Gun Owners of America Endorse Delegate Bob Marshall

Delegate Bob Marshall has scored another big endorsement.  One of the largest gun owner groups in the US, GAO, has endorsed Bob Marshall for Congress in the 10th district.  In his support for Marshall executive director Larry Pratt issued this statement:

I am pleased to endorse Bob Marshall in the upcoming primary on April 26 to be the Republican candidate for Congress in Virginia’s 10th Congressional District.

I have known Delegate Bob Marshall for many years, and have worked closely with him on Second Amendment issues since his election to the House of Delegates. In my job as Executive Director of Gun Owners of America, I work with legislators from around the country. I would be hard pressed to name an elected official who not only has a better understanding of this issue, but who has proactively proposed, introduced and sponsored legislation to ensure that our right to keep and bear arms is preserved.

I am very familiar with the Virginia House of Delegates myself, since I served there as an elected Member in the early 1980’s. During and since that time, I have carefully observed our state legislators and find Bob Marshall to be one of the finest I have ever met. I continue to be impressed with his persistence in proposing legislation to guarantee our liberties, constitutional freedoms and the right to keep and bear arms.

Just last year, for instance, Delegate Marshall introduced HB 2340 in the Virginia House that would prevent any Virginia employee of a city, county or state from assisting the federal government in any investigation, prosecution, detention, arrest, search or seizure of legally-held weapons by Virginians. The bill specified that Virginia citizens would be protected from any imposition of new Executive Orders or other federal statutes on private ownership or private transfer of firearms, firearm magazines, ammunition or components.

The Committee on Militia and Police reported the bill to the floor of the House. Interestingly, Delegate Comstock, who is running against Delegate Marshall in the upcoming Firehouse Primary, voted to kill the bill and take it permanently out of consideration by the House of Delegates. Luckily, there were not enough votes to kill the bill, and it was sent to Appropriations Committee, where it is languishing now. But I know that Delegate Marshall will do his best to get this bill – and many others like it – back to the House floor.

Delegate Marshall also introduced a related bill, HB 1160, to prevent Virginia agencies from cooperating with federal officials in the indefinite detention of citizens under the National Defense Authorization Act. The threat of this Act should not be overlooked, and it is certainly on Bob Marshall’s radar screen.

Delegate Marshall sponsored HB 1557, requiring every school board in the Commonwealth to designate at least one qualified person for every school in the district who, upon application with the school board, would be able to carry a concealed handgun on school property. The bill requires all designated persons, to be certified and trained by the Virginia Center for School Safety or the National Rifle Association in the storage, use and handling of a concealed handgun. The bill also outlines the training requirements for designated persons as designed by the Department of Criminal Justice Services.

I think this bill is an excellent idea, and one that should have been passed years ago. If it had been, perhaps the massacre at Virginia Tech could have been prevented. This bill is still in the Committee on Militia, Police and Public Safety, but, no doubt, Delegate Marshall will try to get it reconsidered.

I have gone into some detail to show you the depth and commitment that Bob Marshall has on the Second Amendment just in the last year or two. Over his 21 years in the legislature, he has introduced similar bills in every legislative session to protect and ensure our rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, in addition to the right to keep and bear arms.

In my opinion, this solid commitment to the Constitution — and particularly the Second Amendment, which evidently is ingrained in everything Bob Marshall does — is what we need in the United States Congress.  We need more Congressmen who will not cave into pressure, and who are unreservedly for our Second Amendment liberties.

Bob Marshall’s solid commitment to the Constitution, particularly the Second Amendment, is what we need in the United States Congress. How refreshing it would be to have someone like him who will not cave into pressure, a Congressman who is unreservedly for our Second Amendment liberties.

It will a tough primary on April 26, as six candidates are vying for this nomination. But none has Bob Marshall’s passion, experience and commitment to the Second Amendment.

This will be a close race with dedicated Republicans coming out to vote in the small 5-hour window when the polling places will be open. Please get involved to help us turn out our fellow GOP citizens in the 10th Congressional District who care about the Second Amendment.

I will be doing everything I can to help Bob Marshall be the Congressional nominee from the 10th District. I hope all who care about our constitutionally-guaranteed liberties will join me in this all-important campaign.

In Liberty,

Larry Pratt

Executive Director