Today's Sponsor: Virginia Association of Community Banks

VaNews Jan. 21, 2020
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Today's Sponsor:


** Virginia Association of Community Banks
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On behalf of the great people at our 59 member banks, we offer our gratitude to the members and staff of the 2020 General Assembly.

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** EXECUTIVE BRANCH
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** THOUSANDS DESCEND ON VIRGINIA’S STATEHOUSE TO PROTEST PROPOSED GUN LAWS ([link removed])
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By BROCK VERGAKIS, MARIE ALBIGES, GORDON RAGO AND ALISSA SKELTON, Virginian-Pilot (Metered Paywall - 3 articles a month)

Thousands of mostly white men — many decked out in camouflage and armed with assault-style rifles — packed Richmond’s streets Monday, circling the gun-free Capitol Square, where thousands more waved signs and listened to speeches, all wanting to make one point: They weren’t going anywhere, and their gun rights shouldn’t either.


** AMID TIGHT SECURITY, VIRGINIA GUN RALLY DRAWS THOUSANDS OF SUPPORTERS ([link removed])
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By TIMOTHY WILLIAMS, SABRINA TAVERNISE, ZOLAN KANNO-YOUNGS AND SARAH MERVOSH, New York Times (Metered Paywall - 5 articles a month)

Some people streamed in on buses from faraway cities. Others drove cars through the night from places like Indianapolis and Fredericksburg, Texas, logging hundreds of miles and leaning on coffee and Red Bull. Still others came from only a few counties over, but carrying the same vehement message as the rest: Leave gun laws alone.


** GUN-RIGHTS RALLY DRAWS 22,000 TO CAPITOL; NO VIOLENCE ([link removed])
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By MEL LEONOR AND JUSTIN MATTINGLY, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Metered Paywall - 5 articles a month)

A much-anticipated gun-rights rally Monday attracted an estimated 22,000 people to the heart of Virginia’s capital for a passionate yet nonviolent protest of gun control legislation. Officials had raised concerns about the possibility of violent clashes or targeted attacks involving white supremacists, but no such confrontations materialized.


** NO VIOLENCE AS THOUSANDS WITH FIREARMS GATHERED ([link removed])
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By C. SUAREZ ROJAS, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Metered Paywall - 5 articles a month)

As heavily armed men began to appear in downtown Richmond on Sunday evening, Jennie Skinner questioned whether she should open her coffee shop the next morning. Some churches had been closed and events canceled ahead of a pro-gun rally that organizers expected would bring thousands of people to the city around dawn. Instead, Sefton Coffee, a favorite of downtown workers, opened half an hour early to a line that spilled out onto Eighth Street for the next five hours.


** WEAPONS, FLAGS, NO VIOLENCE: MASSIVE PRO-GUN RALLY IN VIRGINIA CAPITAL ([link removed])
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By GREGORY S. SCHNEIDER, LAURA VOZZELLA, PATRICIA SULLIVAN AND MICHAEL E. MILLER, Washington Post (Metered Paywall - 3 articles a month)

Thousands of gun rights advocates packed the streets around the Virginia Capitol on Monday, bristling with weapons, flags and threats of insurrection but never erupting into the violence authorities had feared. Armed militias carrying assault-style weapons marched in formation until the crowds grew too thick. Protesters without firearms filed through 17 metal detectors


** PRO-GUN RALLY BY THOUSANDS IN RICHMOND ENDS PEACEFULLY ([link removed])
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By AAN SUDERMAN AND SARAH RANKIN, Associated Press

Tens of thousands of gun-rights activists from around the country rallied peacefully at the Virginia Capitol on Monday to protest plans by the state’s Democratic leadership to pass gun-control legislation — a move that has become a key flash point in the national debate over gun violence


** 'FOR A SHORT PERIOD, RICHMOND WAS THE SAFEST CITY IN VIRGINIA — MAYBE THE NATION' ([link removed])
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By JOSH JANNEY, Winchester Star (Metered Paywall - 5 articles a month)

Cross Junction resident Abe Wine was among numerous local residents who attended a rally in support of gun rights at the state Capitol on Monday. “The streets were completely packed full,” Wine said. “It was just people that want to have their voices heard. There was no violence. There was no ignorance. It was just people exercising their First Amendment right in support of their Second Amendment right, plain and simple.”


** HEATHER HEYER'S MOM OWNS GUNS AND SAYS DEMOCRATS ARE GOING TOO FAR ([link removed])
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By JOHN BACON, USA Today

The mother of Heather Heyer, a Virginia woman killed at a white nationalist rally in Charlottesville in 2017, owns a gun, and she said some proposed gun restrictions in the state might go too far. Susan Bro had a message for any gun rights supporters considering violence at a rally Monday at the Virginia Capitol in Richmond: "We don't need your help."


