PORTSMOUTH, Va. (WAVY) — In an era where the word shooting often follows the word school, the Virginia NAACP is taking on the powerful gun lobby in the upcoming General Assembly session.
“This includes comprehensive background checks on the sale of firearms, limitations on purchasing firearms and a prohibition of selling and transporting assault weapons,” said Virginia NAACP legislative coordinator Tyee Mallory in a virtual news conference.
For children who survived the pandemic, but whose social skills are critically ill, the group is calling for a comprehensive mental health program in Virginia schools.
“We will advocate for increased counseling and mental health resources for students,” Mallory said. “We will advocate for clarifying the roles of school resource officers so that their training in dealing with criminal behaviors is not misplaced and or used unnecessarily.”
The era also includes book bans, book burnings, and verbal contortions over the cause of the Civil War.
“We believe in defending the teaching of America’s history, which includes Black history,” Mallory said. “We will support accurate interpretations of U.S. policies, social mores, and laws.”
The group will continue calling for criminal justice reform and restoration of the regional green gas initiative, while slamming the breaks on plans to restrict voting.
“I just want to say that this is democracy at work,” said Gaylene Kanoyton, Virginia NAACP political action chairwoman and president of the Hampton NAACP. “We want to expand access, not limited at all.”
The Virginia branch of the nation’s oldest civil rights group said the agenda may change as 1,500 bills are cued up for the 2024 General Assembly.
