Free Republic

Today is the LAST DAY for public comment on the Clinic Safety bill, signed by Gov. McDonnell, to provide SOME level of regulation. Planned Parenthood has been sending emails to their minions and right now, the comments are 20 to 1 for the pro-abortion view. Please go to this site and enter CLINIC SAFETY STANDARDS as the subject, leave a message SUPPORTING the clinic safety bill that Gov. McDonnell signed. http://townhall.virginia.gov/L/Comments.cfm?stageid=6006 Prior to this, abortion clinics had very little regulation, the same as vet offices. Women have died in Virginia abortion clinics, when there is an emergency in the past,...

The Legacy Lives On! Mark’s Lost Dog & Cat Rescue Foundation “Conservatism is the antidote to tyranny precisely because its principles are the founding principles.” --Mark Levin in Liberty and TyrannyWelcome to “The Levin Lounge”… Step in and have a virtual FRink.Taking the country by storm, one radio station at a time – and kicking the BUTTS of the competition! Welcome all, to the most FUN LIVE THREAD on FreeRepublic.com! Yo

This bill will increase the VA gasoline tax by indexing it to the Producer Price Index. Click on the link to see the actual results....should be posted by tomorrow. The bill passed 26 to 14. Republicans voting FOR the gas tax included Blevins, Hanger, Norment, Ruff, Stosch, Wagner and Watkins. Their emails are listed below....

The Virginia Senate on Monday passed the House bill that repeals the state’s longstanding law limiting handgun purchases to one per month, sending the legislation to the desk of Gov. Bob McDonnell, who has said he would sign it. Opponents of the law, put in place in 1993 to prevent gun-runners from shuttling firearms from Virginia to other states along the East Coast, say that the technology related to background checks and the numerous exemptions in the law has rendered it obsolete.

It is amazing how much legislators forget while they are in Richmond. While their constituents are home balancing their budget and making do with much less, the Senate of Virginia is supporting efforts to increase taxes. This week, the Virginia State Senate will consider a bill that will increase the gas tax (SB 631). The sponsor of the bill calls this an “inflation adjustment,” but AFP-VA is calling this a tax increase on hard working families of Virginia. Increasing the gas tax will drive up consumer costs; unfairly hurting the less fortunate and the unemployed. Tell your Legislators you oppose...

Attorney General hailed by conservative crowd Virginia attorney general Ken Cuccinelli was awarded the Defender of the Constitution award Thursday at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Washington D.C. Presenting the award, David Keene, President of the National Rifle Associate said Cuccinelli is a champion of conservative values and his view that he is “healthily suspicious of government in all circumstances” embodies the movement to cheers from the large conservative crowd. “The first duty I am obliged to pursue is the defense of the U.S. and Virginia Constitution,” Cuccinelli said. He said many politicians just said the oath so...

The Legacy Lives On! Mark’s Lost Dog & Cat Rescue Foundation “Conservatism is the antidote to tyranny precisely because its principles are the founding principles.” --Mark Levin in Liberty and TyrannyWelcome to “The Levin Lounge”… Step in and have a virtual FRink.Taking the country by storm, one radio station at a time – and kicking the BUTTS of the competition! Welcome all, to the most FUN LIVE THREAD on FreeRepublic.com! You can call Mark’s show: 1-877-381-3811

Two of the nation’s most prominent attorneys general sparred Thursday over federal health care reform in a precursor to next month’s U.S. Supreme Court battle on President Obama’s signature legislative achievement. Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli, a staunch critic of the Affordable Care Act, and his Massachusetts counterpart Martha Coakley, whose state’s health care law served as a model for the federal law, offered vastly different visions for how the high court will ultimately decide the case in June during a forum at the National Press Club. Cuccinelli, a Tea Party darling, predictably opined the Supreme Court would ultimately rule...

Dear friend, We are just two days away from the 2012 Democratic Party of Virginia's Jefferson-Jackson Dinner and I could not be more excited. We throw a pretty good party in Montana so I can't wait to see how Democrats get together in the Commonwealth. I am honored to have the opportunity to give the keynote speech and I'm looking forward to exchanging ideas with people from across the state about how Democrats can win in 2012 and continue moving this country forward together. This year's JJ Dinner is going to be one for the ages and I don't want...

