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U.S.A. –-(Ammoland.com)- A Virginia State senator and two published reports by competing broadcast news agencies are saying the Democrat majority in the state’s General Assembly rejected a modest pay increase for sheriff’s deputies in the Commonwealth because of widespread law enforcement opposition to new gun control bills.

The controversy is spreading across social media as Reuters is reporting seven of eight gun control proposals on Gov. Ralph Northam’s agenda have advanced out of committee and are close to becoming law.

According to WRIC News, Republican Sen. Bill Stanley revealed in a post on Facebook a few days ago that he had been approached by Senate Majority Leader Dick Saslaw, a Democrat, who told him, “Hey Stanley, you want to know why your sheriffs didn’t get a raise? —because they came to our committees and said that they weren’t going to enforce our laws.”

WRIC subsequently reported Saslaw “declined to do an interview on Monday but confirmed the post was accurate.”

“There’s no need to interview,” Saslaw reportedly told WRIC, “I said it.”

Sen. Stanley’s post has been shared some 20,000 times.

WTVR News quoted Stanley explaining, “Dick is a friend of mine. I love him dearly. He’s never lied to me, so I believe what he said was true that the reason why the sheriffs were not getting a raise is because some sheriffs dared to come up here to the people’s house and declare that they were going to support the Second Amendment of the Constitution and, I guess, that didn’t jive to well with him.”

Saslaw reportedly acknowledged, stating, “All I said was a lot of people are upset that these people come in and say they’re not going to enforce our laws. That’s all.”

Now rights activists from across the country have been weighing in on Sen. Stanley’s post. When Ammoland News checked Stanley’s post, more than 2,700 comments had been posted and more than 8,700 people had reacted.

Other Democrats reportedly also declined interviews on the subject, including Sen. Jane Howell, chair of the Senate Finance and Appropriations Committee, WTVR said.

What can be made from all of this? If Democrats now in control in Richmond represent the attitude of the entire party—and many rights activists believe they do—it increases the likelihood that the 2020 “gun vote” could be massive. Virginia taught American gun owners something about sitting out an election, and about how far and how fast Democrats will push their gun control agenda. Beto O’Rourke, with his “Hell, yes!” declaration wasn’t just an anomaly, he was saying what his fellow Democrats were thinking. At least, that’s how many in the Second Amendment movement see things, and they have “20/20 vision.”

Gov. Northam has made no secret about his desire to ratchet down on gun rights as tightly as he can. Democrats in the General Assembly appear to be telling Old Dominion lawmen and women they will be punished for daring to stand up to legislative demagoguery.

While the Northam agenda was not completely fulfilled—he did not get the desired ban on so-called “assault weapons”—WSLS confirmed other measures are moving including so-called “universal background checks,” the revived “one handgun per month” restriction, a “red flag” law, elimination of the on-line option to obtain a concealed carry permit, a ban on guns on school grounds, allowing local control over banning guns in public places and increasing penalties for not reporting stolen or lost firearms.

Grassroots Second Amendment activists have been reminding their fellow shooters that Everytown for Gun Safety, the group started and bankrolled by anti-gun billionaire Michael Bloomberg—now a Democrat candidate for the presidency—spent a reported $2.5 million to flip the Virginia legislature via its Action Fund last year. Bloomberg’s campaign has spent hundreds of millions of dollars nationally and is heavily touting his record on gun control.

While the issue was not discussed during the debate in Las Vegas, which was Bloomberg’s disastrous first appearance with other Democratic hopefuls, it could come up at future encounters. The issue cannot be swept under a rug with more than 100 million gun owners’ votes up for grabs.

About Dave Workman

Dave Workman is a senior editor at TheGunMag.com and Liberty Park Press, author of multiple books #add on the Right to Keep & Bear Arms and formerly an NRA-certified firearms instructor.

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