We need to keep pressure on Warner and Webb. When we get closer to a final vote, we will organize a rally at their Roanoke offices. In the meantime, please continue to call, email and send letters. There will also be another march on Washington on December 15^th. Details are here.

To further our goals we will begin to have monthly public meetings. Our first meeting will be on Feb 4^th 6:30-8:45 PM at the main Roanoke Library located at 3131 Electric Road SW, Roanoke VA 24018. This will be to discuss plans and to set up our formal organization. We are targeting the 3^rd Thursday of each month for this meeting. More coming soon.

We will begin to attend local events on weekends early in 2010. If you are interested in assisting with this, please contact me at purplerapture06@yahoo.com. We will start attending events handing out information and doing voter registration drives.

I attended the VTPP (Virginia Tea Party Patriots) Quarterly Meeting. Tea Party groups from across the state, as well as other Constitutional and 9-12 groups gathering together to pool resources and get more accomplished. It was a good and productive meeting.

As we’ve stated before, our focus in 2010 will be shifting to elections and making demonstrable political changes. We will do some selective marches, but we need to find more direct ways to push our agenda. That is also the focus of the VTTP.

To that end.

We will be starting a Political Action Committee, pooling the resources of all of the VTTP members. We will have more information on this in about a week, but this will allow us to have a lot more influence with politicians in Richmond and Washington.

We heard from a pollster who has done extensive polling in Virginia. Democratic politicians across the state are in real trouble. There was a lot of information shared and I’ll be posting some soon, but not surprisingly our values are what the majority of Virginians support. Don’t let the MSM fool you, the Republicans won because they were perceived as Conservative.

The focus of much of our work will be in Richmond. Why?

We are local

We have a friendly Governor and Attorney General to help us

What better place to start asserting out 10^th Amendment rights?

To that end, there will be a rally we will be asking everyone to attend. It will be on January 18^th (MLK Day) One of the keynote speakers will be Delegate Bob Marshall, who has written a fantastic piece of legislation that will allow Virginians to ignore the onerous provisions of Obamacare if this abomination passes Congress.

The bottom line is that forcing health care on citizens is absolutely unconstitutional and the provisions of this bill will assert our rights as Virginians under the 10^th Amendment. We will be covering this in more detail, but here is some basic information. Bob Marshall’s Plan  is a brilliant piece of legislation that, if we are successful, will eventually become part of our state Constitution.

There is another piece of legislation planned that will address 2^nd Amendment issues in a similar fashion.

January 18^th, the General Assembly will be in session and Richmond is not used to having more than a few hundred people show up for a rally. If thousands of us descend on Richmond and demand our state legislators assert our 10^th Amendment rights, we can have a much bigger impact then we can on Washington, where the current powers that be, see the majority of Americans as a nuisance. We will also be going into the State House to make our presence felt.

This will protect our rights as Virginians and send a more powerful message to Washington then any DC rally could ever do. Hopefully other states will take our lead. Ken Cuccinelli has already promised to support this movement and will be a keynote speaker at the January 18^th rally.

What can we do in the mean time?

Plan on being in Richmond on January 18.

Join the 10^th Amendment group to stay up on the many Richmond issues going on. Click here for their website.

Stay tuned for information on exactly what we will be doing in Richmond on January 18^th. Here is some basic logistical information.

Much more to come. 2010 is shaping up to be a tremendous year.

10th Amendment Revolution Lobby Day/Rally

Start: 01/18/2010 9:00 am

Virginia General Assembly

1 Capitol Square

Richmond, VA 23219

The Virginia 10th Amendment Revolution Lobby Day/Rally is to be held on capitol grounds in support of 10th amendment legislation to challenge the powers of the federal government not delegated to it by the states.

Lobbying will begin at 9:00AM and go on throughout the day with a Rally hosted by Virginia Campaign for Liberty at the Bell Tower from 10 – 11AM.

Patrick Henry impersonator, Mike McHugh of the Virginia Gun Owners Coalition, will emcee the event dressed in period costume and will give the famous Patrick Henry speech.

Other confirmed speakers:

Philip Van Cleave, VCDL
David Alan Carmichael, Freedom Minitries
Josh Eboch, FreedomWorks
Jamie Radtke, Virginia Tea Party Patriots
Ben Marchi, Americans for Prosperity
John Taylor, Tertium Quids
Donna Holt, VA Campaign for Liberty
Patrick McSweeney, Constitutional Lawyer

Keynote Speakers:

Attorney General Elect Ken Cuccinelli
Delegate Charles (Bill) Carrico
Delegate Robert (Bob) Marshall

It’s time once again for Virginians to take the lead in saving our country. The people have already spoken and installed Conservatives into positions of power in Richmond. It’s now time for Virginia to take the lead in fighting for our state rights that are guaranteed by the 10th Amendment to the Constitution.

