2001 General Assembly Pre-Session Legislative Update

Carry-Over Legislation and Study Resolutions

The House Militia & Police Committee considered carry-over legislation this summer and fall. When a bill is “carried over,” legislators have until December 20 to consider and vote on the legislation. If the bill passes at this time, it goes straight to the floor when the session starts for a full House or Senate vote. Sometimes, when legislators carry over a bill, it is a nice way to just delay defeating the bill. Other times, carrying over legislation allows legislators the summer and fall months to further study the issues.

The House Militia & Police Committee chose to study carry-over legislation during the post-session months. Special subcommittees were created to consider different carryover bills and make recommendations to the full committee, which met in Richmond on December 14, 2000.

Study resolutions are a little different. These resolutions either create a committee to study an issue or direct a standing committee, agency or commission to study an issue. This year, a study resolution was passed to examine the prohibition on bringing concealed weapons into ABC-licensed establishments.

Issues from 2000 Session

Both bills deal with closing loopholes that allow guns on school property. The current loopholes in the law endanger our children. Allowing hunting, school sponsored activities with firearms, or unloaded weapons on school property opens the door for both accidental and intentional shootings.

After the subcommittee meeting on September 6, 2000, which resulted in a lot of debate, but no recommendations, the bills were heard by the full M&P Committee on Dec. 14. Result: HB246 was defeated. HB247 was amended and passed. This bill will delete the exemption in the Code that allows hunting on school property and will require hunting to take place at least 1,000 feet from school property. This bill will be heard by the full House of Delegates after the session convenes on January 10, 2001.

Again, the subcommittee declined to offer a recommendation for this bill, and the full M&P committee voted on it. After hearing valuable testimony from domestic violence and stalking survivors, advocates, and attorneys in support of the bill, the committee defeated it. Members of the committee cited two main reasons: that these misdemeanors were not serious enough to “take away someone’s civil rights” and that it might prevent domestic violence victims from reporting abuse. Delegate Scott will probably introduce a similar bill this session and try again to convince the committee that convicted stalkers and batterers should not have guns.

The study committee investigating the prohibition against concealed weapons in bars (HJ282) met twice this year. Legislators examined the differences between family restaurants, where alcohol consumption is limited, and bars/nightclubs, where alcohol consumption is the main attraction, and the dangers of using alcohol while carrying a concealed weapon. The legislators on the study committee attempted to come up with different categories to allow guns in some ABC-licensed establishments, but not all. Public input was also considered. However, the patron and chair of the subcommittee, Delegate Morgan Griffith determined that consensus could not be reached at this time, and halted the study.

Issues to Follow in 2001 Session

Get ready to make phone calls, send e-mails and write letters to your legislators this session! Legislators from across the Commonwealth need to hear your views on sensible gun safety legislation. They need to know that citizens who want to end gun violence with common sense gun control measures are the majority in Virginia, not the minority! So please get involved - they need to hear your voices.