American Life & Liberty

The coalition is made up of outreach subcommittees that engage citizens and legislature regarding the rights, values and freedoms of All Americans, regardless of partisanship.

Keep VA 2A – Bill Tracker

By debbiecloud February 15, 2020 February 16, 2020 Bills, Politics, Virginia Legislature

Keep VA 2A and Constitutional Conservatives along with their new site 2A*C3 have been an excellent resource for those looking for real information and connecting with other people.

KEEP VA 2A – Bill Tracker

SB64 makes training with a firearm a felony.

Tactical training with a buddy within sight of an anti-gun neighbor: Class 5 felony

Two or more people open carrying within sight of an anti-gun neighbor: Class 5 felony

Teaches proper firearm handling to anyone who will resist tyranny: Class 5 felony

Teaching martial arts/self-defense to anyone who will resist tyranny: Class 5 felony

Organizes a constitutional militia to resist tyranny: Class 5 felony

SB69 makes it illegal to purchase more than 1 firearm in 30 days.

Exceptions for concealed carry permit holders, private sales and trade-ins.

Found a better deal on a firearm you just bought: Class 1 misdemeanor

Want to buy 2 lowers on a Black Friday Sale: Class 1 misdemeanor

Want to buy a matching set of pistols: Class 1 misdemeanor

SB240 makes possessing firearms a Class 1 misdemeanor (jail time) if someone thinks you’re threatening, and a judge issues a risk order.

Refuse to voluntarily give up your guns after an issued risk order: Class 1 misdemeanor

HB961 can’t buy, transfer, sell or make ARs. Grandfather clause for existing ARs. 12 round mag limit. Can’t own suppressor, binary trigger or bump stock.

Buy an AR15: Class 6 felony

Own a magazine that holds more than 12 rounds: Class 6 felony

Own a suppressor: Class 6 felony

Own a binary trigger: Class 6 felony

Carrying a loaded shotgun with more than 7 rounds anywhere open to the public: Class 1 misdemeanor

HB960 delayed until next year. Slaps an ADDITIONAL 10% tax on all firearms and ammunition sales

Want to buy a firearm: +10%

Want to buy bullets for that gun: +10%

HB2 Selling or transferring a firearm without a background check is a FELONY. Exceptions for immediate family members, at a shooting range, letting a friend look at a gun in the owners presence or extreme circumstances to prevent death.

Selling of private property (a firearm) without paying an FFL: Class 6 felony

Letting a buddy borrow your hunting rifle: Class 6 felony

Giving a niece a gun for self protection without a background check: Class 6 felony

Fauquier residents enjoy shooting at different outdoor ranges around the county.

WINNING GUN CONTROL ARGUMENTS

There is a lot to be said for being able to win an argument in defense of our right to keep and bear arms. You get an opportunity to not only win over someone who is arguing with you (unlikely), but anyone around you who is undecided (very likely), so keep these ground rules in mind:

Be respectful: The person you are arguing with is most likely not evil. They are just victims of a mind virus that has overtaken American society. It’s not their fault. You need to keep reminding yourself no matter how heated the conversation gets. Ultimately they want the same thing as you – a safer America.
Ask lots of questions: Asking questions makes people think on their feet. If they’re just repeating talking points they have heard from someone else they will find it difficult to be coherent. Ask them to define their terms, “assault weapon”, “semi-automatic”, “mass shooting”, “gun death”, etc.
Help them have a positive first experience with a gun: They most likely have not had much (any) contact with guns: offer to take them to the range and show them safety around a gun as well as how to shoot.Once most people fire off a few rounds from those scary looking “military style assault weapons” – they realize how helpful they could be in a life or death situation.

Ultimately any life lost is sad, whether it’s with a firearm or not.

Open minded discusses and debates are healthy and good, especially if you can help the other person see the flaws of gun control and wisdom in the 2nd Amendment.

