If Stewart’s gun resolution passes, ‘it’ll be the greatest 3 weeks in Prince William County’

In his last three weeks in office, Corey Stewart is pushing Prince William County to join the pack of 23 other Virginia localities that have declared themselves 2nd Amendment Sanctuaries.

• It’s a public showing to the newly elected General Assembly that these counties aim to protect residents’ rights to bear arms, including AR-15 assault rifles, which would be banned if Falls Church Senator Dick Saslaw’s bill passes.

Saslaw’s SB16 would make selling, renting, trading, making, or transporting an assault rifle from another state into Virginia a felony.

• The bill also aims to limit the number of rounds in a magazine to seven.

Stewart says this type of gun reform would infringe upon the rights of gun owners, which are enshrined in the U.S. Constitution.

• Leaders in 2nd Amendment sanctuaries say they’ll refuse to uphold these laws.

If this resolution passes during the evening session of the Board of County Supervisors on December 10, it’ll be one of the most short-lived resolutions on the books.

• December 10, the final meeting of the year, will also be Stewart’s last meeting on the Board after 15 years, and incoming Board Chair Ann Wheeler says she’ll rescind the resolution when the new Board takes their seats in January.
• Before that happens, “those will be the greatest three weeks in Prince William County,” Stewart told me after the meeting.
• During the meeting, Stewart told Supervisors, “It was my hope we would have a very quiet non-contentious meeting [on December 10]… the new Board will want to address in their own way… if they undo it, so be it, but I’m going to do what I think is right.”

The Virginia Citizens Defense League is rallying protestors, urging them to speak in favor of gun ownership.

• It tracks the number of counties that have already passed sanctuary resolutions, and those like Prince William and Stafford counties who are set to consider them.

It was standing-room-only at Tuesday’s Prince William Board County Supervisors meeting, as citizens packed the Board Chambers in Woodbridge urging Supervisors to pass Stewart’s resolution.

• “The gov doesn’t want to you protect your life, your child life, or your home if you do it with a AR-15,” said former Republican Virginia Delegate Bob Marshall, who held the seat now occupied by Democrat Delegate Danica Roem. Marshall cited Saslaw’s bill, warning residents that it would ultimately lead to gun confiscation.
• “As a 52-year-old veteran that has served my country, my government has decided I’m the problem. I’m a member of 2 militia… I am part of the well-regulated militia…If this is not interrupted by July 1, I will not comply. I might not be a law-abiding gun owner,” one man told the Board.

Some also spoke against the resolution.

• “The constitution calls for a well-regulated militia and gun control will do just that — keep guns out of the hands of people who can’t pass a background check,” one woman said.
• “I see a lot of white people talking about their rights being taken away,” added another. “There are a lot of African-Americans in this room and I don’t see any of them getting up and talking about their guns being taken away. They’ve been terrorized with guns for 100 years.”