Members of the Virginia General Assembly have caught Virginia gunowners by surprise. On March 10th 2004, the Joint Rules Committee met and passed a ban on firearms in the General Assembly*, which went into effect April 1, 2004. The joint committee consists of both Senators and Delegates, and does not need the vote of the full assembly to pass General Assembly rule changes. The Committee rule exempts the Members (Delegates and Senators), concealed handgun permit holders, and law enforcement officers.

The gun ban was so low key, that most members of the General Assembly didn't even know about it. If it weren't for Fairfax Board of Supervisors Chairman, Gerry "Hit and Run" Connolly wanting to extend the ban to Fairfax government buildings, we might never have even known. Connolly, who is notoriously anti-gun, says that if the state government is allowed to ban guns, local governments should be allowed to do so too. (PDF: 4.5 MB) Connolly, who was recently found not guilty of hit and run because his "position and his duties. . .caused him to be oblivious to what is going on in his car", is shocked by the double standard.

"It suggests a little whiff of hypocrisy to have one set of rules for them and one for everybody else," said Fairfax Board Chairman Gerald E. Connolly, D-at large.

He then suggested that he's not really trying to deny anyone their rights by banning guns. (Emphasis mine)

"No one is trying to take anyone's rights away," he added. "We're simply trying to create weapons-free zones with the exception, I suppose, of concealed permits."

Yeah, politicians never make their loyal subjects live by rules that they themselves don't have to follow.

Fortunately, several members of the General Assembly were shocked by the revelation and are calling for a repeal of the gun ban. Gerry "Crash" Connolly is not likely to get his way.

* Open carry had been legal in all government buildings save court rooms and schools.