Today, the Virginia House of Delegates passed two pro-gun bills: House Bill 25 and House Bill 754. HB 25 passed in the state House by an 81 to 17 vote and HB 754 passed by a 74 to 22 vote. Both bills will now go to the Virginia Senate for its consideration. HB 25, sponsored by Delegate Mark Cole (R-88), seeks to prohibit the Clerk of the Court from disclosing information contained on a concealed handgun permit application or on an order issuing a concealed handgun permit. Sponsored by Delegate Ben Cline (R-24), HB 754 would eliminate the optional fingerprinting...

Dear Supporter, Our hearts have been repeatedly broken by the Virginia General Assembly this year. We've been lied to: "We'll work on jobs and education, we swear!" We've been cheated on: "I am just going out with my corporate lobbyist friends tonight, it's really nothing!" We can't take another excuse: "These voter ID bills are just to fight 'voter fraud' and have nothing to do with the election." Virginians voted for legislators who promised to put people back to work, get the economy moving, and make our state the best place for a child to receive an education. Instead of...

The dominoes keep falling. Virginia has dropped its “one gun a month” law, as seen here: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/virginia-politics/post/handgun-ban-lifted-in-virginia/2012/02/03/gIQAfHYNuQ_blog.html?wpisrc=nl_buzz Back when they passed it, one of my graduates in Virginia called me to share his misery. He asked, “Mas, how would YOU feel if they passed a ‘one-gun-a-month’ law in the free state where YOU live?!?” I replied, “Hell, I’d find the money somehow…” He was not amused. I don’t blame him. He was right and I was wrong. Arbitrary restrictions on productive members of society are nothing to joke about. I don’t care how many firearms responsible, law abiding citizens own....

Legislation (HB940, SB323) that would overturn Virginia’s One Gun A Month law has already passed the Virginia House of Delegates and is slated to be voted on in the State Senate as early as today. Gov. Bob McDonnell (R) has said he will sign it into law should it pass. Despite the fact that Virginia is largely considered to be a pro-gun state, legislators have for years rationed the Second Amendment rights of its citizens with a law that limits handgun purchases to one a month — in effect, treating a constitutionally protected right as nothing more than a privilege....

p>The Legacy Lives On! Mark’s Lost Dog & Cat Rescue Foundation “Conservatism is the antidote to tyranny precisely because its principles are the founding principles.” --Mark Levin in Liberty and TyrannyWelcome to “The Levin Lounge”… Step in and have a virtual FRink.Taking the country by storm, one radio station at a time – and kicking the BUTTS of the competition! Welcome all, to the most FUN LIVE THREAD on FreeRepublic.com! You can call Mark’s show: 1-877-381-3811

This Monday, February 6, the Virginia Senate is expected to cast its final vote on Senate Bill 323, legislation which would repeal the archaic prohibition of purchasing more than one handgun per month. This vote is expected to be very close so it is important that you continue to contact your state Senator and urge him or her to vote for this legislation on Monday. Originally expected to be voted on Friday, this legislation was passed by for the day and will take place on Monday. To locate your state Senator and their contact information, please click here. Drafted by...

Newt Gingrich will stay in the Republican presidential nomination contest despite an expected loss to Mitt Romney in Saturday’s Nevada caucuses, the former speaker told The Washington Times late Saturday afternoon. “We had excellent fundraising meetings and calls yesterday,” Mr. Gingrich said. “Super Tuesday and beyond look good.” The Georgia native thus dispelled rumors circulating in the press that his campaign had scheduled a press conference for late Saturday, after the results were in from the Nevada caucuses. “We will probably be a solid second here with [Rick] Santorum in last place,” Mr. Gingrich said, while acknowledging indirectly that attracting...

