During the Business Meeting tomorrow, the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors will consider whether to begin drafting a ban on firearms in certain public locations. Second Amendment supporters are encouraged to urge the Board to take NO ACTION on Action Item #5. The meeting will be held remotely by video conference, starting at 5:00PM. Click here for information on attending the meeting remotely.
For decades, Virginia’s strong preemption statute has prohibited localities from passing their own gun control ordinances. This not only prevents a confusing patchwork of laws, but also ensures that Second Amendment rights are equally protected across the whole Commonwealth. Unfortunately, the anti-gun majority in the General Assembly and Governor Ralph Northam eroded those protections by passing and signing Senate Bill 35, which went into effect on July 1st.
The Board of Supervisors previously directed their staff to prepare a report outlining their options under the new laws. This report, Action Item #5 on the agenda, recommends that the Board order the drafting of an ordinance to ban firearms in public buildings, public parks, and on public streets and sidewalks where, or adjacent to where, certain events are occurring. The Board has the option to direct staff to take no action on Item #5.
Anti-gun jurisdictions in Virginia have already passed, or are in the process of drafting, these gun ban ordinances. They usually contain no exemptions for those with a concealed handgun permit. As we predicted, these ordinances vary from locality to locality, putting an onerous burden on law-abiding citizens to comply, while also not improving public safety. The prohibitions apply to both permitted events and events that “would otherwise require a permit,” making it extremely difficult for law-abiding citizens to determine which areas are suddenly a “gun-free zone.” Individuals who live in an area where an event is occurring may not enter or leave their own property with a firearm.
Again, please consider attending the meeting remotely to urge the Board to take NO ACTION on Action Item #5.