Wednesday, December 19, 2012
Northern Virginia lawmakers will likely introduce or reintroduce gun bills at 2013 legislative session. Is this the year some of them will pass?
In the wake of Friday's mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., Virginia Sen. Janet Howell (D-Reston) says she will reintroduce a bill that would close the commonwealth's gun show loophole, which allows people to buy firearms at gun shows without a background check. "It's tragic," Howell says about the shooting that killed 20 schoolchildren and six adults. "I don't know whether I'm more angry or sad over it. I have introduced this bill in the past, and so have other people, but I'm hopeful there will be a better chance of passage this year." Closing the gun show loophole is among several gun bills in Virginia that repeatedly have been introduced and died in committee or are otherwise defeated. There are already …
Monday, February 27, 2012
Things could get a little bumpy.
Although this winter hasn't been nearly as hard on area roadways as winters past, many residents are dodging potholes on secondary roads in their neighborhoods. Clearly, Northern Virginia's secondary roadways need ongoing maintenance, but Virginia Department of Transportation maintenance funds have run dry. Local lawmakers are frustrated over the problem, and some are wrestling with the ramifications of taking the responsibility from the state. "Some secondary roads in [Fairfax] County haven't gotten attention in 15 years, and we have a huge system of roadways," said Mount Vernon District Supervisor Gerry Hyland (D). "When are those people in Richmond going to adequately fund transportation funding in Northern Virginia before it's …
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
POLL: Is General Assembly on right track with votes on curbing abortion, repealing handgun law, banning of gay adoptions?
If you didn't know that Republicans were in control of the Virginia General Assembly in Richmond, you should know it by now. While "jobs, jobs, jobs" is the mantra across much of the country, Virginia's Republican senators and delegates have been hard at work during their 60-day session changing the state's cultural landscape. Since starting work in Richmond last month, members have voted on an array of socially conservative issues including: Voter ID Bill The Virginia House and Senate have both passed bills requiring photo ID to vote; the National Conference of State Legislatures' offers a detailed map and information about other states that run the gamut on requirements. "There are no documented cases of voter impersonation in Virginia …
the-stix
3:37 pm on Thursday, December 20, 2012
Why is it that gun control advocates only seem to come out in droves when there is a tragedy such as in Connecticut, but seldom if ever for inner-city gun crime which is significant and with us every day? I understand in Chicago for example, where gun control laws are some of the strictest in the nation, there have been near 500 gun deaths already this year. Certainly this is a question to ponder… more ›