Weekly Column: U.S. Supreme Court Puts Virginian's Safety at Risk

The following is my column that will appear in this week's Mt. Vernon Gazette in the week of July 4, 2022.   

U.S. Supreme Court Puts Virginian's Safety at Risk

The U.S. Supreme Court on June 23 issued a disturbing decision on guns, the New York State Rifle & Pistol Assn. v. Bruen case, which clarified the scope of firearms rules declared by the Supreme Court in a previous case, D.C. v. Heller, decided in 2008. This is yet another disappointing decision from that court, like the one I wrote about last week,  the Dobbs case, which would severely limit women’s reproductive rights.

                Before 2008, American courts interpreted the Second Amendment as authorizing states the freedom to regulate their militias – today’s National Guard.  In Heller, the Court invalidated the District of Columbia’s handgun ban and requirement that rifles in the home be stored with trigger locks and unassembled.  This was the first time the Court found such a right existed. 

Weekly Column: Good News & Bad News in Governor's Amendments

The following is my column that will appear in the Mt. Vernon Gazette, Springfield Connection, The Prince William Times, The Fort Hunt Herald, and Potomac Local in the week of April 12, 2020.

Good News & Bad News in Governor's Amendments

                On Sunday, Governor Northam signed the remaining bills that were pending for action, proposed 140 amendments to the state budget, and also 101 amendments to bills.   As of today, the plan is for the House of Delegates to meet outdoors and the Senate of Virginia to meet in a tent behind the Virginia Science Museum in Richmond next Wednesday at noon for our “Veto Session.” 

                First, the good news for our area.  The language requiring the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transit to study extending the Blue Line to Lorton, Woodbridge and Potomac Mills is still in the budget.  In addition, the authority and appropriations to fund the Prince William County Public Defender’s Office is still in the budget and cannot be amended further at this point.

Weekly Column: Assault Weapons Ban – Getting It Right

The following is my column that will appear in the Mt. Vernon Gazette, Springfield Connection, The Prince William Times, The Fort Hunt Herald, and Potomac Local in the week of February 23, 2020.

Assault Weapons Ban – Getting It Right

Last week the Senate Judiciary Committee considered a House of Delegates’ bill to regulate assault rifles and other firearm attachments.  I have always supported stronger regulation of assault rifles. 

I lived through the 2002 D.C. sniper attacks while crouching in my car getting gas to avoid being shot.  In 2016, three police officers including one of my constituents were shot with an AR-15.  Officer Ashley Guindon was killed on her first day on the job.  I do not support civilian ownership of weapons of war that are unnecessary for hunting or self-protection.

Experts estimate that there are five to ten million assault weapons in the U.S., including at least 100,000 in Virginia.  The proposed House bill felonized the sale or transfer of assault weapons, certain magazines and silencers, and had no buyback program for assault rifles.  It felonized the possession of certain magazines and silencers after two years.  We repeatedly advised the House that the votes did not exist in the Senate, but the House chose to send the bill over by a one vote margin with three House Democrats voting “no” and one not voting.  

Weekly Column: Fracking Ban, No Excuse Voting, and Pedestrian Safety Bills Move Forward

The following is my column that will appear in the Mt. Vernon Gazette, Springfield Connection, The Prince William Times, The Fort Hunt Herald, and Potomac Local in the week of January 17, 2020.

               First, Monday brought a large firearms rights protest to Capitol Square.  Over 20,000 Virginians protested on and off Capitol Grounds.  Several arrests were made before the protest due to anarchists discussing shooting during the protests.  Most counter protestors stayed away to avoid creating conflict. 

               I met with about 30 firearms rights supporters including a handful of my constituents in my office.  We discussed several bills including our “red flag” bill which was the largest focus.  While we agreed to disagree about many matters, we had a very civil discussion and I appreciated their input.

Weekly Column: Virginia Legislature Moved Quickly on Equal Rights and Gun Violence Prevention

The following is my column that will appear in the Mt. Vernon Gazette, Springfield Connection, The Prince William Times, The Fort Hunt Herald, and Potomac Local in the week of January 17, 2020.

Virginia Legislature Moved Quickly on Equal Rights and Gun Violence Prevention

The second week of the General Assembly Session put us at the center of American history.  We moved several long-delayed, legislative priorities.

               On Wednesday, both the Senate and the House passed resolutions to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment to make Virginia the 38^th and final state to ratify the Constitutional amendment.  The Senate has passed the resolution at least six times in past years, but the House of Delegates has never approved it.  Ratification will hopefully bring equal rights to 160 million women in America and attention will now shift to the U. S. Congress. Congress can abolish or extend the 1982 ratification deadline they previously set.  I was proud to carry this legislation every year since 2012 and even during years when few people were paying attention.  Virginia is finally on the right side of history for the first time in about 150 years. 

