The 2020 session of the General Assembly is officially underway, albeit with quite a rough start. Yesterday, the House Democrats introduced legislation outlining the rules by which the House will operate for the next two years. Borrowing a page from Washington, D.C., the Democrats forced House members to vote on the rules without knowing their full effect. For example, the legislation requires the Rules Committee to set the policy on carrying firearms in the Capitol and in legislative offices. Who, you may ask, serves on the House Rules Committee? Well, that could not be decided until AFTER the legislation passed. In other words, we were told to vote on the bill so we could find out what was in it.
This blatant disregard for transparency effectively delegated serious policy making to an 18-member House committee composed of a supermajority of Democrats. No surprise here, but the Committee met today and
voted to ban firearms in the Capitol and in legislative offices
. In another blow to transparency, the meeting was held on short notice and was not broadcasted to the public (all other committee meetings are broadcasted and recorded for public access). This ban has a direct and serious adverse affect on the safety of all who visit or work in the Capitol. Many people carry firearms for personal protection (Richmond can be quite dangerous, especially at night), and this ban eliminates one's ability to protect himself (or herself).
Earlier in the week, Governor Northam presented policy goals during his State of the Commonwealth address. His ambitious list included a litany of progressive ideals including expanded access to abortion, gun control, tax hikes, and an enormous amount of spending. With a solid Democrat majority in the House and Senate, all of these wish-list items will soon be imposed on the Commonwealth. The prospect is sobering.
