Following a series of high profile shootings deemed justified under the state’s “Make My Day” law, some lawmakers are looking to expand the state’s gun laws to allow citizens to defend themselves beyond just their homes.

After picking up her 16-year-old son from school a woman returned to her home in Fort Worth, Texas to find that a burglar had broken in. The woman retrieved a gun, confronted the criminal, and shot him once in the leg. The burglar fled the home, but was captured by police a few blocks away.
When contacted by the local media for comment the woman simply noted that she was protecting her home. An investigation revealed that the intruder had at least one outstanding warrant. (The Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Fort Worth, Texas 01/27/12)

Sunday’s status as a day of rest, in the secular sense, ended when the repeal of blue laws transformed the day into one more for business, work and pleasure. And when our hectic lives demanded one more day to get the week’s work done.But a relic of a bygone era remains enshrined in Virginia law. It’s time for it to go.The state’s ban on Sunday hunting, even on private land, is an arbitrary and unnecessary restriction. A bill approved by the Senate last week would finally end it for those who hunt on land they own or have permission to be on.

On Thursday, February 2, at 1:00 p.m. the Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee will hold a hearing on Senate Bill 64. Sponsored by state Senator Simonaire (R-31), SB 64 seeks to require the Secretary of State Police, on or before March 15 in each year succeeding the registration of a machine gun, to notify the registrant in writing of the requirement to renew its registration.

In Mexico, where criminals are armed to the teeth with high-powered weapons smuggled from the United States, it may come as a surprise that the country has some of the most restrictive gun laws in the world.Law-abiding Mexicans who want a gun to defend themselves have no good options. Either they fight government red tape to get a legal permit, or they buy one on the black market.After an outbreak of violence, one embattled community in northern Mexico called Colonia LeBaron has begun to ask if it’s time for the country to address its gun laws.

Due to a procedural miscue last week, the state Senate Courts of Justice Committee reconsidered a number of firearm-related bills today.  While most of these bills received similar votes as last Wednesday, there were a few differences of note.  Senate Bill 323, originally reported out of committee by an 8 to 7 vote, passed this morning by a 9 to 6 vote when state Senator Tommy Norment changed his vote. 

American women saying they personally own a firearm is nearly one in four, according to an October Gallup poll.That survey indicated the highest gun ownership since the 1990s, with 43 percent of women reporting at least one in their home and 23 percent saying it’s theirs. (Half of American men own a firearm, the poll showed.)

Today, House Bill 49 passed in the state House Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice Committee by a vote of 10 to 3.  Sponsored by state Representative Paul Ray (R-13), HB 49 would provide that, in the absence of threatening behavior, the otherwise lawful possession of a firearm, whether visible or concealed, does not constitute a violation of Disorderly Conduct. 

A document the Department of Justice sent to Congress Friday shows that Eric Holder’s deputy chief of staff was made aware on the day of U.S. border Patrol Agent Brian Terry’s murder that a weapon traced back to Operation Fast and Furious killed him. But when asked Sunday, a Justice spokesperson would not would not answer The Daily Caller’s question about whether Attorney General Eric Holder himself was informed of the connection on that day.

Today, NRA-backed legislation that would prohibit employers from preventing employees from lawfully storing firearms in their locked personal vehicles passed in the state House Judiciary Committee by a 10 to 2 vote.  At this time, this legislation has not been scheduled for consideration on the House floor.