ay a driouche...opinion polls show that most virginians support such a law..keeping guns away from...

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After

Shooting,

Democrats

and

Republicans

Mourn

But

Disagree Over

GunsBy

Aya

Driouche,

Capital

News

Service

RICHMOND ,

Va.

–

Democrats

in

the

Virginia

General

Assembly

have expressed

frustration

over

Republicans ’

refusal

to

take

up

gun

control legislation

in

the

wake

of

Wednesday ’s

deadly

school

shooting

in

Florida.

“We

extend

our

thoughts

and

prayers

to

the

victims

and

their

families,

but our

thoughts

and

prayers

are

not

enough,”

House

Minority

Leader

David Toscano

and

Del.

Charniele

Herring,

who

chairs

the

Virginia

House Democratic

Caucus,

said

in

a

joint

statement.

The

shooting

at

Marjory

Stoneman

Douglas

High

School

in

Parkland, Florida,

left

17

people

dead

and

14

injured .

It

was

the

deadliest

school shooting

in

the

United

States

since

26

people

were

killed

at

Sandy

Hook Elementary

School

in

Newtown,

Connecticut,

in

2012.

“These

tragedies

are

not

inherently

inevitable ;

rather ,

they

are

enabled

by the

continued

failure

of

policy-makers

to

act,”

Toscano

and

Herring

stated. “We

have

been

entrusted

by

the

public

to

institute

policies

to

keep

our communities

safe,

and

we

are

failing

the

people

who

elected

us

to

do

so.”

Republican

legislators

said

that

they

too

are

concerned

about

gun

violence but

that

lawmakers

should

not

be

rash.

“It

seems

like

we’re

playing

whack-a-mole,”

said

Del.

John

McGuire,

R- Henrico.

“Every

time

there’s

a

problem

in

society ,

we

want

to

have

a

quick reaction .

That’s

why

I

say

we

need

to

stand

back

and

see

what’s

going

on.”

Democrats

chided

Republicans

for

such

statements,

including

a

comment by

Del.

Thomas

Wright,

R-Lunenberg ,

who

said

of

the

Florida shooting :

“My

heart

goes

out .

But

when

it

comes

to

the

constitutional right

to

defend

yourself

and

your

family,

that’s

something

that’s guaranteed.”

On

the

Senate

floor,

Sen.

Richard

Black,

R-Loudoun,

said

shootings happen

at

schools

because

they

are

gun-free

zones.

“The

idea

that

we


4/16/2018 Aya Driouche | Emporia News

http://emporianews.com/tags/aya-driouche 8/14

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disarm our people in the schools – we forbid our teachers and our stafffrom carrying concealed firearms – is a mistake,” he said.

This legislative session, Virginia Republicans proposed bills to repeal thestate’s prohibition on bringing weapons to houses of worship. Such ameasure passed the Senate (http://lis.virginia.gov/cgibin/legp604.exe?ses=181&typ=bil&val=sb372) on a party-line voteand is awaiting action in the House.

Virginia Democrats also have proposed several bills regarding guns,including:

Banning bump stocks (http://lis.virginia.gov/cgibin/legp604.exe?181+sum+HB41) , a device that allows a semi-automatic rifle to mimic the firing speed of a fully automatic weapon.Bump stocks were used by the shooter who killed 58 people andinjured more than 500 at a concert in Las Vegas in October.Instituting universal background checks(http://lis.virginia.gov/cgibin/legp604.exe?181+sum+HB717) onpeople who want to buy guns, including in private sales and at gunshows. Democrats said opinion polls show that most Virginianssupport (http://wasoncenter.cnu.edu/wpcontent/uploads/2018/02/Feb72018Final2.pdf) such a law.Keeping guns away from individuals who may present a threat tothemselves or others. Legislation (http://lis.virginia.gov/cgibin/legp604.exe?181+sum+HB198) introduced by Del. Richard“Rip” Sullivan Jr., D-Arlington, would have allowed prosecutors andlaw enforcement officers to seek a court order to remove firearmsfrom such individuals.

