WMAL Interview - VA DEL. TONY WILT - 08.28.20
The Vince Coglianese Show
English - August 28, 2020 13:00 - 7 minutes - 7.36 MB - ★★★★★ - 63 ratingsNews Homepage Download Apple Podcasts Google Podcasts Overcast Castro Pocket Casts RSS feed
Virginia Delegate Tony Wilt joined WMAL's morning-drive radio show "Mornings on the Mall" in Washington, D.C. on Friday to discuss the extreme anti-police measures moving through the Virginia Assembly during special session. Some of the bills include lowering the punishment for assaulting a police officer and banning police from using tear gas and rubber bullets.
7:05 AM - INTERVIEW - VIRGINIA DELEGATE TONY WILT - Delegate for the 26th District of Virginia (made up of the city of Harrisonburg and part of Rockingham County in the Shenandoah Valley)
https://delegatewilt.com/
https://twitter.com/DelTonyWilt
https://www.facebook.com/DelTonyWilt/
TOPIC: Virginia legislative special session has had a lot of anti-police nonsense
ASSAULTING A POLICE OFFICER
- Virginia Senate passes bill allowing assaulting a police officer to be a misdemeanor
Bill removes mandatory jail sentence
RICHMOND, Va. – A controversial bill is moving forward during the current Virginia General Assembly special session.
On Wednesday, the Virginia Senate voted 21-15 to pass Senate Bill 5032, which would allow an assault against a law enforcement officer to a misdemeanor if the person attacked is not hurt.
Here’s the summary of the bill:
Eliminates the mandatory minimum term of confinement for an assault and battery committed against a judge; magistrate; law-enforcement officer; correctional officer; person directly involved in the care, treatment, or supervision of inmates; firefighter; or volunteer firefighter or any emergency medical services personnel and provides that such crime can no longer be committed as a simple assault and must result in a bodily injury.
Summary of Senate Bill 5032: The bill also removes mandatory minimum 6-month jail sentence for assaulting a police officer.
https://www.wsls.com/news/virginia/2020/08/26/virginia-senate-passes-bill-allowing-assaulting-a-police-officer-to-be-a-misdemeanor/
MARK HEMINGWAY: Also, bill eliminates the mandatory minimum for assault against judge, magistrate, law-enforcement officer, correctional officer, firefighter, or any emergency medical services personnel. Roughing up judges is a misdemeanor? All for CJ reform, but...
BANNING POLICE USE OF TEAR GAS AND RUBBER BULLETS
- Va. House panel backs ban on tear gas, rubber bullets
Lawmakers in the House of Delegates gave a preliminary thumbs up Tuesday to legislation banning police from using tear gas and rubber bullets — so-called nonlethal weapons that departments around the state and country have deployed in response to recent widespread civil unrest.
“It’s currently legal for police in Virginia to use chemical weapons against civilians that we don’t even allow our troops to use in warzones,” saidDel. Dan Helmer, D-40th, who represents parts of Prince William and Fairfax counties, who sponsored the legislation.
And rubber bullets and beanbag rounds, he said, “are known to pose significant risk of death and permanent disability.”
The bill, dubbed the Best Equipment for Law Enforcement Act, passed the House’s public safety committee on a party-line vote, with Democrats supporting and Republicans opposing. In addition to reining in crowd-control tactics, it also limits what kinds of military equipment police can obtain.
Law enforcement groups opposed the legislation, arguing rubber bullets, also called kinetic rounds, are an important law enforcement tool, especially in stand-off situations where someone is armed with a knife or other non-projectile weaponry.
“The way these munitions are used on a regular basis is not in civil disturbances,” said Herndon Police Chief Maggie DeBoard, vice president of the Virginia Association of Chiefs of Police. “I spent four years commanding a SWAT team. I can tell you, these munitions save lives.”
As a compromise, she suggested limiting the ban to protests and riots, where their deployment has caused brain damage, loss of sight and other disabilities.
Herndon also defended the use of a federal grant program that distributes military surplus to local departments around the country, arguing the military rifles departments obtain through the program are essential equipment in the event of a shooting in which the perpetrator is also armed with a rifle. Law enforcement groups have also said armored vehicles play an important role in some standoffs.
