GANGBANGER BILL OF RIGHTS PASSES HOUSE COMMITTEE

The legislation from Bob Marshall is always amazing to watch, but this might be one of his worst ever:

HB2340: SUMMARY AS INTRODUCED: Prevent any agency, political subdivision, or employee of Virginia from assisting the Federal government of the United States in any investigation, prosecution, detention, arrest, search, or seizure, under the authority of any federal statute enacted, or Executive Order or regulation issued, after December 31, 2012, infringing the individual Right to Keep and Bear Arms by imposing new restrictions on private ownership or private transfer of firearms, firearm magazines, ammunition, or components thereof.

What does this mean?  Say for example the FBI is investigating a gang in the DC area that operates across state lines in MD, DC and VA.  If there is a certain type of gun clip banned in future federal legislation that is found at a crime scene, the FBI would want to know where the illegal weaponry came from in order to track down and find more of the gang members.  Under this legislation, if the Virginia State Police or local county police had that information already they could not share it with the FBI.  

Given that many of these local gangs operate in schools, local police and their School Resource Officers (SRO's) often have vital information in investigations that don't take place on school property.  Anything they had would not be allowed to be turned over to the FBI if an illegal gun or clip was used in the crime.

Or maybe an illegal gun was used to shoot up a movie theater.  Under this bill a Virginia State Police officer could not be called to testify in federal court about a previous incident with the defendant (where perhaps he threatened someone in the theater earlier- showing motive) because assisting the prosecution would be prohibited!

I could go through many more scenarios but you can see where this is going given the broad language used in the legislation.  

Unfortunately this isn't just a crazy idea from Bob Marshall.  It actually passed the House of Delegates committee it was assigned to today on a straight party line vote of 15-7 and is advancing to almost certain passage in the House of Delegates next week.

Whose side are these people on exactly?

Comments

[Chip]

Well, well, well...this bill reads exactly like some of the "Massive Resistance" and "Interposition" bills that were written in the 1950's. I had hoped that we had moved beyond that. Actually, I think most Virginians have moved well beyond that. But eternal vigilance is clearly necessary.

[Baldr Odinson]

Wow, that's pitiful. Consider it a little legislative temper-tantrum by the pro-gun extremists against new gun reforms, but it will only impede criminal investigations and help the criminals. It's sad that they put their extremist ideologies before public safety. Virginians need to speak out, and fast!