He tells a Petersburg forum that people getting out of jail still are getting their hands on weapons

PETERSBURG - A candidate for the 16th Senate District seat said Tuesday night that he favors the strengthening of gun rights for Virginians, but he would take it a step further by immediately restoring gun rights to convicted felons as they are released from jail.

“They are still finding ways of getting guns because they need to protect themselves, and they do,” independent Waylin K. Ross told a legislative candidate forum at the Old Towne Civic Center. “They are getting guns off of the black market. And they still shoot them and they will still protect themselves and we will still see killing.”

Ross’ Democratic opponent, former state delegate Joseph D. Morrissey, had a startled expression on his face but did not respond to Ross’ statement at the forum about gun rights for felons. But Morrissey said that gun ownership, like other rights, is not an “unfettered right.”

While saying he supports Second Amendment rights, Morrissey added he favors the elimination of assault weapons, large magazines, bump stocks and silencers, the reinstatement of red flag laws, and reinstituting one hand-gun purchase per month rules.

In a city where 10 homicides have been recorded so far this year, crime prevention was a closely watched topic of discussion.

“If we want to reduce crime, it goes back to money. The citizens need money, they don’t want to be criminals, they don’t want to be violent,” Ross said. “If we’re not going to really approach how we can empower citizens, then anything else would really be a waste of time.”

Ross said that encouraging people to become self-employed and start their own businesses helps empower them.

Morrissey said that stopping crime first means better regional relationships with law enforcement, and harped back to the elimination of assault rifles, calling the gun class a “weapon of war.”

Morrissey also tied the issue of crime to mental health, saying a person in mental distress is incapable of knowing what he did is right or wrong.

“If someone commits an unlawful act while under the throes of a mental health crisis, he hasn’t committed a crime,” Morrissey said.

He advocated for the creation of a “third court,” which would specifically handle cases involving mental health.

Morrissey, a former Richmond prosecutor, soundly defeated incumbent Sen. Rosalyn R. Dance in the June Democratic primary. Ross, a former legislative staffer for Morrissey, filed his independent candidacy on the day of the primary.

The 16th Senate District includes stretches from Petersburg and Hopewell through portions of Chesterfield County into south Richmond.

House of Delegates

Incumbent Democrat Lashrecse D. Aird is being challenged for a third term by independent candidate Larry Haake, a former Chesterfield County voter registrar, for the 63rd House District seat, which was recently redrawn to include all of Petersburg and Dinwiddie County, and portions of Chesterfield County.

Haake, despite his voter-registration career, tried Tuesday night to paint himself as an outsider free of any business or political influence. He said he would work both sides of the aisle in Richmond.

“I want to be your delegate because I’m tired of seeing the state shortchanging localities, sending down unfunded mandates, not supporting local efforts and shortchanging education,” he said.

In her opening statement, Aird highlighted her political career that began as a legislative aide to then-delegate Dance, then winning the seat in 2015 when Dance moved to the Senate. At the end of her statement, Aird questioned her opponent’s motive for running, saying that for the first time in two decades, Democrats have a chance to be the majority party in both legislative chambers.

“I would hate to see the progress that we’ve made be lost to someone who has shown no vested interest in our community,” Aird said. She said that issues like increasing minimum wage, increasing teacher pay, ensuring affordable healthcare have been held up by Republicans for “decades.

“Those are the types of policies that will change when a Democratic House and a Democratic Senate comes back in 2020,” Aird said.

Haake called the long-running spat between Democrats and Republicans a “hissing contest.

“Right now the Republicans are in charge, and I dare say, if the Democrats are in charge, the hissing would continue,” Haake said. “The reality is, I as an independent may end up in the position to decide who is in charge. I may end up the most powerful person in the House of Delegates is the numbers are so balanced.”

On the subject of affordable housing, the two candidates were asked about the role of government in that issue.

Aird referenced legislation she passed in 2019 to help reduce the number of low-income residents who are evicted.

Haake answered that question by saying that rising home prices are a sign of a strong economy, but that affordable housing needs to be available, and the concept of “projects” needs to be completely abandoned.

Aird said she is in support of raising the minimum wage to $15, in increments that would allow companies to slowly increase wages over time. Haake said that he thinks the minimum wage needs to be reexamined but that he doesn’t necessarily support.

On education, Aird said that Virginia could soon become the “Silicon Valley of the East Coast,” and that the district cannot be left behind, calling for technology training in schools and retraining so residents can get the required certifications.

Haake said he sees a shortage of tradesmen — brick layers, plumbers, etc. — that shouldn’t be forgotten when thinking about workforce development.

“In addition to tech jobs, let's look at the good old standard jobs and encourage people to get into those,” Haake said.

The forum was sponsored by the Petersburg Chamber of Commerce.

Sean Jones can be reached at sjones@progress-index.com or 804-722-5172.