Dear xxxxxx, At a time when we need to be focusing on creating jobs and growing the economy, partisan extremists in Richmond have a very different agenda: right now they’re ramming through a series of bills that are deliberately designed to disenfranchise Virginia voters. If passed, these measures will make it much harder for many minorities, seniors, low-income populations, and disabled Virginians to cast their ballots. It’s a page that comes straight from Karl Rove’s playbook in the 2000 Presidential election – and it’s outrageous. People died for the right to vote in this country, and we have to protect...

The State Senate is set to vote Friday on a bill to repeal the law that says people can only buy one handgun per month. Retired Alexandria police Officer Ken Howard frequently visits a Lorton range to shoot and says the one handgun a month restriction can get in the way if a new firearm catches his eye. Steven Miller has a gun on layaway at the range because of the one handgun a month rule. The law has been on the books since it was pushed by Gov. Doug Wilder in 1993 at a time when Virginia guns kept...

Bob McDonnell, Ken Cuccinelli to speak at CPAC By Anita Kumar Gov. Bob McDonnell and Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli both will be speaking at the annual Conservative Political Action Conference next month— a gathering that often provides a stage for presidential hopefuls. Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli (AP Photo/Richmond Times-Dispatch, Bob Brown) Cuccinelli will be getting the “Defender of the Constitution Award” on Feb. 9. McDonnell will be speaking Feb. 10. Former governor James Gilmore (R) will be speaking on a panel about whether the Arab Spring is good or bad for the United States. McDonnell and Cuccinelli have been...

A law that limits Virginians to one gun purchase per month is one step closer to being repealed. On Wednesday the Virginia House voted 66-32 to toss out the 18-year-old law. A similar Senate bill passed a voice vote -- a formal vote was delayed until Thursday. The vote in the House was along party lines; just two Democrats went along with the Republican majority. Republican Gov. Bob McDonnell vowed to sign the bill. The law was passed nearly two decades ago in an attempt to stop the flow of illegal guns from Virginia to the Northeast. New York City,...

We are 23 days into the 2012 session of the Virginia General Assembly, and things are moving fast! Over the past few days, we've had some really awful legislation pass committees, including HB62. HB62 is an attempt to repeal Medicaid funding for abortion for women whose pregnancies have been diagnosed with severe fetal abnormalities. These cases are rare and often these pregnancies are very wanted by the families. HB62 will punish the poorest women of Virginia by adding a crippling financial impact to a devastating diagnosis. Please take action and let your Delegate know you OPPOSE HB62!

A repeal of the state's one-handgun-a-month law and a bill to require voters without identification to cast provisional ballots have passed the state's House of Delegates and are on to the Senate. Both bills were the topic of substantial debate Tuesday, and Democrats again lashed out at the legislation today. The voter ID measure -- House Bill 9, introduced by Del. Mark L. Cole, R-Spotsylvania -- passed on a 69-30 vote. The vote came a day after a rally in opposition to the bill drew more than 300 people to the Capitol. Those opposed claim the legislation is designed to...

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP)-- Trounced in Florida, presidential candidate Newt Gingrich on Tuesday used the defeat to declare that he alone is the conservative alternative to GOP front-runner Mitt Romney. Gingrich ignored the fact that the other two candidates in the race -- Ron Paul and Rick Santorum -- chose not to run aggressive campaigns in the state. -snip- Gingrich's defiant pledge to continue on against Romney sets the stage for a bitter brawl for the Republican nomination that could last for months. Gingrich supporters Tuesday night hoisted signs that read "46 States to Go." -snip- "I just want to reassure...

The Virginia House and Senate on Tuesday voted to ban mandatory project labor agreements on state-funded construction projects, a move proponents argue will help protect the state's right-to-work laws and create a level playing field in contract bidding. Opponents say the ban is an unnecessary red herring. The Republican-led House approved its version of the bill on a 69-27 vote, and the Senate deadlocked on the measure 20-20.

