| Action | Promulgation of new regulation banning concealed firearms in executive branch agency offices |
| Stage | Proposed |
| Comment Period | Ended on 10/21/2016 |
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I oppose the proposed ban on guns in state buildings. Let's examine what we are trying to do.
?The Governor of Virginia has said that he is trying to make state office buildings more safe. I believe the Governor is being disingenuous. What he is really trying to do is to please a part of his political coalition. I understand politics and the Governor's need to repay the people who helped him get elected, but the irony is that his proposal puts state employees and others in state buildings at more risk as a result of his proposal, not less risk.
Bad guys, whether they be sickowhackos or terrorists or ghastly criminals want one important thing in an active shooter situation: they want to maximize carnage. For that reason they actively consider various aspects of their possible targets including the liklihood of effective opposition. A gun-free zone greatly reduces the chance of effective opposition. Thus, making state facilities a gun-free zone increases the liklihood it will be selected as a target by a terrorist or criminal. This unnecessarily puts state employees and visitors to the building in an elevated risk environment.
Further, the General Assembly has asserted its authority over this matter. For the Governor to again challenge the General Assembly will exceed his authority and again smear his face with egg as the court's rule his power grab to be illegal.
Thank you for considering my comments. For the sake of the safety of state employees please reject the proposal to render them defenseless in a dangerous situation.