There are 2 bills that will be brought before the House of Delegates in 2010. One asserts the rights of Virginians to choose their own path with health care and will invalidate  insurance mandates passed by the Federal government. The feds are using interstate commerce as the excuse to apply Federal rules to health care. But if a person chooses not to purchase health care insurance, there is no interstate commerce to regulate.  Mandating health insurance is patently unconstitutional. This law defends our rights to choose.

The second will assert that guns that are manufactured and sold in Virginia are not subject to any federal regulation. Since there would be no interstate commerce, the 10th Amendment would allow Virginia to regulate these guns in any way we see fit.

These laws will require politicians to take a stand against the Federal Government. It will require courage. The bills are written and the governor and Attorney general have pledged their support.

It will require pressure from We The People on those legislators that might not have the intestinal fortitude for such bold action. It is my understanding that rallies outside of the state house rarely see more than a few hundred protesters. If we can harness the power of the Tea Party movement, we can bring thousands of supporters for these measures.

Not only will we be rallying, but we will be attending meetings in the State House, going into the house offices to lobby our legislators etc. The DC elites may be too insulated for marches to “matter.” After the turnout for the 2009 elections, it’s hard to see how very many VA politicians won’t be influenced by a massive showing on January 18.

Here is some more information. If you are interested in helping organize/participate in this trip. Please contact me at january1810thamendmentrally@yahoo.com

01/18/2010 9:00 am

Virginia General Assembly

1 Capitol Square

Richmond, VA 23219

The Virginia 10th Amendment Revolution Lobby Day/Rally is to be held on capitol grounds in support of 10th amendment legislation to challenge the powers of the federal government not delegated to it by the states.

Lobbying will begin at 9:00AM and go on throughout the day with a Rally hosted by Virginia Campaign for Liberty at the Bell Tower from 10 – 11AM.

Patrick Henry impersonator, Mike McHugh of the Virginia Gun Owners Coalition, will emcee the event dressed in period costume and will give the famous Patrick Henry speech.

Other confirmed speakers:

Philip Van Cleave, VCDL
David Alan Carmichael, Freedom Minitries
Josh Eboch, FreedomWorks
Jamie Radtke, Virginia Tea Party Patriots
Ben Marchi, Americans for Prosperity
John Taylor, Tertium Quids
Donna Holt, VA Campaign for Liberty
Patrick McSweeney, Constitutional Lawyer

Keynote Speakers:

Attorney General Elect Ken Cuccinelli
Delegate Charles (Bill) Carrico
Delegate Robert (Bob) Marshall

with the 10th Amendment?

Could we effectively stop the takeover of health care by the federal government – at least for Virginians? Could we prevent the mandate that Virginians be forced to buy government-approved health coverage?

Virginia Delegate Bob Marshall is introducing the Virginia Health Care Freedom Act in the General Assembly in January, which would guarantee that every Virginian has a right to (as well as a right not to) purchase health insurance and medical services from whatever provider she chooses. The bill would also guarantee that Virginians would not be subject to federal fines if they chose to not to follow the requirement to buy government-approved health coverage.

Currently, 21 states are proposing similar legislation. The Tenth Amendment in the Bill of Rights gives states the right (and duty) to oppose the federal government when it overreaches its power and steps outside the very limited bounds of the Constitution. The takeover of health care is the biggest overreach in American history.

Donna Holt, president of the Virginia Campaign for Liberty and head of the Virginia 10th Amendment Revolution, will be discussing this on Freedom and Prosperity Radio which is broadcast on WFIR 960 at 8:00 PM this Sunday evening.  They will also discuss the proposed legislation to prevent federal gun laws from being imposed on Virginians who own Virginia-made guns and ammunition that stay within our borders.

Click here to listen to the podcast on the Freedom and Prosperity Radio Web site. 

Get informed and get ready to rally in Richmond on January 18th to ensure this critical state legislation is passed.

This is what our rally in Richmond is all about.  We will be offering bus trips to the Richmond rally on January 18th. The cost will be about $25 a person. Email me at purplerapture06@yahoo.com if you are interested.

I’m excited to report to you Delegate Bob Marshall is advancing state sovereignty with both the Virginia Health Care Freedom Act (HB 10) and the Virginia Health Care Freedom Amendment to Virginia’s Constitution (HJR 7).

The language of both is identical:

“No law shall restrict a person’s natural right and power of contract to secure the blessings of liberty to choose private health care systems or private plans. No law shall interfere with the right of a person or entity to pay for lawful medical services to preserve life or health, nor shall any law impose a penalty, tax, fee, or fine, of any type, to decline or to contract for health care coverage or to participate in any particular health care system or plan, except as required by a court where an individual or entity is a named party in a judicial dispute. Nothing herein shall be construed to expand, limit or otherwise modify any determination of law regarding what constitutes lawful medical services within the Commonwealth.”