All of those bills were killed in committees controlled by Republicans.

On Thursday, President Donald Trump announced that he would visit thesite of the Florida massacre and make school safety a priority when hemeets with the nation’s governors next month.

“To every parent, teacher and child who is hurting so badly, we are herefor you, whatever you need, whatever we can do, to ease your pain,”Trump said. “Your suffering is our burden also.”

U.S. House Speaker Paul Ryan urged Americans to come together and notpoliticize the shooting. “This is pure evil,” he said.

The shooter has been identified as 19-year-old Nikolas Cruz, who had beenexpelled from Stoneman Douglas High School for disciplinary reasons.Students who knew Cruz said he openly talked about his infatuationwith guns. The FBI was warned in January that Cruz was a potentialthreat but did not act on the information.

Democratic Del. Cheryl Turpin, a teacher from Virginia Beach, discussedthe shooting on the floor of the Virginia House. Like Ryan, she urgedpeople to refrain from playing politics with the tragedy. But Turpin saidthat should not prevent legislators from enacting gun laws.

“Our call to action is not a political one but a plea for mercy, a plea thatwe will put politics aside and address this crisis head-on,” Turpin said.

“Waiting around for the right time to have this conversation, yet again,will only put more lives at risk. There are too many empty chairs in diningrooms across America due to our inaction on gun reform.”

4/16/2018 Democrats and Republicans Mourn but Disagree Over Guns | Virginia News | US News

https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/virginia/articles/2018-02-16/democrats-and-republicans-mourn-but-disagree-over-guns 1/5

(/news/best-states) BEST STATES

By AYA DRIOUCHE, Capital News Service

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Democrats in the Virginia (/news/best-states/virginia) General Assembly have expressed frustration overRepublicans' refusal to take up gun control legislation in the wake of Wednesday's deadly school shooting in Florida (/news/best-states/�orida).

"We extend our thoughts and prayers to the victims and their families, but our thoughts and prayers are not enough," House MinorityLeader David Toscano and Del. Charniele Herring, who chairs the Virginia House Democratic Caucus, said in a joint statement.

The shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, left 17 people dead and 14 injured. It was the deadliestschool shooting in the United States since 26 people were killed at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut(/news/best-states/connecticut), in 2012.

"These tragedies are not inherently inevitable; rather, they are enabled by the continued failure of policy-makers to act," Toscano andHerring stated. "We have been entrusted by the public to institute policies to keep our communities safe, and we are failing the peoplewho elected us to do so."

Republican legislators said that they too are concerned about gun violence but that lawmakers should not be rash.

"It seems like we're playing whack-a-mole," said Del. John McGuire, R-Henrico. "Every time there's a problem in society, we want to have aquick reaction. That's why I say we need to stand back and see what's going on."

Democrats chided Republicans for such statements, including a comment by Del. Thomas Wright, R-Lunenberg, who said of the Floridashooting: "My heart goes out. But when it comes to the constitutional right to defend yourself and your family, that's something that'sguaranteed."

On the Senate �oor, Sen. Richard Black, R-Loudoun, said shootings happen at schools because they are gun-free zones. "The idea that wedisarm our people in the schools - we forbid our teachers and our staff from carrying concealed �rearms - is a mistake," he said.

This legislative session, Virginia Republicans proposed bills to repeal the state's prohibition on bringing weapons to houses of worship.Such a measure passed the Senate on a party-line vote and is awaiting action in the House.

Virginia Democrats also have proposed several bills regarding guns, including:

.Banning bump stocks, a device that allows a semi-automatic ri�e to mimic the �ring speed of a fully automatic weapon. Bump stockswere used by the shooter who killed 58 people and injured more than 500 at a concert in Las Vegas in October.

.Instituting universal background checks on people who want to buy guns, including in private sales and at gun shows. Democrats saidopinion polls show that most Virginians support such a law.

