Good news from the General Assembly: Ladies may soon be able to carry guns in their purses into a restaurant. However, they must tell the waitress or the maitre d’ that they are packing heat.
Hubbies, here’s an idea for her next birthday or maybe Mother’s Day. Not chocolates or flowers but a neat little pistol for her purse!
Sen. Emmett Hanger describes his gun-in-purse bill as a “fairly significant piece of legislation for the protection and safety” of one’s family. But his bill, SB476, unfortunately for ladies who may be meeting other ladies for lunch, says they must not– and that is quite firm– drink alcohol while armed in the restaurant.
Assembly Anonymous is relieved that the waitress will be informed about the member of her party who has a gun in her purse. Then, of course, she will understand that a bit of sparkly for that member of the party is a no-no. AA hopes the gun carrier is not ill-tempered when she is denied a drink say, at Applebee’s, a restaurant mentioned by the senator.
Virginia already allows carrying a gun openly into a restaurant but Hanger said of his concealed guns bill, “This allows a lady to carry a gun in her purse.”
Fifteen senators did not think SB476 is such a good idea. In fact, Sen. Dick Saslaw thinks it could turn Virginia into Dodge City. But 24 senators approved. Just one woman, new Senator Jill Vogel, voted for the bill. The seven other Democratic women senators voted “no.” No pistol packin’ Mamas among the Dems!
The bill went on to the House.
License Tag Gift but No to Legs and Arms
In the final hours of the Senate’s having to complete its own bills–crossover day– there was a spirit of generosity in the air. Thanks to Sen. Creigh Deeds’ SB266, recipients of Purple Hearts won’t have to pay a one time $10 fee for the special license plates that are available to those who have been wounded in the military service of their country. No more. The $10 fee was eliminated by the Senate and, with luck, the House will agree.
Not so lucky were veterans who hoped to make coverage of prosthetics a requirement for insurance companies. Amputees filled the Assembly halls one recent day. Some had two artificial legs and won the admiration of onlookers as they pluckily made lobbying rounds for prosthetic insurance coverage. Sen. Patsy Ticer worked hard to get SB645 passed. The bill was sent all over the place, in one committee, then another, then to the Senate, next back to committee and finally continued to 2009. That means dead.
Sen. Mark Obenshain said the impact of requiring insurance companies to provide prosthetics for those who have lost their legs or arms is just too expensive for businesses. Sen. Steve Newman admitted that it isn’t easy to oppose making sure that people can get limbs who are without. But, he said, mandated benefits are driving up the cost of health care.
Well, they CAN get $10 off the price of their Purple Heart license plates!
WHAT EVER HAPPENED TO …?
The Kill the Party’s Party Bill
Yes, Del. Chris Saxman’s bill did say that the Governor and General Assembly members could not attend political fund raisers during the session if the events were sponsored by a person, party or group from which the elected official had received political contributions. This bill even had an emergency clause on it, which meant it went into immediate effect. On Jan. 23, HB322 passed the House and was sent to the Senate where it sits to this very day in the Privileges and Election Committee.
But what would have happened if Democrats did not control the Senate so the bill could be permanently parked in P & E?
All 5,000 people, the Governor and the Democratic senators and House members who attended the record-breaking (for attendance) Jefferson/Jackson dinner February 9 would have missed a great party! Plus–and that was the idea–the fundraiser of the year generated buckets of dollars for the Dems.