Del Cole – Cross Over Day

By debbiecloud February 15, 2020 February 16, 2020 Bills, Politics, Virginia Legislature

In Richmond, the Virginia Senators in Capital Senate has now received all the bills passed by the House Delegates on Cross Over Day, and all the Virginia Delegates in the Capital House has now received all the bills passed by the Senate Senators.

EMAIL from Del Mark Cole 2/14/20

This week was crossover at the Virginia General Assembly, marking the halfway point of the 2020 session. This is the week we send the House Bills that passed over to the State Senate, and the Senate sends their bills to the House.

There was a definite philosophical difference between Republicans and Democrats, as bills were passed on the House floor, I cast an unprecedented number of no votes. House Democrats passed many pieces of legislation that will have a detrimental impact on our Commonwealth and I have highlighted some below. These bills must pass the Senate before they will become law.

BUSINESS, JOBS, AND THE ECONOMY

In 2019, Virginia was rated America’s Top State for Business. Many of this year’s bills will make Virginia less competitive with surrounding states in attracting new business, decreasing the potential for economic growth and jobs. One bright spot, repeal of “Right to Work” HB 153 was defeated in committee.

One of the most significant bills to pass is HB 395 which would raise the minimum wage across Virginia to $15 an hour by 2025. Because of this huge increase in labor costs, jobs will be consolidated or eliminated. It will not only impact the small businesses but will lead to fewer job opportunities for those just entering the workforce and unskilled labor.

HB 534 will impose a 5-cent fee on every plastic bag used when shopping unless you are buying meat, ice cream, drugs or liquor.

HB 582 repeals the ban on collective bargaining for public employees. This is the first step in unionizing public employees – if that ever happens, stand by for potential strikes and increased taxes. HB 833 would require government contractors to pay the prevailing (union scale) wage, even if they are non-union businesses, significantly increasing costs and reducing competition.

Other bad for business bills will make it easier to businesses to be sued, increases regulations and costs on businesses.

PUBLIC SAFETY

HB 33 expands eligibility for parole to hundreds of violent criminals and is the first step towards repealing Virginia’s truth in sentencing law that was adopted in the 1990s. Since that law was passed, our crime rate has declined – many crimes are committed by repeat offenders. In fact, Virginia currently has the 48th LOWEST crime rate in the nation and the lowest recidivism rate – crimes being committed by repeat offenders.

HB 34 that would make it more challenging to prosecute drunk drivers. Democrats also led the initiative that doubles the grand larceny threshold from $500 to $1000 (HB 995).

HB 961 prohibits the sale, and transport of so called “assault” firearms and the possession of magazines that hold more than 12 rounds. The US had a similar nationwide ban in place for a decade and it had no measurable impact on crime. All this will do is turn thousands of law-abiding Virginians into criminals overnight.

HB 812 reimposes the “one gun a month” limitation on handgun purchases. HB 264 would make it more difficult to obtain a concealed handgun permit.

ENERGY AND THE ENVIRONMENT

Democrats passed a slate of legislation that will implement Virginia’s version of a “Green New Deal,” including HB 528, HB 1526, HB 1451, and HB 1450. The overall effect of these bills will be to significantly increase energy cost. This means your electric and heating bills will be going up for no real benefit to the environment or climate. This cost increase will have ripple effects throughout the economy.

Virginia and the country are already doing our part to reduce harmful emissions. From 1970 to 2017, the aggregate US emissions of primary air pollutants declined by 73 percent. Ambient concentrations of these pollutants have declined an average of 64 percent since 1990.

Virginia is doing its part in this area as well. From 1990 to 2017, Virginia’s emissions of key pollutants have decreased across the board. Additionally, from 2005 to 2016, Virginia’s carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions decreased by almost 20 percent despite increasing population and energy demands.

While the US and Virginia are doing our part, unfortunately, other nations are not. Countries, like China, India, Malaysia, Indonesia and other developing nations continue to dump more pollutants into the air and oceans with little regard for the consequences.