.Keeping guns away from individuals who may present a threat to themselves or others. Legislation introduced by Del. Richard "Rip"Sullivan Jr., D-Arlington, would have allowed prosecutors and law enforcement o�cers to seek a court order to remove �rearms fromsuch individuals.

HOME (//WWW.USNEWS.COM/) NEWS (//WWW.USNEWS.COM/NEWS) BEST STATES (//WWW.USNEWS.COM/NEWS/BEST-ST…VIRGINIA NEWS (//WWW.USNEWS.COM/NEWS/VIRGI…

/ //

Feb. 16, 2018, at 6:05 p.m.

Democrats and Republicans Mourn but Disagree Over GunsDemocrats in the Virginia General Assembly have expressed frustration over Republicans' refusal to take up gun control legislation in thewake of Wednesday's deadly school shooting in Florida.

(https://ww

com%2Fnews%2Fbest-states%2Fvirginia%2Farticles%2F2018-02-16%2Fdemocrats-and-republicans-mourn-but-disagree-over-guns%3Fsrc=usn_fb)est-states%2Fvirginia%2Farticles%2F2018-02-16%2Fdemocrats-and-republicans-mourn-but-disagree-over-guns%3Fsrc=usn_tw&text=Democrats%20and%20Republicas%2Fbest-states%2Fvirginia%2Farticles%2F2018-02-16%2Fdemocrats-and-republicans-mourn-but-disagree-over-guns%3Fsrc=usn_rd)



All of those bills were killed in committees controlled by Republicans.

On Thursday, President Donald Trump announced that he would visit the site of the Florida massacre and make school safety a prioritywhen he meets with the nation's governors next month.

"To every parent, teacher and child who is hurting so badly, we are here for you, whatever you need, whatever we can do, to ease yourpain," Trump said. "Your suffering is our burden also."

U.S. House Speaker Paul Ryan urged Americans to come together and not politicize the shooting. "This is pure evil," he said.

The shooter has been identi�ed as 19-year-old Nikolas Cruz, who had been expelled from Stoneman Douglas High School for disciplinaryreasons. Students who knew Cruz said he openly talked about his infatuation with guns. The FBI was warned in January that Cruz was apotential threat but did not act on the information.

Democratic Del. Cheryl Turpin, a teacher from Virginia Beach, discussed the shooting on the �oor of the Virginia House. Like Ryan, sheurged people to refrain from playing politics with the tragedy. But Turpin said that should not prevent legislators from enacting gun laws.

"Our call to action is not a political one but a plea for mercy, a plea that we will put politics aside and address this crisis head-on," Turpinsaid.

"Waiting around for the right time to have this conversation, yet again, will only put more lives at risk. There are too many empty chairs indining rooms across America due to our inaction on gun reform."

This story was produced by Virginia Commonwealth University's Capital News Service.

Copyright 2018 The Associated Press (http://www.ap.org). All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten orredistributed.

Tags: Virginia (https://www.usnews.com/topics/locations/virginia)

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3/3/2018 Democrats Vow to Push for Gun Control Laws | The Seattle Times

https://www.seattletimes.com/nation-world/democrats-vow-to-push-for-gun-control-laws/ 1/8

Democrats Vow to Push for Gun Control Laws

Originally published January 30, 2018 at 2:11 pm

� � ,

Nation & World

Search'



By AYA DRIOUCHEThe Associated Press

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Democratic legislators said Tuesday they will continue to fightfor gun control laws as Republicans continued to kill bills to restrict firearms.

Six Democratic delegates held a press conference to discuss proposals such as banningweapons from public libraries. Del. Roslyn Tyler of Sussex County said gun violence hasbeen endangering Virginians for years.



“We cannot allow this problem to get worse,” Tyler said. “We cannot stay idle as gunviolence leads to more and more empty seats at the dinner tables across the country.”