“I will tell you a lot of smaller and mid-sized agencies do not have the funding to purchase these for their agencies,” she said. “They need to be in the hands of patrol officers.”
https://www.princewilliamtimes.com/news/va-house-panel-backs-ban-on-tear-gas-rubber-bullets/article_a2df0998-e79e-11ea-b876-230f7af70540.html
- FLASHBACK LAST NOVEMBER: Democrat Dan Helmer unseats Del. Tim Hugo in 40th District House seat https://www.princewilliamtimes.com/news/democrat-dan-helmer-unseats-del-tim-hugo-in-th-district/article_85152b4e-ff01-11e9-8c32-0bec5715f7ca.html
DEL. TONY WILT’S TWEETS:
TONY ON THE BAN ON TEAR GAS AND RUBBER BULLETS FOR POLICE
- Tony Wilt @DelTonyWilt Yesterday afternoon during the Public Safety Committee meeting the majority passed a measure to prohibit police from using or having access to tear gas, rubber bullets and other equipment. When asked for examples of other states that had such a policy, he cited Oregon. https://twitter.com/DelTonyWilt/status/1298802884369317889
- Tony Wilt @DelTonyWilt When you eliminate non-lethal options as a tool you make both citizens and law enforcement less safe. We need to support our police, not defund them or recklessly curtail their ability to respond to each situation as warranted. https://twitter.com/DelTonyWilt/status/1298802885640228864
TONY ON LEE CARTER’S PUSH TO CUT POLICE FUNDING:
- Tony Wilt @DelTonyWilt: Now that the House is moving forward with the business of the special session, I'm concerned with what we've seen so far. Delegate Lee Carter has put forward a proposal to cut the State Police budget by 25% and state support for local police departments by 25%. https://twitter.com/DelTonyWilt/status/1298802881425027073
REMEMBER VA DEL. LEE CARTER’S THREAT TO CUT POLICE FUNDING? HE WAS PUSHING THIS WEEK TO SLASH POLICE FUNDING IN THE VA ASSEMBLY
- FLASHBACK IN JUNE: The Republican Party of Virginia is calling on a Democratic lawmaker to resign after it appears he got physical with police at a protest in Manassas and threatened their state funding. “I’m a member of the General Assembly,” a man who appeared to be Del. Lee Carter, D-Manassas, was videotaped telling state police at the protest Saturday. “I run the state police’s budget. They’re gonna f****** regret this.” https://www.thecentersquare.com/virginia/virginia-gop-urges-del-carter-to-resign-after-apparent-confrontation-with-police-at-protest/article_5b17d494-a420-11ea-b43f-4f1dc11c4338.html
- Flashback in JUNE: LEE CARTER IS AT A PROTEST YELLING AT POLICE AND THREATENING TO CUT THEIR POLICE FUNDING: Video: Lee Carter seems to think “Don’t you know who I am” works with police: https://twitter.com/MA2VA2/status/1267095876591390720
- VA House GOP @vahousegop: More than happy to let Virginians know you want to cut local police funding by 25 percent.
We want every Virginian to know it, and to know that @VAHouseDems support you in your efforts.
https://twitter.com/vahousegop/status/1299345166571122689
- Lee J. Carter @carterforva tweet to @VAGOP: You seem to be confused by how sentences work. If I'd addressed the cops and said "You're gonna fuckin regret it," that would've been a threat. I addressed a different group of people and said "THEY'RE gonna fuckin regret it." Which makes it a campaign promise. https://twitter.com/carterforva/status/1299071436808687616
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Virginia Delegate Tony Wilt joined WMAL's morning-drive radio show "Mornings on the Mall" in Washington, D.C. on Friday to discuss the extreme anti-police measures moving through the Virginia Assembly during special session. Some of the bills include lowering the punishment for assaulting a police officer and banning police from using tear gas and rubber bullets.
7:05 AM - INTERVIEW - VIRGINIA DELEGATE TONY WILT - Delegate for the 26th District of Virginia (made up of the city of Harrisonburg and part of Rockingham County in the Shenandoah Valley)
https://delegatewilt.com/
https://twitter.com/DelTonyWilt
https://www.facebook.com/DelTonyWilt/
TOPIC: Virginia legislative special session has had a lot of anti-police nonsense
ASSAULTING A POLICE OFFICER
- Virginia Senate passes bill allowing assaulting a police officer to be a misdemeanor
Bill removes mandatory jail sentence
RICHMOND, Va. – A controversial bill is moving forward during the current Virginia General Assembly special session.
On Wednesday, the Virginia Senate voted 21-15 to pass Senate Bill 5032, which would allow an assault against a law enforcement officer to a misdemeanor if the person attacked is not hurt.
Here’s the summary of the bill:
Eliminates the mandatory minimum term of confinement for an assault and battery committed against a judge; magistrate; law-enforcement officer; correctional officer; person directly involved in the care, treatment, or supervision of inmates; firefighter; or volunteer firefighter or any emergency medical services personnel and provides that such crime can no longer be committed as a simple assault and must result in a bodily injury.
Summary of Senate Bill 5032: The bill also removes mandatory minimum 6-month jail sentence for assaulting a police officer.
BANNING POLICE USE OF TEAR GAS AND RUBBER BULLETS
- Va. House panel backs ban on tear gas, rubber bullets
Lawmakers in the House of Delegates gave a preliminary thumbs up Tuesday to legislation banning police from using tear gas and rubber bullets — so-called nonlethal weapons that departments around the state and country have deployed in response to recent widespread civil unrest.
