• About
  • Contact

Virginia Municipal League

Building Better Communities Through Sound Government

BETTER COMMUNITIES THROUGH SOUND GOVERNMENT

  • Organization
    • About the League
      • Strategic vision and goals
      • Benefits of VML Membership
      • Directions to the VML office
    • Board of Directors
      • Executive Meeting Packets
      • Serving on the Executive Board
      • VML Past Presidents
    • League Staff
    • Local Government Members
      • Benefits of VML Membership
    • Affiliate Organizations
    • VML/VACo APCO Steering Committee
      • VML/VACO APCo Steering Committee Board
    • Partners
  • Member Resources
    • General Assembly
    • ARPA Resources
    • Publications
    • Presentations
    • General Forum
    • Account
    • Reset Password
  • Education
    • Events >
      • 2023 Local Government Day
      • Virginia Local Elected Officials Conference
      • Annual Conference >
        • 2022 Annual Conference
        • 2021 Annual Conference
        • 2020 Annual Conference
        • Past Annual Conference Programs
        • Future Conference Dates
      • Virginia Mayors Institute >
        • 2022 Virginia Mayors Institute
        • 2021 Virginia Mayors Institute
        • 2020 Virginia Mayors Institute
      • 2022 Hurricane Season Briefing
      • ARPA Monitoring & Reporting Compliance Webinar
    • Essay Contest
      • Essay Contest Past Winners
    • Civility. Respect. Solutions.
    • American Rescue Plan Act Resources
    • Coronavirus Resources
    • Innovation Awards
      • Innovation Award Past Winners
    • Virginia You Love: 2022 Survey Contest
    • Racial Inequality – Local Statements
    • Wallerstein Scholarship
  • Advocacy
    • 2023 General Assembly
      • 2022 GA Resources
      • 2021 GA Resources
      • 2020 GA Resources
    • 2023 Local Government Day
      • 2022 Local Government Day
      • 2021 Local Government Day
    • Legislative Program
    • Legislative Committee
    • Policy Statements
    • Policy Committees
      • Community & Economic Development
      • Finance
      • General Laws
      • Human Development & Education
      • Infrastructure, Transportation & Environmental Quality
    • State Budget Overview Session
    • Local Federal Issues
    • Federal Advocacy
  • Media
    • VTC Magazine
    • eNews Newsletter
    • VML Voice Podcast
      • Subscribe: The VML Voice
    • Get the VML APP
    • Legal Resources
    • Local Officials’ Resources Series
    • Other Publications
    • News Releases
  • Calendar
  • Classifieds
    • Job Openings
    • Create Jobs
  • Corporate Engagement
    • Community Business Membership
      • Community Business Members Listings
    • Advertising with VML
    • Terms & Conditions
  • eNews
  • Town and City
  • Subscribe: The VML Voice
  • Legal Resources
  • Local Officials’ Resources Series
  • Other publications
  • News Releases

eNews Jan. 20, 2020 – Action Alert

Monday, January 20, 2020 - 05:04pm

 

Oppose waivers of sovereign immunity

Call this evening or early tomorrow morning to oppose these bills

Sovereign immunity is government’s immunity from being sued while performing government functions which are powers and duties performed exclusively for the public welfare. Two bills in the House would waive sovereign immunity.

HB162 (McGuire & Cole, M.L.) and HB1382 (Campbell, J.L.) create situations where localities would waive their sovereign immunity. HB162 states that if a locality or the Commonwealth creates a firearm-free zone, then the Commonwealth or locality waives its sovereign immunity as it relates to any injuries sustained by persons lawfully present in such a fire-arm free zone. HB1382 adds that a locality will be subject to an ordinary negligence standard for its invitees.

Who to contact immediately

These bills are currently before the Firearms Subcommittee of the House Committee on Public Safety. The subcommittee meets Tuesday at 8:30 a.m. Click on the name of each member of the subcommittee for contact information:

Bourne | Plum  | Price | Helmer | Jenkins | Davis | Coyner | Batten | Hope

The full committee meets Friday at 8 a.m. Click on the name of each member of the committee for contact information:

Hope | Plum | Kory | Lopez | Rasoul | Price | Levine | Carroll Foy | Helmer | Cole, J.G. |  Simonds | Jenkins | Wright | Robinson | Wilt | Fariss | Rush | Davis | Campbell, R.R. |  Coyner | Batten

Talking points:

  • Localities have the authority to regulate the health, welfare and safety of its citizens; this authority should be retained without any legal restraints.
  • Any waiver of sovereign immunity, such as those proposed in HB162 and HB1382, should be OPPOSED.

Senate bill also should be opposed this week

In the Senate, SB1009 (Chase) discusses the waiver of sovereign immunity and then adds that the Commonwealth or locality assumes an affirmative duty to protect all invitees and further states that the damages shall not be subject to any limit of liability.

SB1009 is in the Senate Committee on the Judiciary, which meets Mondays at 8 a.m. Click on the name of each member of the committee for contact information:

Edwards | Saslaw | Norment | Lucas | Obenshain | McDougle | Stuart | Stanley | Chafin | Deeds | Petersen | Surovell | McClellan | Boysko | Morrissey

Talking point:

  • Unlimited damages as well as changing the legal standard for localities, such as those proposed in SB1009, should be OPPOSED.

VML Contact: Michelle Gowdy, mgowdy@vml.org

Comments and questions about this website or the data provided may be addressed to Manuel Timbreza
©2023 Virginia Municipal League
Virginia Municipal League
P.O. Box 12164, Richmond, VA 23241
13 E. Franklin St., Richmond, VA 23219
804-649-8471

Copyright © 2023 · Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in

Terms and Conditions