Del. John Bell of Loudoun County touted his bill to require applicants for a concealedweapons permit to show in-person “competence with a handgun.” Currently, applicantscan get a permit by completing a video or online training course.

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Bell called HB 91 a “very common-sense bill.” Last week, a House subcommittee killed iton a 4-2 vote.

Bell, who served in the U.S. Air Force for more than 26 years, noted that he went throughextensive training to be able to carry a weapon. He said civilians also should receiveadequate training in front of a certified instructor before obtaining a concealed carrypermit.

“The current online training is far inadequate,” Bell said. “It doesn’t have eyes on fromqualified instructors to know if that holster is properly fitted. You have to watch thosethings in real life, in real time.”

Groups such as the National Rifle Association opposed Bell’s measure. He said theyshould support it.

“I believe the groups like the NRA and the Virginia Citizens Defense League who opposethis bill are missing a tremendous opportunity to provide low-cost frequent training andto do a public good,” Bell said.

“I believe in the Second Amendment. I’m a gun owner. But I think responsible gunownership is important, and I believe every gun owner should have a background checkand should show they were properly trained before they’re given a concealed carrypermit.”

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So far this session, Republicans have defeated several gun control bills sponsored byDemocrats, including one to require background checks on all gun purchases. OnMonday, the Republican majority in the House rejected a resolution to ban firearms fromthe chamber’s gallery while delegates are in session.

Shortly after the Democrats’ news conference, Republican legislators held one of theirown. They argued that citizens should be able to carry weapons in places of worship.

Virginia law prohibits guns in churches and other religious settings. But last week, theSenate voted 21-18 along party lines to repeal that law.

Just as politicians are protected by armed security, members of a congregation shouldbe allowed to arm themselves for self-defense, said Del. Dave LaRock of LoudounCounty.

He stood next to a poster of Democratic Gov. Ralph Northam speaking to an interfaithgroup about gun violence at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church last week. LaRock pointed outthat the governor’s security detail was nearby.

LaRock said it is not fair that the governor gets treated differently than Virginia citizenswho are barred from carrying weapons in places of worship. He said it appears to be adouble standard.



“The law that’s on the book says that weapons are prohibited in church without goodand sufficient reason, which is vague,” LaRock said. “And we don’t believe laws that arevague should be on the books.”

He said Northam signaled that he would veto SB 371, which would rescind that law, if itpasses the General Assembly.

“We pose the question,” LaRock said. “He deserves armed protection in church, butothers don’t? We’re just asking him to fill in the blank and explain to us why.”

This story was produced by Virginia Commonwealth University’s Capital News Service.

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3/3/2018 Senate panel votes to ban bump stocks

http://wric.com/2018/01/15/senate-panel-votes-to-ban-bump-stocks/ 1/4

Senate panel votes to ban bump stocksAya Driouche, Capital News ServicePublished: January 15, 2018, 4:05 pm | Updated: January 15, 2018, 4:17 pm

RICHMOND – A survivor of the Oct. 1 mass shooting in Las Vegas helped persuade a Virginia Senate committee

Monday to approve a bill outlawing bump stocks, a device that allows a ri�e to mimic an automatic weapon.

After hearing from Henrico County resident Cortney Carroll, who was at the country music concert where 58 people

were killed and 546 injured, the Senate Courts of Justice Committee voted 11-4 for SB 1 (http://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-

bin/legp604.exe?181+sum+SB1). It would prohibit Virginians from making, selling or possessing “any device used to

increase the rate of �re of any semi-automatic �rearm beyond the capability of an unaided person to operate the

trigger mechanism of that �rearm.”




