Inside Classifieds, Page 14 Follow on Twitter: @SprConnection v Meg Parker of Sterling does yoga with rabbits during a Bunny Yoga event sponsored by Friends Senior of Rabbits at the Springfield Living APRIL 2018 Veterinary Holistic Franconia ❖ KingstowneKingstowne ❖ Newington Center of Northern Virginia located in Springfield. Senior Living Entertainment, Page 12 v Opinion, Page 2 A Bunny with Your Yoga McAuliffe Leads Trump Tax Town Hall Meeting News, Page 3 News, Page 4 Photo by Steve Hibbard/The Connection April 5-11, 2018 State Regulation Thwarted, Time for Local Action online at www.connectionnewspapers.com Opinion, Page 2 Opinion Springfield www.ConnectionNewspapers.com Legislators: County Has Authority @SprConnect An independent, locally owned weekly newspaper delivered to homes and businesses. To Ban Loaded Rifles on Road Published by Local Media Connection LLC The following letter to all members of the Fairfax Roanoke, Virginia Beach, and Williamsburg. to use their existing authority to foster gun 1606 King Street County Board of Supervisors from members of the Gen- We, members of the Virginia General Assem- safety and protect the driving public. Alexandria, Virginia 22314 eral Assembly from Fairfax, urges common sense action bly representing Fairfax County, do not believe We hereby ask that you initiate the processes on guns; the state legislators say Fairfax County has the Free digital edition delivered to authority to ben loaded shotguns and rifles on the roads. that there is a need for loaded shotguns or necessary to change Fairfax County’s ordi- your email box. Go to loaded rifles on Fairfax County’s public roads. nances to prohibit the transportation of loaded connectionnewspapers.com/subscribe ear Madam Chairman and Hon. High emotions that come with traffic conges- shotguns and loaded rifles to the fullest extent Supervisors: Section 15.2-915.2 of tion in our region have led to instances where possible under Virginia Law. NEWS DEPARTMENT: Dthe Code of Virginia gives all local firearms have been discharged in incidents of We look forward to working with you on this [email protected] governments in Virginia the au- road rage. Requiring that shotguns and rifles important initiative. Kemal Kurspahic thority to ban loaded shotguns and loaded are not loaded at the beginning of a trip will Sen. Scott Surovell (D-36) Editor ❖ 703-778-9414 rifles on public highways. help to reduce the potential for such split-sec- Sen. Richard Saslaw (D-35) [email protected] § 15.2-915.2. Regulation of transportation ond, life-changing decisions to occur in a mo- Sen. Barbara Favola (D-31) of a loaded rifle or shotgun. ment of anger. Such an ordinance will also help Sen. David Marsden (D-37) Andrea Worker Contributing Writer The governing body of any county or city may to protect the driver and passengers, includ- Sen. Jennifer Wexton (D-33) [email protected] by ordinance make it unlawful for any person ing children, as well as law enforcement from Sen. George Barker (D-39) to transport, possess or carry a loaded shotgun the accidental discharge of one of these weap- Del. Kaye Kory (D-38) Jean Card or loaded rifle in any vehicle on any public street, ons. For example, in 2006, Virginia State Del. Mark Keam (D-35) Production Editor [email protected] road, or highway within such locality. Trooper Kevin C. Manion was killed after a Del. Rip Sullivan (D-48) A similar ordinance has been enacted in the loaded rifle went off during a wreck cleanup Del. Ken Plum (D-36) counties of Fauquier, Loudoun, Madison, in Clark County. Del. Alfonso Lopez (D-49) ADVERTISING: Albemarle, Chesterfield, Clarke, James City, We recognize that the Fairfax County Board Del. David Bulova (D-37) For advertising information e-mail: King George, New Kent, Northumberland, of Supervisors considered this issue in 2015. Del. Karrie K. Delaney (D-67) [email protected] Surry, Warren and the cities of Alexandria, However given recent events, we believe that Del Paul Krizek (D-44) 703-778-9431 Fredericksburg, Petersburg, Richmond, it is important at this time for all our localities Del. Jennifer Boysko (D-86) Steve Hogan Display Advertising, 703-778-9418 [email protected] State Regulation Thwarted, Time for Local Action Debbie Funk National Sales 703-778-9444 By Scott Surovell limit ammunition magazines to 20 anyone on the Terrorist Watch List from pur- [email protected] State Senator (D-36) rounds after Jared Loughner shot chasing a firearm. It died in committee. Arizona Congresswoman Gabrielle This session, I also supported Sen. Adam David Griffin Marketing Assistant he March for Life put a spot- Giffords. A committee killed the bill Ebbin’s effort session to ban bump stocks. The 703-778-9431 Tlight on the country’s and on a 5-0 bipartisan vote. Senate Courts Committee passed the bill, but [email protected] Virginia’s permissive fire- Current Virginia law prohibits the Senate Finance Committee killed it. The arms regulation culture. The young people who have been adjudicated House of Delegates killed