday, and urged the General Assembly to take action on a bill she thinks could have helped save her Karen Giles was driving her Honda Accord in Chesterfield County last February when a dump truck RICHMOND TIMES DISPATCH crossed into oncoming traffic and hit Del. Jeff Bourne (left), D-Richmond, speaks for HB874, his bill that would bar drivher head-on.
Giles, a volunteer, fire. ers from using handheld cellphones, as a large group of supporters, including Merfighter and EMT, was pronounced edith Spies (right) whose mother Karen Giles was killed by a distracted driver, lisdead at the scene. ten during a news conference at the Pocahontas Building in Richmond on Tuesday. Police charged the driver, Samuel As Spies talked, Christina Dempsey, all hope the General Assembly will M. Allebaugh II, with involuntary who lost three family members in ban drivers from holding a phone cated manslaughter.
An investigation indi-2013 when a truck driver took his while driving. Virginia's legislature that he was texting just before eyes off the road to check directions, came close to passing the bill last the crash, authorities said, held a portrait of Giles. Melanie Clark, year, but a conference committee "It's your right to use your phone whose husband, a Hanover County, killed it. but it wasn't this man's right to take firefighter, was struck and killed by Texting while driving increases the my mother's life," Spies said Tuesday. a tractor-trailer in 2018, held a frame likelihood of a crash by as much as 23 "It is not worth it.
We need to put our of Giles' EMT and phones down." Still grieving, the firefighter patches. times, according to the Virginia Tech family members Transportation Institute. GENERAL ASSEMBLY BRIEFS Senate OKs election holiday, scraps Lee-Jackson Day RICHMOND The Virginia Senate on Tuesday passed a bill to scrap the state's annual Lee-Jackson Day holiday celebrating two Confederate generals and add one on Election Day. The Senate voted 22-18 on Senate Bill 601, with Sen. Siobhan Dunnavant, R-Henrico, being the only Republican to breaks ranks and join Democrats.
a Lee-Jackson Day was established more than 100 years ago and is observed on the Friday preceding the third Monday in January. The day honors Confederate generals and Virginia natives Robert E. Lee and Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson Critics of the holiday. view it as a celebration of the state's slave- holding history, and many cities and counties don't observe it. On Friday, more than 100 people celebrated Lee- Jackson Day in Lexington, where both men are interred.
Sen. Mark Peake, R- Lynchburg, acknowledged that Virginia had a "very complicated tory," but he encouraged the lawmakers to consider adding holidays and statues recognizing blackfigures and those who moved Virginia forward in a positive direction. Senate panel kills election bill The Senate Privileges and Elections Commit- tee killed a bill inspired by a recent Roanoke City Council decision to move its council elections from May to November in even-numbered years. The bill, SB 835, would have forbidden council members appointed to fill vacancies from voting on an ordinance to move the date of the election for council members and mayor from May to November. The Democrat-controlled committee voted 9-6 along party lines to kill the bill.
Sen. David Suetterlein, R-Roanoke County, sponsored the bill because he wanted to prevent people who were not elected by the people from extending their terms. This appears to be a rare situation, but it happened last year with the Roanoke City Council. Councilwoman Trish White- Boyd, a Democrat, was appointed by the council in January 2018 to complete the remainder of the vacated by the resignation of independent John Garland. She would have been up to run for the seat this May had the election not been moved to November after a push by her and Mayor Sherman Lea, backed by three other council Democrats.
Sen. Jill Vogel, R-Fauquier, described the bill as an "ethics and said people appointed to fill vacancies shouldn't extend the time from which voters have a chance to vote for them. "It's just not fair," said. "You ethically should recuse yourself from that Anywhere it can rain, it can flood. A KNOW YOUR RISK.
PROTECT YOUR PROPERTY. GET FLOOD INSURANCE. DAM SAFETY AND FLOODPLAIN MANAGEMENT www.dcr.virginia.gov/floodawaren DER Virginia Department of Conservation Recreation vote." Sen. Jennifer McClellan, D- Richmond, voiced concerns about the General Assembly directing local governing bodies on what specific issues its members should recuse themselves from voting on. She said members should decide what votes to recuse themselves from, and if voters disagree with them, they can vote them out.
Senate race in marriage The Senate voted 40-0 on a bill to eliminate the requirement that the race of people getting married be included in marriage records, divorce reports and, annulment reports filed with the State Registrar, The bill, SB 62, introduced by Suetterlein, also removes the requirement that the State Registrar include race data in the compilation and posting of marriage, divorce and annulment data. The bill now heads to the House of Delegates, which is considering similar. legislation. The bill came in response to a lawsuit from a white couple who went to apply for a marriage license in: Rockbridge County and became aware of the more than 200 categories from which to choose their race. The race categories are a remainder from a time when Virginia and other states used them to prohibit people from marrying across racial lines.
The Roanoke Times Wisdom Teeth Extractions Dental Implants Bonegrafting treatment concept Biopsies Anesthesia the Oral Surgery Institute of the Carolinas Oral, Maxillotaciat Implant Surgery CERTIFIED BY: American Board Of Oral Maxillofacial Surgery Board Of Oral Implantology Implant Dentistry. American Dental Association 904 BROOKDALE MARTINSVILLE, VA 24112 (276) 226-9333 www.theoralsurgeryinstitute.com 2020 AN LERS HOUSE CHOICE AL, Philipott Martins ille, VA 24112 January 24 25th Friday 12pm-5pm Saturday 9am 3pm FUN FOR EVERYONE FREE FOOD DRINK Come meet our very special guest, Hank Parker, More pro angers then avert Bryan Thrift, David Dudley, Brent Ehler, Matt Arey, James Watson, Terry Soroggine, Jake Whitaker, Fred Roumbanis, Stephen Browning Marty Stone. "Fat Cat" Newton will keep us laughing! )MERCURY BOATS TRACKER OFF ROAD TRACKER DEMO OFF RIDES ROAD on 1 ATYA UTSI.