FILE – In this Feb. 1, 2013, �le photo, an employee of North Raleigh Guns demonstrates how a“bump” stock works at the Raleigh, N.C., shop. The gunman who unleashed hundreds ofrounds of gun�re on a crowd of concertgoers in Las Vegas on Monday, Oct. 2, 2017, attachedwhat is called a “bump-stock” to two of his weapons, in e�ect converting semiautomatic�rearms into fully automatic ones. (AP Photo/Allen Breed, File)

Carroll, 40, recalled being at the Route 91 Harvest music festival when Stephen Paddock opened �re on 22,000

concertgoers. “The only way I could describe it is, it sounded like a machine gun,” she said. That’s because Paddock,

who later killed himself, had �tted his ri�es with bump stocks to �re at a rate of nearly 10 rounds per second.

“When I found out that just a regular person had changed a semi-automatic ri�e into essentially a machine gun, it

really hit me hard,” Carroll, who lives in Short Pump, said in an interview. “I had no idea that those things (bump

stocks) even existed. So that’s when I knew that I needed to take a stand. I believe that I was saved for a reason, and I

need to make a di�erence.”

Carroll, a mother of two, comes from a family of Republicans who enjoy hunting and support Second Amendment

rights.

“I grew up in a household with hunters. My boyfriend’s a hunter. I have no problem with guns. I’m a Republican; I

support gun rights,” she said. “Prior to this, I didn’t really know anything about bump stocks.”

Carroll said she su�ers from post-traumatic stress disorder and anxiety from the massacre. The �rst thing she does

when she enters a room is to identify the exits – and ponder where she would hide if someone started shooting.

Carroll said large crowds make her uncomfortable.

On the evening of Oct. 1, Carroll and her aunt were singing along to Jason Aldean when the �rst shots rang out.

Everyone assured her they were �reworks. But seconds later, Carroll recalls hearing the rat-tat-tat sound of “machine

gun �re you hear in movies.”



Cortney Carroll spoke to aSenate committee Monday.(CNS photo by Aya Driouche)

Carroll and her aunt crouched down and huddled closely, covered by other people

who were attending the concert. Carroll recalls thinking, “This couldn’t happen to me

– not now.”

After �ve rounds of shooting, as Paddock was reloading his weapons, Carroll said she

and her aunt got up and ran. As they tried to �nd a path to safety, they hit a dead

end. At that moment, Carroll’s aunt was grazed by a bullet above her eye. Seeing her

aunt’s face dripping with blood is something that Carroll said still haunts her today.

Carroll’s boyfriend attended the Senate committee meeting to o�er his support.

Carroll had a small orange ribbon pinned to her shirt, symbolizing mass shooting

awareness.

All six Democrats on the Senate Courts of Justice Committee, along with �ve

Republican members, voted for SB 1 (http://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?

181+vot+S03V0014+SB0001). Four Republican senators voted against

(http://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?181+vot+S03V0014+SB0001) the bill.

SB 1, which was introduced by Sen. Adam Ebbin, D-Alexandria, now goes to the Senate Finance Committee for

consideration.

Also at Monday’s meeting, the Senate Courts of Justice Committee defeated:

SB 2 (http://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?181+sum+SB2), which would have made it illegal to carry a

loaded �rearm while under the in�uence of alcohol or illegal drugs.

SB 5 (http://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?181+sum+SB5), which would have required a background

check for any �rearm transfer. Currently, no checks are necessary for sales at gun shows and between private

individuals.

SB 112 (http://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?181+sum+SB112), which would have added disability,

gender, gender identity and sexual orientation to the state’s de�nition of a hate crime. Now, only o�enses

“motivated by racial, religious, or ethnic animosity” are considered hate crimes.

All six of the Democrats on the committee voted in favor of those bills, and all nine Republican members voted against

it.

Afterward, Democratic senators criticized the Republican committee members for voting against background checks.

“We know that if we enact universal background checks, fewer law enforcement o�cers will be shot and killed, fewer

intimate partners will be shot and killed, and there will be fewer gun-related suicides,” said Sen. Jennifer Wexton, D-

Loudoun. “Gun violence is an epidemic, and the time has come to act if we are going to keep our communities safe.”

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ay a driouche...opinion polls show that most virginians support such a law..keeping guns away from...

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