If we can pass this, we can stop Obama’ s radical government takeover of health care in Virginia, no matter what Congress says.

With a solid Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli now on our side, we can set up a monumental fight for state sovereignty and defend the rights of Virginians.

Under General Assembly rules, the Health Care Constitutional Amendment (HJR 7) can not be considered by the House Privileges and Elections Committee during the regular session of the General Assembly. They cannot consider constitutional amendments for technical and procedural reasons.

That means for this session, HB10 is our only chance to stop Obama’s scheme to make all Americans dependent on government for basic medical care — and to punish and even jail Americans who object.

You may link to Del Marshall’s HB10 here.

I heard Delegate Marshall give an explanation for his measures recently. In my judgment and that of others,the language of Del. Marshall’s bill is on sound constitutional footing.

HB10 likely won’t be assigned to a committee until some time in January. (The 2010 session runs from January 13 to March 12.) Del. Marshall tells me that Insurance bills normally go to the Commerce and Labor Committee. New members have to be added because of the election but I strongly urge you to contact the members currently on the committee to seek their support to get these bills moved to the floor for a vote. Support in the committees is vitally important to getting the bills to the floor for a vote. You can find the list and contact info here.

Suggested script:

Dear Delegate________________,

Our current administration is intent on a complete health care take-over that will drastically transform the health care system, cost the taxpayers trillions of dollars, and will result in the greatest power grab to threaten individual liberty and the free market in the history of this nation.

Delegate Bob Marshall has introduced HB10, Virginia Healthcare Freedom Act (VHFA). I ask that you please support this important legislation to protect our state’s rights and our freedom of choice over our own health care, our right to choose whether or not to carry health care coverage, and the type of coverage we choose to carry.

Sincerely,
(Your name)

Senator Jill Vogel recently confirmed that she will introducing  a companion bill in the Senate. The language of her bill will mirror that of Del. Marshall’s bill.

Senator Vogel will carry a Virginia Firearms Freedom Act (VFFA) like that of Montana in the Senate, as well.

But if and when they cobble together a bill, the fight will not be over.

January 18. We will attend this rally in Richmond.

01/18/2010 9:00 am

Virginia General Assembly

1 Capitol Square

Richmond, VA 23219

The Virginia 10th Amendment Revolution Lobby Day/Rally is to be held on capitol grounds in support of 10th amendment legislation to challenge the powers of the federal government not delegated to it by the states. We will lobby and rally on behalf of this bill that will allow Virginians to ignore the unconstitutional and oppressive Health Care Reform mandates.

Lobbying will begin at 9:00AM and go on throughout the day with a Rally hosted by Virginia Campaign for Liberty at the Bell Tower from 10 – 11AM.

We will have a bus (hopefully busses) leaving for Richmond at 6:00 AM that morning. The cost per person will be $25 and the bus will return to Roanoke that afternoon. Information will be put ont he website within a few days that will allow you to purchase your seats on line.

Contact your local delegates to support this bill. Many are supportive, so be nice.

Here is a list of your local state delegates and senators. Click on the name for contact information and details of the areas each representative.

Delegates

19th District:  Lacey Putney

8th District: Griffith Morgan

11th District: Onzlee Ware

17th District: William Fralin

Senators:

District 21: John Edwards

District 22: Ralph Smith

Here’s some suggested verbiage…

Suggested script:

Dear Delegate________________,

Our current administration is intent on a complete health care take-over that will drastically transform the health care system, cost the taxpayers trillions of dollars, and will result in the greatest power grab to threaten individual liberty and the free market in the history of this nation.

Delegate Bob Marshall has introduced HB10, Virginia Healthcare Freedom Act (VHFA). I ask that you please support this important legislation to protect our state’s rights and our freedom of choice over our own health care, our right to choose whether or not to carry health care coverage, and the type of coverage we choose to carry.

Sincerely,
(Your name)

I’ll be contacting them too…so I’ll share their positions on the bill shortly.

Click here to reserve your seat today! If you have questions email me at chip@roanoketeaparty.com

Please contact your local representative. There is information on the first link for your Delegate and Senator. Since both of  our US Senators voted for the health care reform bill during Monday mornings vote, we are going to have to depend on our state to fight this monstrosity. Warner and Webb aren’t up for election till 2012…but we won’t forget this.

Here is a copy of the email I sent to each local delegate. I also sent a similar letter to our State Senators. I’ll keep you posted on the results.

I am a board member of the Roanoke Tea Party. I would like to solicit your support in regards to a piece of legislation that will be considered in January.