          On Monday, the Senate Judiciary Committee, on which I serve, had its first meeting and we immediately addressed firearm violence prevention.  We considered, modified and passed four bills, three of which the full Senate passed later in the week and one of which was continued for final vote this Tuesday. 

Weekly Column: First Week Brings New Majority and New Priorities

The following is my column that will appear in the Mt. Vernon Gazette, Springfield Connection, The Prince William Times, The Fort Hunt Herald, and Potomac Local in the week of January 10, 2020.

On Wednesday, January 8, I was sworn in for my second term as the State Senator for the 36^th District for the next four years.  This this session will be my eleventh Regular Session and it is proving to be an exciting time to be in the General Assembly of Virginia.

This marks the first time that the Democratic Caucuses have held a majority of seats along with a Democratic Governor since I was in law school twenty-six years ago.  We are poised to make significant policy changes in Virginia that will provide long-term benefits to the Commonwealth.

The Senate Democratic Caucus chose me to serve under the Majority Leader and Caucus Chairman as the Vice Chairman of the Caucus.  I am excited and honored to serve in this new role - especially as we assume the majority.  

Weekly Column: Getting Bills Ready for the 2020 State Legislature

The following is my column that will appear in the Mt. Vernon Gazette, Springfield Connection, The Prince William Times, The Fort Hunt Herald, and Potomac Local in the week of December 2, 2019.

Getting Bills Ready for the 2020 State Legislature

The 2020 Virginia General Assembly will convene in about a month and legislators are now preparing bills to propose.   Many constituents and advocacy groups are proposing legislation.

Two weeks ago, I reported on some of the bigger issues we are likely to tackle.  In this column, I am covering a few of the bills that I will introduce.  I will discuss more in future columns.

In the 2018 and 2019 sessions, we came very close to passing legislation prohibiting drivers from having a phone in their hand in a moving vehicle.  In the last session, we approved legislation to prohibit this in construction zones, but the Speaker killed it by ruling Governor Ralph Northam’s attempt to widen it to all highways not germane.  It will pass this session. 

Weekly Column: Assault Weapons and Farmer's Markets Don't Mix

The following is my column that will appear in the Mt. Vernon Gazette, Springfield Connection, The Prince William Times, The Fort Hunt Herald, and Potomac Local in the week of September 8, 2019.

Every Saturday morning, my father and 12 year-old son go to the Alexandria Farmer’s Market.  My son gets cookies.  My dad gets ham biscuits.  Two weeks ago, they brought me some homemade salsa.  This weekend, they got something else.

Four men in a group called “The Right to Bear Arms” showed up at the Alexandria City Farmer’s Market carrying AR-15 assault rifles outfitted with scopes and bipods for sniping.  According to a video one of the group members, they staged this action to “educate people” about gun rights and “exercising our constitutional rights without fear to do so.”  The video is also filled with the usual references to freedom and the government taking away rights if you do not use them.  He also indicated they intended to do these kind of “monthly walks.”

Weekly Column: Working to Stop Gun Violence

The following is my column that will appear in the Mt. Vernon Gazette, Springfield Connection, The Prince William Times, The Fort Hunt Herald, and Potomac Local in the week of July 8, 2019.

Working to Stop Gun Violence 

Virginia Governor Ralph Northam has called the state legislature to Richmond this week for a special session to focus on measures to reduce firearm violence in the state.  Addressing this problem is long overdue. 

Last year, guns killed more people than car accidents in Virginia.  The majority of those deaths were people committing suicide.  

Just last week, three people were shot in the Fairfax County portion of the 36^th District in Gum Springs and Rose Hill.  The week before that, two people were found shot to death in the woods off Featherstone Road in Woodbridge.

Weekly Column: Progress on Transportation Safety and Criminal Justice Reform

The following is my column that will appear in the Mt. Vernon Gazette, Springfield Connection, The Mt. Vernon Voice, and the Potomac and Stafford Locals in the week of January 22, 2018.

Progress on Transportation Safety and Criminal Justice Reform

The General Assembly acted on several of my bills last week, the first full week of the session.

Two of my bills passed this week.  First, my bill to expand the types of abuse proceedings in which children can testify by video connection passed unanimously.  Also, the Senate passed my legislation raising Virginia’s threshold between misdemeanors and felonies to $500 after it was combined with other members’ bills.  Virginia’s felony threshold is the lowest in the United States, has not changed since 1980, wastes taxpayer dollars and unnecessarily turns many into felons.  Only two senators voted against the bill and it now heads to the House of Delegates.  

Weekly Column: People Support Firearm Limits. Elected Officials Should Too.

The following is my column that will appear in the Mt. Vernon Gazette, Springfield Connection, The Mt. Vernon Voice, and the Potomac and Stafford Locals in the week of October 7, 2017.

