Action | Promulgation of new regulation banning concealed firearms in executive branch agency offices |
Stage | Emergency/NOIRA |
Comment Period | Ended on 1/27/2016 |
I strongly oppose the Governor's extended gun ban on several levels:
1. Common sense says that the only people who would observe a 'gun free zone' are law abiding citizens. Nefarious perpetrators will disregard the the signs and statements; they will use their gun/s to committ crimes. So in-fact, the Governor's extended gun ban is creating a greater danger for the people of Virginia. Disarming good citizens (who are the only ones likely to obey the prohibition), to even include 'off-duty' police(!), does not make Virginia safer.
2. The Virginia legislators are those responsible for proposing law. The Governor circumvented that process by his executive order. If the Governor beleives that Virginia has a gun problem, at this time it can't be found in the literature, then the Governor works with the legislators to propose law. The Governor is not a monarch that imposes! The Governor has no authority for this regulation. If the General Assembly wanted the Governor to have such power, they would have granted it to him explicitly, as is required constitutionally.
3. Virginia has had no shootings in state agencies! This prohibition on those with a concealed handgun permit, some of whom have active and ongoing threats to their lives, is entirely without any justification and needlessly and recklessly endangers innocent lives.
4. Instead of a critical thinking, logic based decision, the Governor's actions look more like quid-pro-quo; a pay back for Democratic cronnies that helped resource his campaign. What else will this Governor try to impose to pay back politcal backers?
This regulations should not be approved and the emergency regulation withdrawn.
Please extended the comment period for another 30 days.