The Legacy Lives On! Mark’s Lost Dog & Cat Rescue Foundation “Conservatism is the antidote to tyranny precisely because its principles are the founding principles.” --Mark Levin in Liberty and TyrannyWelcome to “The Levin Lounge”… Step in and have a virtual FRink.Taking the country by storm, one radio station at a time – and kicking the BUTTS of the competition! Welcome all, to the most FUN LIVE THREAD on FreeRepublic.com! You can call Mark’s show: 1-877-381-3811

Dear Friends -- There's something happening in Richmond that I think you should know about. Right now, Republican legislators are going out of their way to make it harder for Virginians across this Commonwealth to vote. Republicans are pushing legislation to prevent thousands of Virginians who do not have government-sponsored identification from casting a regular ballot on election day. They want to make people who register to vote wait five days before casting an absentee ballot. They are also trying to make it illegal to help more than two people with an absentee ballot application in the same election year....

Yesterday, the Senate Education & Health Committee passed Senate Bill 484, which would force women to have an ultrasound 24 hours prior to having an abortion for political—not medical—reasons. Your Senator is expected to vote on this bill early next week. Tell Your Senator: VOTE NO ON SENATE BILL 484! This bill is an intrusion into private, personal medical decisions that women should make in consultation with their physician. It and others like it are being pushed this year by opponents of women’s health in states all across the country. Mandatory ultrasounds and waiting periods are simply delay tactics that...

RICHMOND, VA -- The National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) – the trade association for the firearms, ammunition, hunting and shooting sports industry – is applauding the passage of legislation (SB 464) to end the ban on Sunday hunting in the Old Dominion. Yesterday, the Virginia State Senate overwhelming voted (29-11) to allow Sunday hunting on private lands. Companion legislation will now move to the House of Delegates for a vote. “Yesterday’s vote was a great step forward in our campaign to allow Sunday hunting in Virginia,” said National Shooting Sports Foundation Senior Vice President and General Counsel Lawrence G. Keane....

p>The Legacy Lives On! Mark’s Lost Dog & Cat Rescue Foundation “Conservatism is the antidote to tyranny precisely because its principles are the founding principles.” --Mark Levin in Liberty and TyrannyWelcome to “The Levin Lounge”… Step in and have a virtual FRink.Taking the country by storm, one radio station at a time – and kicking the BUTTS of the competition! Welcome all, to the most FUN LIVE THREAD on FreeRepublic.com! You can

Before I say anything else, let me make it clear: any liberal (or person) who calls himself an American should believe in the Constitution. I see, too often, in blogs and on television people who selectively promote their favorite parts of our governing document. Conservatives seem as if they want to tattoo the 10th Amendment (states’ rights) on their chest, but often questionably cut corners around the Fourth Amendment (protection against unwarranted searches) for the sake of “national security.” Liberals talk endlessly of First Amendment rights to free speech, while trying to ignore the Second Amendment. I try not to...

Friends, I've got two major legislative updates below. Both bills are very important and we need to contact our delegates on the committees listed below to make sure these bills become a reality. Thank you for taking the time to read through! - Bob VA Light Bulb Manufacturer and VA vs. EPA/Corp of Engineers My HB 66 would allow Virginia companies to manufacture and sell incandescent light bulbs only within Virginia despite the Federal ban on incandescent bulbs which will take effect next year. The federal ban was enacted on grounds that fluorescent lights were more cost effective. Under conditions...

Over ONE MILLION copies sold! On the NYTimes Bestseller List for 19 weeks, 12 weeks at #1!Buy it… read it… live it!“Conservatism is the antidote to tyranny precisely because its principles are the founding principles.” --Mark Levin in Liberty and TyrannyWelcome to “The Levin Lounge”… Step in and have a virtual FRink.Taking the country by storm, one radio station at a time – and kicking the BUTTS of the competition! Welcome all, to the most FUN LIVE THREAD on FreeRepublic.com! You can call Mark’s show: 1-877-381-3811

Dear Supporter, Our elected leaders in Richmond have some serious work to do over the next two months. Virginia is running a $1 billion budget deficit. Education and public safety funding is being diverted to fund transportation. And the state stands to lose federal funding and flexibility if it does not move forward with a Health Benefits Exchange. So, why is the General Assembly focusing time and energy to fix a problem that does not exist? There are a slew of bills moving through the General Assembly right now that threaten your voting rights and waste your tax dollars all...

