(from Donna Holt of Campaign for Liberty)
Dear Friends of Liberty,
Senate Democrats, Saslaw and Marsh, continue to violate their own rules to prevent an up-or-down vote by the full Courts of Justice Committee on HB69, the Virginia Firearms Freedom Act. Such a vote would force Democrats to choose between their anti-gun position and the cold hard reality of the fact that a recorded vote in strong pro-gun districts would make them vulnerable in Senate elections coming up in 2011.
Yesterday, Senator Mark Obenshain tried to get a committee vote on HB 69. Chairman Marsh was so flustered that his political superior Senator Saslaw took over the committee and ruled all Senator Obenshain’s motions out of order.
Senator Obenshain then challenged the rule of the chair and lost 12-3. All Senators except, Hurt, McDougle, and Obenshain voted wrong. Senator Saslaw then tried to get the clerk not to record the vote.
Some 30,000 tea party activists had requested assistance from the House to resurrect HB69. But Speaker Howell and House Majority Leader Morgan Griffith refused to substitute the language of SB501 with the language of HB69 stating “the bills are not germane”.
Meanwhile, a Conference Committee of both House and Senate legislators have no problem violating the “one subject” rule, Article 4, Section 12 of the Virginia Constitution by embedding fee increases, a euphemism for raising taxes, in HB30, an appropriations bill.
The state legislature makes it clear they are willing to violate Senate rules and even the Virginia Constitution to strip citizens of their lawful rights and to raise taxes in spite of campaign promises not to, but back down from perfectly legal maneuvers to protect states rights and individual liberties with an up-or-down vote on bills they don’t like.
Senator Jill Vogel states that it is critical that you contact your Senator and urge him/her to support her efforts to get a vote on HB 69 on the Senator Floor. Such transparent hypocrisy by legislators cannot be tolerated. It is outrageous that Senator Saslaw and Marsh have conspired to deprive us of a vote by breaking Senate rules.
That’s right!
The Senate rules say that the subcommittee that Senator Marsh created to kill HB 69 can only make recommendations on bills, NOT kill a bill.
Please email Senator Vogel with the following message:
Dear Senator Vogel,
I understand that you will make an attempt to get a recorded Senate vote on the Virginia Firearms Freedom Act. I want to thank you for agreeing to do all you can to get HB 69 to the Senate floor. I am urging my senator to support you.
Sincerely,
(Your name)
Then send a message to your Senator. You can find your Senator’s contact information here.
Suggested script:
Dear Senator ________________,
It is unconscionable that Senator Saslaw and Marsh have conspired to break the Senate rules by not even allowing a vote on HB 69 which overwhelmingly passed the House.
Senator Vogel is trying to get HB 69 to the Senate floor.
Whatever motions she makes are appropriate for such a time as this.
I urge you not to disregard my sacred liberties. Please stand up to the federal government and the violation of Senate rules by Senator’s Saslaw and Marsh by supporting Senator Vogel’s effort to get an up-or-down vote on HB69.
Sincerely,
(Your name)
Thank you for hanging tough and for your continued effort to get a vote on the Virginia Firearms Freedom Act.
Yours in liberty,
Donna Holt