“It’s currently legal for police in Virginia to use chemical weapons against civilians that we don’t even allow our troops to use in warzones,” said Del. Dan Helmer, D-40th, who represents parts of Prince William and Fairfax counties, who sponsored the legislation.
And rubber bullets and beanbag rounds, he said, “are known to pose significant risk of death and permanent disability.”
The bill, dubbed the Best Equipment for Law Enforcement Act, passed the House’s public safety committee on a party-line vote, with Democrats supporting and Republicans opposing. In addition to reining in crowd-control tactics, it also limits what kinds of military equipment police can obtain.
Law enforcement groups opposed the legislation, arguing rubber bullets, also called kinetic rounds, are an important law enforcement tool, especially in stand-off situations where someone is armed with a knife or other non-projectile weaponry.
“The way these munitions are used on a regular basis is not in civil disturbances,” said Herndon Police Chief Maggie DeBoard, vice president of the Virginia Association of Chiefs of Police. “I spent four years commanding a SWAT team. I can tell you, these munitions save lives.”
As a compromise, she suggested limiting the ban to protests and riots, where their deployment has caused brain damage, loss of sight and other disabilities.
Herndon also defended the use of a federal grant program that distributes military surplus to local departments around the country, arguing the military rifles departments obtain through the program are essential equipment in the event of a shooting in which the perpetrator is also armed with a rifle. Law enforcement groups have also said armored vehicles play an important role in some standoffs.
“I will tell you a lot of smaller and mid-sized agencies do not have the funding to purchase these for their agencies,” she said. “They need to be in the hands of patrol officers.”
- FLASHBACK LAST NOVEMBER: Democrat Dan Helmer unseats Del. Tim Hugo in 40th District House seat https://www.princewilliamtimes.com/news/democrat-dan-helmer-unseats-del-tim-hugo-in-th-district/article_85152b4e-ff01-11e9-8c32-0bec5715f7ca.html
DEL. TONY WILT’S TWEETS:
TONY ON THE BAN ON TEAR GAS AND RUBBER BULLETS FOR POLICE
- Tony Wilt @DelTonyWilt Yesterday afternoon during the Public Safety Committee meeting the majority passed a measure to prohibit police from using or having access to tear gas, rubber bullets and other equipment. When asked for examples of other states that had such a policy, he cited Oregon. https://twitter.com/DelTonyWilt/status/1298802884369317889
- Tony Wilt @DelTonyWilt When you eliminate non-lethal options as a tool you make both citizens and law enforcement less safe. We need to support our police, not defund them or recklessly curtail their ability to respond to each situation as warranted. https://twitter.com/DelTonyWilt/status/1298802885640228864
TONY ON LEE CARTER’S PUSH TO CUT POLICE FUNDING:
- Tony Wilt @DelTonyWilt: Now that the House is moving forward with the business of the special session, I'm concerned with what we've seen so far. Delegate Lee Carter has put forward a proposal to cut the State Police budget by 25% and state support for local police departments by 25%. https://twitter.com/DelTonyWilt/status/1298802881425027073
REMEMBER VA DEL. LEE CARTER’S THREAT TO CUT POLICE FUNDING? HE WAS PUSHING THIS WEEK TO SLASH POLICE FUNDING IN THE VA ASSEMBLY
- FLASHBACK IN JUNE: The Republican Party of Virginia is calling on a Democratic lawmaker to resign after it appears he got physical with police at a protest in Manassas and threatened their state funding. “I’m a member of the General Assembly,” a man who appeared to be Del. Lee Carter, D-Manassas, was videotaped telling state police at the protest Saturday. “I run the state police’s budget. They’re gonna f****** regret this.” https://www.thecentersquare.com/virginia/virginia-gop-urges-del-carter-to-resign-after-apparent-confrontation-with-police-at-protest/article_5b17d494-a420-11ea-b43f-4f1dc11c4338.html
- Flashback in JUNE: LEE CARTER IS AT A PROTEST YELLING AT POLICE AND THREATENING TO CUT THEIR POLICE FUNDING: Video: Lee Carter seems to think “Don’t you know who I am” works with police: https://twitter.com/MA2VA2/status/1267095876591390720
- VA House GOP @vahousegop: More than happy to let Virginians know you want to cut local police funding by 25 percent.
We want every Virginian to know it, and to know that @VAHouseDems support you in your efforts.
https://twitter.com/vahousegop/status/1299345166571122689
- Lee J. Carter @carterforva tweet to @VAGOP: You seem to be confused by how sentences work. If I'd addressed the cops and said "You're gonna fuckin regret it," that would've been a threat. I addressed a different group of people and said "THEY'RE gonna fuckin regret it." Which makes it a campaign promise. https://twitter.com/carterforva/status/1299071436808687616
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.