A number of House of Delegates bills that would make it easier to purchase, carry and use guns have been routed to a newly created Senate subcommittee loaded with legislators opposed to expanding gun rights.

Sen. Henry L. Marsh III, D-Richmond, chairman of the Democrat-controlled Senate Courts of Justice Committee, announced the shift.

The new panel appears to be an attempt to defeat firearms legislation that would stand a better chance in the full committee, on which several rural Democrats have voted with Republicans in the past to expand gun rights.

Among House legislation likely to be taken up by the new subcommittee is House Bill 49, which seeks to repeal the state law limiting handgun purchases to one a month. Gov. Bob McDonnell has indicated he would sign the bill into law if it reaches his desk.

The subcommittee also could hear House Bill 1070, a measure to allow guns to be carried into emergency shelters; and House Bill 69, a measure that would exempt from federal law guns and ammunition made and kept in Virginia.

Marsh appointed Sen. Linda T. "Toddy" Puller, D-Fairfax, chairwoman of the unnamed subcommittee, which also includes Democratic Sens. Janet D. Howell of Fairfax County, L. Louise Lucas of Norfolk, and Marsh.

Frederick M. Quayle of Chesapeake, a centrist Republican, rounds out the subcommittee, which is expected to meet Thursday.

Marsh said the subcommittee will be authorized to give bills a full hearing. As for bills that are not recommended for approval, he said: "It won't be necessary for them to come before the full committee."

The process is similar to that employed by the Republican-controlled House of Delegates to derail legislation the majority party does not favor.

Gun-rights advocate Philip Van Cleave of the Virginia Citizens Defense League labeled the panel a "death-star committee" and called Marsh a "gun hater."

Given the positions of a majority of the committee members, it appears unlikely that the more-contentious gun bills will survive.

"My district overwhelmingly supports reasonable gun-control measures," Howell said. "And one-gun-a-month is very popular in the 32nd District."

"I would agree with that," Puller said. "And I see no reason that we need to go back and try to be the gun-running state that we were before that bill passed."

Republicans on the full Courts of Justice Committee said they still should have a say on all the bills in subcommittee.

"We have, so far, not been killing bills in subcommittee in Senate Courts," said Sen. Mark D. Obenshain, R-Harrisonburg. "I see no reason why those bills should be singled out for different treatment from every other bill that we've handled during the session. I hope they won't be."

Labels: Criminals in Power

¶ posted by Hobie 7:43 PM