** NORTON GUN RIGHTS ADVOCATES CHARTERED BUSES TO GUN RALLY ([link removed])
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By STAFF REPORT, Bristol Herald Courier (Metered Paywall - 10 articles a month)

Dozens of people filled two charter buses in Norton late Sunday and traveled to Richmond to join thousands of gun rights advocates who convened at the Virginia State Capitol on Monday to protest proposed gun control measures. In freezing temperatures and snow flurries Sunday night, the group gathered in a Norton parking lot and heard from a number of speakers before departing. Among the speakers was Chuck Slemp, commonwealth’s attorney for Wise County and Norton, according to a release from his office.


** SOUTHWEST VIRGINIANS JOIN 22,000 TO OPPOSE GUN CONTROL ([link removed])
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By MATT CHITTUM, Roanoke Times (Metered Paywall - 10 articles a month)

Ten years ago, Mark Ching owned one gun. A .22-caliber “plinker.” Fear of new gun control laws under the administration of former President Barack Obama hardened his views on gun control. Monday, the graphic designer from Franklin County took his commitment to gun rights further yet.


** VALLEY RESIDENTS JOIN RICHMOND GUN-RIGHTS RALLY ([link removed])
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By JESSICA WETZLER, Daily News Record (Subscription Required)

Residents from across Rockingham County and Harrisonburg gathered together early Monday morning to voice their support for the Second Amendment and attend the Virginia Citizens Defense League’s annual Lobby Day and Second Amendment Rally in Richmond. More than 60 people joined residents from New Market and Woodstock to hitch a ride to Richmond with the help of VCDL-sponsored charter buses from the Shenandoah Valley.


** GENERAL ASSEMBLY
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** BILL ALLOWING NO-EXCUSE ABSENTEE VOTING PASSES VIRGINIA SENATE ([link removed])
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By DEAN MIRSHAHI, WRIC

On the day thousands of gun-rights supporters converged on Capitol grounds for Lobby Day, the Virginia State Senate advanced a bill that would allow no-excuse absentee voting. Senate Bill 111, introduced by state Sen. Janet D. Howell (D-Fairfax) passed with a 31-9 vote on Monday. State Sen. Jennifer McClellan (D-Richmond), the co-patron on SB 111, shared a tweet following the vote.


** SENATE PANEL KILLS BILL REQUIRING REGISTRATION OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT LOBBYISTS ([link removed])
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By DAVE RESS, Daily Press (Metered Paywall - 5 articles a month)

A transparency bill for local government – requiring lobbyists who are paid to influence city and county governments tell the public who they are and whose interests they push – died in a state Senate Committee Monday. The bill, proposed by state Sen. Jeremy McPike, D-Prince William, would have required lobbyists who deal with local government officials and agencies file a disclosure form


** REPUBLICANS TRYING TO STAVE OFF GUN RESTRICTIONS ([link removed])
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By MAX THORNBERRY, Northern Virginia Daily

Following an uneventful rally in Richmond in support of Second Amendment rights that featured men and women carrying an assortment of firearms around the state capital Monday, some Republican lawmakers are still fighting against the rising gun-control tide. Varying degrees of gun-control legislation has captured the attention, hearts and minds of millions of Virginians but a grassroots movement of opposing that same legislation has taken hold


** LEGISLATORS FACE ADVOCATES AS GUN BILLS MOVE FORWARD ([link removed])
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By AMY FRIEDENBERGER, Roanoke Times (Metered Paywall - 10 articles a month)

Sen. John Edwards, D-Roanoke, sat in his office with the door open as gun rights advocates wandered through the hallways. “Everybody has been very polite,” Edwards said. “We’ve had plenty of productive conversations. I wish there was a little less misinformation and hyperbole, because I spent quite a bit of time addressing that.”


** RASOUL BILL WOULD BOOST GUN SALES TAXES TO FUND VIOLENCE PREVENTION ([link removed])
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By AMY FRIEDENBERGER, Roanoke Times (Metered Paywall - 10 articles a month)

Del. Sam Rasoul, D-Roanoke, has introduced a bill that would establish a fund to support gun violence prevention programs, and the funding would come from a 15% sales tax on firearm and ammunition sales.


** AREA GOP DELEGATES' MEASURES RANGE FROM ASTHMA INHALER ADMINISTRATION TO TEBOW BILL ([link removed])
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By TYLER HAMMEL, Daily Progress (Metered Paywall - 5 articles a month)

Despite a shift in power within the Virginia General Assembly, Central Virginia Republican lawmakers have filed new measures, as well as revivals of previously unsuccessful legislation. Though representation in many parts of the commonwealth flipped parties this past election, ensuring a Democratic majority in both the House of Delegates and the state Senate, Central Virginia remains largely Republican.


** SUTTERLEIN'S PUBLIC COMMENT BILL HEADS TO FLOOR VOTE ([link removed])
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By AMY FRIEDENBERGER, Roanoke Times (Metered Paywall - 10 articles a month)

A General Assembly committee unanimously backed a bill from Sen. David Suetterlein, R-Roanoke County, to give residents more chances to address their local elected officials. Suetterlein’s Senate Bill 977 would require local governing bodies to provide the public with the opportunity for public comment during at least half of the regular meetings held each fiscal year.


