
From the Phil Hernandez for Virginia House of Delegates campaign:

Phil Hernandez’s Response to Del. Bloxom’s Secretive Meeting with the NRA

NORFOLK, VA — Last evening, Del. Rob Bloxom hosted a “town hall” with the NRA. Closed to the press, the meeting is one of a series the gun lobby group has held around Virginia. From Ashland to Virginia Beach to the Eastern Shore, the politicians hosting the NRA have made clear that these meetings are part of the partisan agenda they’ll be bringing to Richmond when special session begins next week.

Phil Hernandez released the following statement in response to Delegate Bloxom’s NRA “town hall:”

“Rob Bloxom invited the gun lobby into our community just one month after the mass shooting in Virginia Beach — the worst mass shooting of 2019. This meeting was held behind closed doors, as the press was prohibited from covering the event. This secrecy does not serve our community,” said Phil Hernandez, candidate for delegate in Virginia’s 100th House District. “I attended public schools in the age of mass shootings. I participated in ‘active shooter’ drills, which became normalized after Columbine. And year after year, I’ve watched politicians like Rob Bloxom stand in the way of commonsense reforms to keep our kids and our communities safe. We can respect the Second Amendment and take sensible steps forward together to reduce gun violence, which is fundamentally a public health crisis.”

More background:

– The gun lobby contributes directly to Bloxom’s re-election campaigns: Bloxom has taken money from the NRA in the past and attended a high dollar dinner with them last year.

– Rather than heading into session with an “open mind” or holding an open discussion for all citizens of the Eastern Shore and Norfolk, Bloxom called the special session “a little quick, almost a rash or reactionary response,” even though he admitted he hasn’t reviewed all of the Governor’s proposals.

Born and raised in Hampton Roads, Phil Hernandez attended public schools, and received a scholarship that made it possible for him to attend William & Mary and become the first in his family to graduate from college. Phil served as a Senior Policy Analyst in President Obama’s White House Domestic Policy Council, and, while in law school, helped to pass legislation aimed at preventing homelessness. More recently, Phil worked as an attorney with a nonprofit organization and advocated for civil rights and the rights of working people.

To learn more about Phil and his campaign for the 100th district, please visit www.philforvirginia.com.