People Support Firearm Limits. Elected Officials Should Too

Stephen Paddock’s Las Vegas assault rifle killing spree has again highlighted the dangers of Virginia's and America’s much-too-lax firearms environment.  Virginians know the dangers of high-powered weapons having experienced snipers Malvo and Muhammad and the Virginia Tech massacre.  Some of us have been steadily, but unsuccessfully, trying to pass reasonable firearms violence prevention laws in Virginia for years.

For example, after Jared Loughner’s 2011 attack on Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, I cosponsored legislation to prohibit the sale of firearm ammunition magazines that hold more than 20 bullets.  The legislature has rejected the bill every year since.

In 2015, a Fairfax attorney told me about a client he defended in a mental commitment proceeding in which his client was found to be a danger to himself or others.  Virginia law prohibits these people from obtaining a concealed weapon permit or possessing a firearm, but the law does not prohibit the possession of ammunition.  I tried to prohibit mentally-incapacitated people from purchasing or possessing ammunition, but the legislature struck it down.  (video at right)

Weekly Column: Voluntary Background Check System is a Failure

In 2016, the General Assembly enacted a legislation requiring the Virginia State Police to staff gun shows and be available to conduct voluntary background checks upon request by private, non-federally licensed gun sellers as part of a broader compromise on concealed weapon permits.  The law has been a total failure.

The legislation required the state to spend $300,000 to hire three new Virginia State Police employees to be present at all gun shows.  What have we got for our $300,000?

In January, The Daily Press reported that as of January 1, 2017, one person was denied a purchase at 41 gun shows after thirty nine checks.

This week, the Richmond Times Dispatch Reported that since that time, only 18 more checks were performed in the next six months ending June 30, 2017.  In other words, in 77 gun shows there were 59 voluntary background checks.  At 45 of 77 shows, no checks at all were requested. As of today, one buyer was denied.

Weekly Column: Proffer and Firearms Reforms; the Electric Chair Returns

The following is my column that will appear in the Mt. Vernon Gazette, The Mt. Vernon Voice and The Potomac-Stafford Local in the week of March 28, 2016.

Proffer and Firearms Reforms; the Electric Chair Returns

In the past two weeks, I reviewed action on my legislation and the state budget.  This column covers some of the major bills to pass the state legislature.

We passed legislation to reform the proffer process for residential rezoning.  Many localities have abused the process by requiring builders to make flat cash payments as high as $40,000 per home instead of improvements linked to increase infrastructure demands created by a specific rezoning.  This practice abuses the intent underlying the proffer process, drives up the cost of housing and lacks any meaningful accountability in Virginia’s courts. 

Going forward, for rezonings, proffers must be tied to an infrastructure impact specifically caused by the proposed development.  Additionally, the law completely excludes commercial rezonings and at the request of Fairfax County, excludes rezonings in tax districts servicing Metro stations and land zoned for higher densities adjacent to transit facilities – e.g. most of Route 1.   These changes will incentivize local governments to zone future development as mixed-use, higher-density, “smart growth” instead of more sprawl. 

Weekly Column: Week #3: Firearm Compromise, Equal Rights Amendment Passes, & Vulnerable Users to be Studied

The following is my column that will appear in the Mt. Vernon Gazette, The Mt. Vernon Voice and The Potomac-Stafford Local in the week of February 2, 2016.

Week #3: Firearm Compromise, Equal Rights Amendment Passes, & Vulnerable Users to be Studied

The third week of the General Assembly saw a major agreement emerge on firearm violence issues, and action on several of my bills.

Bills Moving Through

Three of my bills passed the full Senate this week.  My resolution ratifying the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) passed on a bipartisan 21-19 vote.  ERA remains five states short of ratification.  The Senate also passed my bill to give consumers a remedy when consumer finance companies fail to include language protecting consumers in their agreements, and prohibiting local governments from requiring homeowners or condo association approval before granting a permit or license.

As trains, buses, bicycles and walking become more popular, many states have enacted “vulnerable user” laws – making it easier to convict vehicle drivers of a serious traffic offense when collisions occur with vulnerable users who are seriously injured.  My legislation will be studied this summer.

Weekly Column: Veto Session on Ethics, Voter ID, Government Surveillance

The following is my column that will appear in the Mt. Vernon Gazette and The Mt. Vernon Voice in the week of April 5, 2015.

Veto Session on Ethics, Voter ID, Government Surveillance

Last week, we returned to Richmond for the annual Reconvened or Veto Session where we considered about 20 vetoes and 60 Governor's amendments to various bills. 

First, Governor McAuliffe signed the state budget we passed so there were no budget amendments to consider for the first time in my six sessions. However, that did not speed things up. 

Governor McAuliffe vetoed several bills relating to firearm violence prevention. These included bills that would enhance Virginians ability to purchase machine guns and carry loaded shotguns in vehicles. I voted to sustain these vetoes and they were ultimately sustained by the Senate.