** ECONOMY/BUSINESS
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** GROUPS WORK TO HELP FARMERS FACING UNPRECEDENTED 'STRESS AND STRAIN' ([link removed])
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By CATHY DYSON, Free Lance-Star (Metered Paywall - 10 articles a month)

Jerry Silver knew what he was getting into when he became the fourth generation of his family to farm the land. The Stafford County man accepted the long hours, high risks, and the fact that he’d face worse odds with Mother Nature than if he were gambling in Las Vegas. He figured that hard work would win the day—and at age 74, Silver would say he’s a blessed man indeed.


** VIRGINIA OTHER
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** RICHMOND FAITH LEADERS GATHERED BLOCKS FROM THE CAPITOL ON MONDAY TO HONOR MLK ([link removed])
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By SABRINA MORENO, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Metered Paywall - 5 articles a month)

Temple Beth-El closed, then St. Paul’s Episcopal Church did, as one by one, events across the city were canceled over safety concerns ahead of Monday’s gun-rights rally at the Virginia Capitol. But the presence of thousands of gun-rights activists — some with AR-15-style rifles and military-grade weapons — only made faith leaders more determined to honor the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. as they did every year: holding space for different religions, culture and people to come together.


** LOCAL
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** FINAL REPORT ON VIRGINIA BEACH MASS SHOOTING WON’T BE FINISHED UNTIL THE FALL ([link removed])
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By ALISSA SKELTON, Virginian-Pilot (Metered Paywall - 3 articles a month)

It has been almost eight months since a city engineer went on a shooting rampage killing 11 of his colleagues and one contractor and injuring four more city workers at the Municipal Center. The public will have to wait at least nine more months before law enforcement will release a final report on the Virginia Beach mass shooting.

Today's Sponsor:


** Virginia Association of Community Banks
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On behalf of the great people at our 59 member banks, we offer our gratitude to the members and staff of the 2020 General Assembly.


** EDITORIALS
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** LESSONS FROM GUN LOBBY DAY ([link removed])
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Roanoke Times Editorial (Metered Paywall - 10 articles a month)

Monday’s Gun Lobby Day at the General Assembly passed without incident, which means two things. One: Virginians will continue to debate guns with the same passion they did before. Two: They can now debate whether Gov. Ralph Northam’s declaration of a state of emergency — which banned guns on the grounds of the state Capitol for the duration of the event — was (a) a necessary precaution or (b) a hysterical over-reaction.


** NORTHAM KING OF PROVOCATION ([link removed])
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Winchester Star Editorial (Metered Paywall - 5 articles a month)

Don Holt, a sporting goods store owner from Pulaski, made clear the intent of his gun-rights group, which will rally in Richmond today on Lobby Day. “Our side don’t want any problems at all,” Mr. Holt told the Richmond-Times-Dispatch. “We are only coming to lobby, not to protest and start problems.” Gov. Northam seems skeptical of any peaceful intent on the part of law-abiding Virginians.


** PEACEABLE PROTEST ([link removed])
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Richmond Times-Dispatch Editorial (Metered Paywall - 5 articles a month)

Monday’s much-anticipated gun-rights rally brought thousands of peaceful protesters to the state Capitol and, thankfully, no trouble. Feared agitators didn’t incite violence in downtown Richmond. Second Amendment supporters from across Virginia — and the nation — endured the frigid temperatures to show their opposition to gun restrictions under consideration by the General Assembly.


** OP-ED
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** LEIGHTY: A VIRGINIA SOLUTION FOR PROTECTING MIGRATORY BIRDS ([link removed])
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By WILLIAM H. LEIGHTY, Published in the Richmond Times-Dispatch (Metered Paywall - 5 articles a month)

As Gov. Ralph Northam enters the second half of his term, he has every chance to be the most consequential governor in modern Virginia history. With a first-year win on expanding Medicaid, he has continued to roll out major announcements and propose significant initiatives.

William H. Leighty was chief of staff to Govs. Mark Warner and Tim Kaine and is a former board member of the American Bird Conservancy.


** SABET: COMMERCIALIZING MARIJUANA IS A STEP TOO FAR ([link removed])
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By KEVIN SABET, Published in the Richmond Times-Dispatch (Metered Paywall - 5 articles a month)

In his 2020 State of the State address, Gov. Ralph Northam stated that the decriminalization of marijuana and expungement of prior convictions would be among his legislative priorities for the year. This is a laudable effort that seeks to bring about real social justice reforms to the commonwealth.

Kevin Sabet is a former senior drug policy adviser to the Obama, Bush and Clinton administrations. He serves as president of Smart Approaches to Marijuana (SAM)


** WEST: BOTETOURT WIND FARM SHOULD BE APPROVED ([link removed])
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By CHRISTOPHER WEST, Published in the Roanoke Times (Metered Paywall - 10 articles a month)

Anyone paying attention can see that Virginia’s energy future is renewable. Barely a week goes by without the announcement of a new solar project or a new clean energy policy goal by both the private sector and public entities alike. More clean energy means cleaner air, greater energy independence, and more jobs.

West is the executive director of Conservatives for Clean Energy Virginia. CCE is a non-profit that educates the public and decision-makers on the economic benefits of clean energy
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