From Progress Virginia:
Virginia Beach Republicans Embrace the Trump-Pence Agenda to Attack Sensible Gun Violence Prevention Laws. Voters Don’t.
Virginia Beach, Virginia— Donald Trump’s Vice President, Mike Pence, will be hosting a get out the vote rally with Virginia Beach Republicans on Saturday, and gun violence prevention will take center stage. Virginia Beach Republicans like Chris Stolle, Glen Davis, and Jen Kiggans share the same devotion to the NRA as the Trump-Pence administration. Pence has previously received an ‘A’ grade and an endorsement from the NRA, just like Virginia Beach Republicans. And Donald Trump and Mike Pence’s Virginia Beach friends have also received financial support from the NRA, which also poured an unprecedented amount of money into the 2016 election.
Virginians made it clear in 2016 that we don’t support the Trump-Pence agenda. We rejected Trump-style politics again in 2017 and 2018, and we will again in 2019. The Trump-Pence agenda is anti-gun violence prevention. In the aftermath of the Virginia Beach shooting and other senseless gun violence, voters in Virginia Beach need real action on the issues that impact them and their families. What we don’t need is politicians who will put the corporate special interests ahead of the interests of the 62% of Virginia voters who support reinstating the one-handgun-a-month law or the 66% of Virginians believe that new gun laws will not interfere with the right to own guns.
“Everyone should have the opportunity to live and work in a thriving community without fear of gun violence,” Anna Scholl, Executive Director of Progress Virginia, said. “Virginia Beach Republicans have proven that they side with the NRA, Donald Trump, and Mike Pence when it comes to gun violence prevention. When voters go to the polls on November 5, we’ll be voting for someone will look out for us and our families by passing laws for comprehensive background checks and other commonsense gun violence prevention measures”
Background:
- In Congress, Pence voted for gun manufacturer immunity from liability – known as the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act.
- During his political career, gun rights groups have contributed more than $35,000 to Pence, with the NRA donating $28,000.
- The NRA invested $30 million into Donald Trump’s presidential campaign.
- Republicans blocked commonsense gun violence prevention bills during the regular General Assembly Session this year including a universal background checks bill, a ban on assault firearms, an “extreme risk protective order”, and a bill that would have reinstated Virginia’s one-handgun-a-month law.
- Gun violence claims the lives of 958 Virginia residents each year. That’s 1 person killed every 9 hours .
- 94% of Virginia voters support requiring background checks for all gun buyers, with 90% of Republican voters supporting the measure.
- 54% of Virginians support stronger gun laws in the commonwealth
- An ad, paid for by the Republican Party of Virginia, in support of Republican Senator Bill DeSteph, used the image of one the Virginia Shooting victims to promote anti-gun prevention legislation without the permission of the shooting victim’s family.
- Delegate Todd Gilbert will go down in history for accepting the largest contribution ever made by the National Rifle Association to a Virginia political fund. The $200,000 donation from gun lobbyists is a guarantee that Gilbert will put the NRA’s interests above the interests of the families he is supposed to represent.
- Senator Tommy Norment and Speaker of the House Kirk Cox adjourned the Gun Violence Prevention Special Session after just 90 minutes without voting on any legislation. Instead of passing laws that make our communities safer, they punted passed all of the bills to the toothless Virginia State Crime Commission.
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