Greetings, loyal minions. Your Maximum Leader is, as long-time readers know, generally very proud of his state government. It is quite sad that more Americans don’t pay close attention to what their state and local leaders are doing on a regular basis. Afterall it is more likely that a local ordinance concerning when you can and can’t put your trash can out on the curb for pickup will directly impact your life - rather than some omnibus spending bill passed in Congress.

The Virginia General Assembly is still sort of in session. For those of you who don’t know, the General Assembly of Virginia is our legislature (and it is the oldest continually operating democratic/republican institution in the world). It meets for either 60 or 90 days - depending on the year. When the General Assembly is not in session our Governor is pretty much in charge of everything. Considering that Virginia has a history of republican governance it is sorta funny that we should have such a powerful Governor. Your Maximum Leader has always thought this was a carry over from our colonial days. We still have something of a King and Parliament ystem going on. Anyhoo…

Things have been rather exciting in the General Assembly this year. Lots of good stuff going on - and very little press coverage overall. Which is, as your Maximum Leader noted, rather sad.

The Senate of Virginia just killed a bill that your Maximum Leader had been following. The bill was reported as one that set property rights against gun rights. This made it one that “split” the traditional Republican coalition.

The bill, if made law, would have made it legal for people to carry their legal firearms onto the private property of their employers. And by carry their firearms onto private property it meant you could keep your gun in your car in the parking lot. It didn’t mean that you could pack heat in the workplace.

All in all, your Maximum Leader - a gun owner and advocate of gun rights - would have to side with the property owners on this one. If you are an employer you should be allowed to set reasonable restrictions on what is or isn’t allowed on your property. As a thoughtful gun owner, your Maximum Leader is happy to leave his guns at home or not take them onto the property of another who objects to their presence.

This is not to say that your Maximum Leader doesn’t see the other side of this issue as well. Indeed, he was sort of conflicted on it. If one is a law abiding gun owner, you should be able to (within the law) transport your gun with you. If your employer doesn’t want firearms in the workplace - that is fine. But should your employer be able to prohibit you from keeping your gun secured in your vehicle in the company parking lot while you work? That actually is something of a toughie. Have you ever been to Pennsylvania, or Virginia, or a host of other states during hunting season? People wake up, go to work, then leave to hunt. (Or if you are really hardcore - you hunt in the morning, come in late to work, then go home for sleep.)

This might be one senario where a “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy might be appropriate. If you are going to take a firearm with you in your car (and secure it during the day) and park on company property - don’t tell your employer. Of course, if it is an option at your place of work you could park on a public street or parking area. That sort of negates the whole problem.

All in all, your Maximum Leader is glad that this bill was killed. Perhaps another year of thought on this is in order.

Carry on.