By Bill Brazier: Virginia Democrats should be proud of the legislation passed to lessen gun violence and control deadly weapons, thanks to new Democratic majorities in the state House and Senate. But the proposed bans on assault weapons and large magazines remain on the agenda for the next session, starting in Jan. 2021, and all reasonable people should fight for…
By Grace Aspinall: Several important gun control measures, including universal background checks and a “red flag” law, were passed by the Virginia legislature in February 2020 as the Democratic majority installed in November signaled a shift away from traditionally lax gun policies in the Commonwealth. However, a proposed assault rifle ban failed to pass. Both pro-gun supporters and gun control…
Gun rights advocates interrupted speakers frequently with boos, shouts and chants as the Fairfax County state legislative delegation held its traditional public forum on Jan. 4, four days in advance of the opening of the General Assembly this Wednesday. Gun supporters, many with orange “Guns Save Lives” stickers, were prominent in the audience at the Fairfax County Government Center auditorium…
By Susan Laume: On the eve of a special state legislative session on gun violence, a roundtable in Leesburg hosted by state Sen. Jennifer Boysko (D- 33) on July 7 revealed the deep divide among the public on this critical issue – and the high personal cost of unrestricted gun use. Boysko hosted the event at the Rust Library to…
Editor’s Note: First in a two-part series on gun-related bills in the recently concluded state legislative session. Part 1 deals with the Senate; Part 2 deals with the House of Delegates and will appear shortly By Sen. Dick Saslaw: Our push for commonsense gun legislation in the recently concluded session was derailed within days of the first gavel of the…
By Stephanie Witt Sedgwick: Equal parts of grief and hope came together at The March For Our Lives in Washington, D.C., and echoed in towns and cities across the country. An estimated 200,000 people gathered on Pennsylvania Avenue on March 24 to honor and remember the victims of the high school shooting in Parkland, FL, while vowing to change the…