an identical bill. Classified & Employment Advertising people’s outburst of civic activism mentally ill and involuntarily com- I fought the repeal of Virginia’s “One Gun a 703-778-9431 and the new efforts of others who mitted or ordered into outpatient Month” law enacted in 2012. I have also fought have not been very politically active mental health treatment by a court bills to allow guns in churches, restrict employ- is inspiring. from owning a firearm. In 2014, I introduced ers’ ability to limit concealed firearms on their Editor & Publisher Mary Kimm Historically, I have proudly supported rea- legislation to add ammunition to that prohibi- property, streamline the sale of machine guns [email protected] sonable, bipartisan measures to allow Sunday tion. A committee killed that bill. and flamethrowers, allow “constitutional @MaryKimm hunting, reduce fees and cut paperwork for Since 2014, I have repeatedly introduced carry” (concealed carry without a permit), al- Executive Vice President concealed carry gun hold- legislation requiring universal background low firearms in airports, give fired prosecutors Jerry Vernon Commentary ers. Unfortunately, sensible checks, including The Coalition to Stop Gun concealed weapon privileges without permits, 703-549-0004 measures to prevent fire- Violence’s signature universal background make concealed carry permit information se- [email protected] arm violence have been at check bill. It contains numerous fair exceptions cret and to make Virginia a “Stand Your Editor in Chief a stalemate in Virginia. Until there is broader but died every session, often on a bipartisan Ground” state. Steven Mauren political change in Virginia, we must take some vote. My efforts are examples of reasonable steps Managing Editor steps at the local level. In the 2015 Session, I fought measures to we can take to prevent future, senseless gun Kemal Kurspahic Currently, Virginia law allows local govern- grant universal reciprocity for out-of-state con- violence. Gun violence must stop, as those who Art/Design: Laurence Foong, John Heinly, ments to ban loaded shotguns and rifles, in- cealed weapon permits by adding requirements marched a few weeks ago across the country Ali Khaligh cluding semi-automatic rifles like AR-15’s, on that reciprocal states have restrictions paral- so eloquently expressed, especially those im- Production Manager: public highways. Nineteen localities, includ- leling Virginia’s prohibitions for the mentally pressive teenagers who stepped forward and Geovani Flores ing Alexandria and Loudoun and Fauquier ill, drug addicts and dealers, domestic assault pointed a finger at the elected officials who counties, have adopted this approach. I can convicts, violent criminals, sexual batterers, dodge and dawdle. CIRCULATION think of no reason anyone needs to carry a drunk drivers, those illegally present in the Please contact me at [email protected] Circulation Manager: loaded AR-15 or a shotgun on a Northern Vir- United States, people dishonorably discharged if you have any feedback. It is an honor to serve Ann Oliver ginia highway. from the military, individuals with pending as your state senator. [email protected] Although, I raised this issue with the Fairfax felonies and fugitives. The House of Delegates County Board of Supervisors in 2015, they killed every one of my attempts on a mostly chose not to act. I have asked them to revisit party-line vote. Unfortunately, former Gover- Write this again. In Prince William County, nor Terry McAuliffe signed a universal reciproc- Letters to the Editor Woodbridge Supervisor Frank Principi has ity bill into law after Attorney General Mark The Connection 1606 King St. agreed to propose an ordinance. Herring invalidated existing reciprocity agree- Alexandria VA 22314 Since 2009, I have also advocated other ments with over a dozen states and forced a Call: 703-917-6444. measured approaches to reduce firearm vio- compromise. By e-mail: [email protected] lence: In 2012, I cosponsored legislation to In 2016, I introduced legislation prohibiting 2 ❖ Springfield Connection ❖ April 5-11, 2018 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com Connection Editor Kemal Kurspahic News 703-778-9414 or [email protected] McAuliffe Leads Trump Tax Town Hall Meeting Panelists offered “This was the worst explanations of how piece of legislation I Trump’s new tax law have ever seen will affect Americans. passed by Congress and signed into law By Steve Hibbard The Connection by the President. It is ormer Virginia Gov. Terry going to cripple our McAuliffe headlined a Trump Tax government going F Town Hall Meeting on Tuesday, March 27, 2018, in front of George Mason University students with a down the road.” panel of four local business leaders. The — Former Virginia Gov. Terry panelists offered explanations of how Photo by Steve Hibbard/The Connection McAuliffe Trump’s new tax law will affect Americans The panelists for the Trump Tax Town Hall Meeting included (from left): and what they can do about it.