Please take a minute today to support the more than 100 fellow Equality Virginia supporters at Lobby Day. We know many of you couldn't make it today due to busy schedules, work or the distance to Richmond but you can still make a difference at the General Assembly. Contact your delegate and senator by phone or email today and ask them to look out for members of Equality Virginia. Better yet, voice your support for and against bills concerning Virginia's GLBT community this week. Find out who your representatives are here. Ask your senator to: OPPOSE SB 349 (MCWATERS) This...

For Immediate Release Contact: Garren Shipley (540) 686-1138 Higher Tax, Pro-ObamaCare Democrat Joins 2nd CD Race -- Democrat Paul Hirschbiel is a staunch proponent of bigger government, higher taxes -- Apparently having learned nothing from major Democrat losses in 2009, 2010, and 2011, yet another big government, tax and spend Democrat has announced a run for political office. Democrat Paul Hirschbiel announced today that he's challenging incumbent Republican Rep. Scott Rigell in the 2nd Congressional District. So what does Paul Hirschbiel stand for? Unfortunately for him, the same thing every other Democrat in Virginia stands for - higher taxes, bigger...

p>The Legacy Lives On! Mark’s Lost Dog & Cat Rescue Foundation “Conservatism is the antidote to tyranny precisely because its principles are the founding principles.” --Mark Levin in Liberty and TyrannyWelcome to “The Levin Lounge”… Step in and have a virtual FRink.Taking the country by storm, one radio station at a time – and kicking the BUTTS of the competition! Welcome all, to the most FUN LIVE THREAD on FreeRepublic.com! You can call Mark’s show: 1-877-381-3811

Continuing Contract Threatened Take Action! Write Your Delegate Today HB 576 denies experience teachers continuing contract, moving them to annual contracts. Thwart this attack on the teaching profession by writing your delegate now!

Delegate Mark Cole of Virginia is seeking to end the requirement that individuals who carry concealed weapons obtain a permit to do so. Currently there are four states that allow a person to carry a concealed weapon without a permit: Vermont, Wyoming, Arizona and Alaska. Concealed Carry laws vary among the states, with only a few not allowing for the practice in any circumstances. The trend has been for ever more liberal concealed carry laws in the United States and with recent U.S. Supreme Court rulings upholding an individual right to keep and bear arms under Second Amendment the trend...

RICHMOND – Del. Dickie Bell, (R-Staunton), is sponsoring two bills that would empower Virginians to use lethal force against an intruder in their home. House Bill 47 would grant civil immunity to anyone who injures or kills someone while defending their home from another person who has posed a threat of injury to the other or has entered the home unlawfully. House Bill 48 would enshrine in Virginia law the “Castle Doctrine” that about 30 other states have. The bill would allow the use of physical or deadly force in someone’s home if an intruder has committed an “overt act...

For Immediate Release Contact: Garren Shipley (540) 686-1138 Surprise! Democrats Call for Plastic Bag Tax -- Bill would add $1 to a grocery bill for every five bags -- Democrats in Virginia are often fixated on the gas tax, but sometimes they do come up with other ideas. Like making it more expensive for you to take home groceries. Del. Joe Morrissey, D-Richmond, and Del. Scott Surovell, D-Mount Vernon, have put forward a bill that would charge hard working Virginia families 20 cents every time they bring home a bag from the grocery store. Why? It's not about money, according...

The state GOP has authorized the Virginia State Board of Elections to scrap a much-criticized loyalty oath from the March 6 presidential primary ballot. The party's State Central Committee is scheduled to take up the issue Saturday in Richmond. The state party polled committee members sooner because the elections board faces a Friday deadline to mail out absentee ballots 45 days ahead of the primary, as state law requires. "We informally polled the GOP State Central Committee over the past week and there was an overwhelming and near unanimous feeling that we should rescind the loyalty oath," Republican Party of...

(CNSNews.com) -- Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli says he is worried that a new District of Columbia law that governs how pest control operators must handle rats may result in entire rodent “families” being relocated across the Potomac River into Virginia by D.C. pest control personnel. Cuccinelli said D.C.'s new rat law--the Wildlife Protection Act of 2010 -- is “crazier than fiction” because it requires that rats and other vermin not be killed but captured, preferably in families; no glue or snap traps can be utilized; the rodents must be relocated from where they are captured; and some of these...