RELIGIOUS PROTECTIONS

HB 1663 places special protections for “sexual orientation” and “gender identity” into Virginia law without providing protections to churches, religious organizations, and schools whose faith may prohibit such behavior. While people are free to live their lives as they wish, that does not give someone the right to impose their beliefs on others. I am concerned that without religious protections, this bill may lead to lawsuits and prosecution of religious organizations and individuals for simply living by their sincerely held religious beliefs.

IMMIGRATION

The Democrats passed legislation that would allow illegal aliens to obtain a driver’s license (HB 1211). HB 1150 eliminates the requirement that jails, and prisons determine the citizen status of the inmates, so that Federal immigration officials could be informed whenever an illegal alien commits a crime in the Commonwealth and be turned over for deportation. HB 1547 will allow illegal aliens to qualify for in-state tuition at our state colleges and universities.

These bills are steps in Virginia becoming a sanctuary state for illegal immigrants.

ELECTIONS

Democrats have pushed through several significant changes to our election laws which I am concerned will disenfranchise voters and make election fraud easier.

HB 201 will allow someone to register to vote and vote on Election Day, without the opportunity to verify their eligibility or residency. There is also no way to check to see if the person already registered and voted at another precinct.

HB 19 guts the voter photo ID requirement by allowing someone without an ID to just sign a statement and vote.

HB 177 would cast Virginia’s Electoral Votes for President to whichever candidate receives the most votes nationally regardless of how Virginia voted. The founders created the Electoral system to make it harder for big states to dominate smaller states. This would basically give control of Virginia’s votes to California and New York.

As I said, these bills must still pass the State Senate and be signed by the Governor before becoming law, so there is a chance that they may be defeated.

I encourage you to keep in touch with me and my office over the coming weeks. I value the feedback you provide. If you have any questions about these or other Virginia issues, please let me know.

Thanks!

Mark Cole

Virginia House of Delegates, 88th District
Spotsylvania, Stafford, Fredericksburg, and Fauquier

The Battle for Virginia

By debbiecloud January 25, 2020 February 16, 2020 Bills, Family Crisis, Politics, Violence, Virginia Legislature

Fauquier County was and is deep in the roots of forging America. We could lose her. We were complacent.

We never thought life could not radically change. We saw the extremists, but did not believe anyone would seriously go that way. We accepted being politically correct and tried to co exist. We were raised to do the right thing, work hard and give back to our community. No where did we believe people would consider the ideal was free benefits with no responsibility or contribution. We do not think that way. This profound change has consumed our world turning it on end. Up is down, and right is left. We saw the divisions, the hate, and the spin.

The extreme steps of socialism could not be supported as the best options for America. How did this become an organized movement? Why are we so far behind? This new belief has now shaded every part of our lives.

THE CONSEQUENCES

Asking how we lost wont solve anything. The truth is we LOST. The answers are in what we do from here.

We lost Virginia. By not engaging the extremes and ensuring the foundational beliefs, the reasons are gone. Teaching history and tradition holds life together. As we transition through rapid change, like we are seeing right now in our “high tech”, “one world” advances, we need foundations to keep us on good footing.

We must engage. We need to share what we believe and why we believe it.

History has been erased or warped. The definition of who we are as a people and what we are here are being lost in transition.

Many things today sound good on the surface, yet there are profound reasons why they truly do not work or are not good for our country.

NEXT STEP

Right now is the time – not to start a CIVIL WAR.

No, this is the time to engage people and talk to them. Figure out what is really going on and build bridge back to a whole America.

The goal is to learn what are the issues, what are the options, what are the consequences, how our government works, how to speak to our legislature, what is the process of government, how do we run for office and when do we show up to tell our elected officials how to vote.

We can do this.

That means we need to put some time every day back into America and bring people together to ensure the best America is here for our children and their children. There are many issues. 2A is the first. If we lose 2A, then we will lose them all.

THE FUTURE IS IN OUR HANDS

American Life & Liberty: Get involved. Take action. Engage your neighbors. Build your network. Work together. America needs you. This is for your family and the future.