Tomorrow, Monday, January 26, the Senate Courts of Justice Committee is meeting to hear several egregious anti-sportsmen bills, including requiring a permit-to-purchase for firearms, sale, possession, etc. of common hunting firearms, and more.
Use the Take Action button to email committee members to urge them to vote “No” on all firearm-related bills that will restrict legal firearm ownership for sportsmen and gun owners. Restricting the freedom of law-abiding citizens without benefiting public safety is not how we should be spending time in this session.
Impact on Sportsmen and Conservation
These bills focus on increasing the regulatory and financial hurdles for purchasing firearms, restricting specific types of firearms used in hunting, and expanding civil liability for the firearms industry.
Permit-to-Purchase Requirements
SB 797 and SB 643 prohibit young adults ages 18 to 20 from purchasing a firearm and require individuals 21 and older who wish to buy a firearm to first obtain a firearm purchaser license, also known as a permit-to-purchase (P2P), from the Department of State Police. To receive a P2P, a person must complete a certified firearms safety or training course within 2 years of applying, pass a criminal background check, and pay fees.
Restrictions on Common Hunting Firearms
SB 749 bans the importation, sale, and possession of commonly used semi-automatic rifles and shotguns by sportsmen and gun owners for hunting, sport shooting, and self-defense by changing the definition of these firearms as “assault” weapons. The bill also arbitrarily limits magazine capacities, which can affect firearms for predator control and sport or competitive shooting.
Increased Liability for the Firearms Industry
SB 27 institutes new vague laws and restrictions on the already heavily regulated firearms industry. It also authorizes the attorney general or a district attorney to sue a member of the firearm industry by alleging violations and even potential violations of these laws to the extreme of allowing persons “likely to be harmed” to request equitable relief from a court.
How to Participate in the Committee Hearing
The committee hearing begins at 8 a.m. in the General Assembly Building, Senate Room A, Room 305. If you are unable to attend in person, you can watch on YouTube.
Don’t forget to share this important action alert with your family, friends, and fellow sportsmen. Urge them to email the committee and ask them to vote “No” on SB 797, SB 643, SB 749, and SB 27.
There has never been a more crucial time in sportsmen’s history than now to be involved and engaged in protecting our way of life. If we remain silent, others will shape the outcome. We cannot allow that to happen in Virginia. Urge your family and friends to join you and the Sportsmen’s Alliance in the fight against the rising tide of animal extremism and gun control activism. The legacy of hunting, fishing, and trapping depends on our actions today.
The Sportsmen’s Alliance guarantees hunting, fishing, and trapping for the American sportsman now and forever. We’re there when sportsmen need us most. We are the only organization specifically created to protect the individual hunter, angler, and trapper – no matter the threat. We will never compromise when it comes to defending our way of life in the courts, in the legislatures, in the public square, and at the ballot box. We make this promise to the American sportsman: we will never give up and never give in while proudly securing our future against those seeking to destroy our values, beliefs, and traditions. Stay connected to Sportsmen’s Alliance: Online, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