RICHMOND — The Republican-controlled General Assembly may make it legal to carry concealed weapons without a permit, even though gun owners support the current law. Virginia law requires a permit for concealed carry, but a measure proposed by State Del. Mark Cole, (R-Spotsylvania), would eliminate the permit requirement, making it legal for all gun owners to carry a concealed weapon. But two gun owners visiting Dominion Shooting Range in Chesterfield on Friday oppose changes to the law. “I think you should have to get a permit,” said registered Republican Craig Perry, 58, of Moseley. “I don’t think just anybody should...

For Immediate Release Contact: Garren Shipley (540) 686-1138 Surprise! Democrats Call for Gas Tax Hike -- Tax Hike won't make gas more expensive, says Dem Leader Saslaw -- --- Reality paints a different picture, though --- It's one of the most regular phenomena in Richmond. You can set your watch by it. Legislators return to Capitol Square, and Democrats begin their drum beat to raise the gas tax. The most recent example? A plan by Del. Vivian Watts, D-Annandale, to stick a 4 percent sales tax on gasoline. But fear not! It's not like raising the gas tax will make...

The Legacy Lives On! Mark’s Lost Dog & Cat Rescue Foundation “Conservatism is the antidote to tyranny precisely because its principles are the founding principles.” --Mark Levin in Liberty and TyrannyWelcome to “The Levin Lounge”… Step in and have a virtual FRink.Taking the country by storm, one radio station at a time – and kicking the BUTTS of the competition! Welcome all, to the most FUN LIVE THREAD on FreeRepublic.com! You can call Mark’s show: 1-877-381-3811

RICHMOND, VA (WTVR)— Between 500 and a thousand gun rights advocates will gather at the Virginia Capitol Monday to talk to lawmakers about their lobbying agenda this session. Virginia gun rights advocates believe they've got a good shot this year at getting what they want at the General Assembly. In years past their legislation would make it through the Republican controlled house but later die in the Senate. "Do I think we have a better chance this year than last? Yes, significantly,” said gun rights advocate Philip Van Cleave. Republican control of the Virginia Senate and its committees gives gun...

According to the anti-gun rights group Brady Campaign, Virginia's gun laws are more restrictive than 34 other states. And now a fiesty gun rights group wants to do somthing about it. The Virginia Citizens Defense League (VCDL) will rally at Virginia's Capitol Square in Richmond on Monday 16 January, 2012 (Martin Luther King Day). The purpose of the event is to lobby legislators to pass key gun rights reforms this legislative session. VCDL is inviting gun owners and from all over the Old Dominion to report at 8:45 AM on Monday outside the General Assembly Building where they will be...

I walked into my editor’s office on Monday, a few minutes before our weekly staff meeting at 11 a.m. He was working on his computer. “Whatcha doin’?” I asked. “Buying a gun.” He’s a man of few words, so I couldn’t tell if he was joking or not. “Seriously?” “Yes. I’m doing it before the meeting. Look at this,” he said, pointing at his screen. I peered over his shoulder at the website called Gallery of Guns. “You just put the gun you want in this box and it pulls up all the options.” He selected a Kahr PM9. “Why...

Earlier this week, Cam Edwards interviewed Dave Adams of the Virginia Shooting Sports Association about the potential repeal of Virginia's one-a-month handgun rationing law. As Dave notes, when he pointed out to an anti that when South Carolina repealed a similar law to Virginia's and it hadn't increased crime in South Carolina, she couldn't answer his question as to why Virginia even needed the law. That says it all.

The Legacy Lives On! Mark’s Lost Dog & Cat Rescue Foundation “Conservatism is the antidote to tyranny precisely because its principles are the founding principles.” --Mark Levin in Liberty and TyrannyWelcome to “The Levin Lounge”… Step in and have a virtual FRink.Taking the country by storm, one radio station at a time – and kicking the BUTTS of the competition! Welcome all, to the most FUN LIVE THREAD on FreeRepublic.com! You can call Mark’s show: 1-877-381-3811