The Federal government is intent on a complete health care take-over that will drastically transform the health care system, cost the taxpayers trillions of dollars, and will result in the greatest power grab to threaten individual liberty and the free market in the history of this nation.

Delegate Bob Marshall has introduced HB10, Virginia Healthcare Freedom Act (VHFA). I ask that you please support this important legislation to protect our state’s rights and our freedom of choice over our own health care, our right to choose whether to carry health care coverage and the type of coverage we choose to carry.

Many of our members will be attending the January 18 rally in Richmond in support of HB10 and other legislation that support Virginia’s rights under the 10th Amendment of the US Constitution.

Please let me know, on behalf of our membership, if you intend on supporting this legislation. If you support HB10, we would love it if you joined us at the rally being held at the Capital Bell Tower from 10 – 11AM on January 18. Tea Party members from your district (and across the state) will attend and would appreciate your support of this critical piece of legislation.

Sincerely,
-
Chip Tarbutton
Roanoke Tea Party

I continue to get busy signals when I call both Senators. Job well done. Keep it up.

The Tea Party Patriots site is suggesting that you add your local media outlets to the calling list.

We think that is a great plan. You simply can’t get through on the phones (even prior to the snowstorm) and Webb’s local office has been closed up for several days. 

Sounds to me like thats a big story since our elected officials seem reluctant to here from the people they are supposedly representing.

Here are the contact numbers for the local TV and papers.

WSLS10: 540-981-9126 (Direct number to the news room)

WDBJ7: (540) 344-7000 (Ask for the news director)

I got through to both news directors and they are “thinking” about some coverage, despite other big local stories. Perhaps a flurry of calls to them may convince them to cover this story more fully.

I didn’t bother calling the Roanoke Times, they are irrelevant anyway…but if you are so inclined knock yourself out.

We all feel the same. If it hadn’t been for us, it would have passed a long time ago. That’s small consolation now, but the fight is not over. The best thing we can do now is fight this in the state, under the grounds the bill violates the US Constitution. HB 10, which will be up for consideration this session in Richmond, would do just that.

We are looking to put together one final protest at the Senator’s offices here in town.  We hope we get a good angry crowd. We will solicit people at this rally to come to Richmond with us to help us ensure this bill gets passed.

Information on the Jan 18th rally is here.

More info soon on a final rally at the Senator’s office. They need to know that we won’t forget this in 2012 when Warner and Webb are up for reelection.

We are working to better coordinate our actions with other tea party groups in the state. To that end…

On January 6th, Tea Party Groups from as far away as Staunton, Rockbridge and Lynchburg have been working with us to put together one last protest to ensure that Senator Webb and Warner know what we think about their vote for the Health Care “reform” bill.

January 6th from noon – 2PM, we will gather outside of Senator Webb’s office at

3140 Chaparral Drive
Building C, Suite 101
Roanoke, VA 24018

This is a large office park and there is a lot of parking around the area. We want to focus our resources in one area, plus Warner’s office has lousy parking and is not in a high traffic area like Webb’s office. Warner/Webb and the media should  get the message that we will not stand for this unconstitutional legislative monstrosity.

If the office is open (which is doubtful since Webb’s offices consistently close their doors to avoid having to defend Webb’s indefensible support of the health care reform bill) we will enter and demand to know how they can support a bill that will make the current problems with health care worse, not better. For an outstanding analysis of the Senate bill, read this…

This doesn’t even address the core issue that the Federal Government requiring citizens to carry health care insurance is patently unconstitutional.

In between trying to chat with Webb’s people, we will march. Bring signs as this is a highly visible area. Here are some sign ideas. We will be sending out a press release so we hope to garner some press coverage. We will be using this protest to get the word out about our January 18th Rally in Richmond.

Webb admits the bill isn’t “perfect.” But feels that these “improvements” made the bill necessary. Really?!?Voting for a bill this broken just to say you did something is why our country is in the mess it is in.

See you there…any questions? Please email me at chip@roanoketeaparty.com

Here’s a Google map.

Directions to Webb’s office for those outside of Roanoke

Get on I-581 (the main exit for Roanoke off of I-81)

Continue for 9.7 miles to VA-419 N/US-220 BUS/Franklin Rd

Take immediate right on to Electric Rd/VA-419 N

Continue .8 miles and turn left on Starkey Rd

Take the 1st right onto Penn Forest Blvd. Destination will be on the right

12/29/09- “Mr. Tarbutton: In response to your e-mail regarding HB10, I intend to support the legislation and, if possible, I will attend the rally on January 18, 2010.” Delegate Lacey E. Putney

This is good news. Please take the opportunity to thank Delegate Putney for his support of this bill. DelLPutney@house.virginia.gov.

Contact information for our other delegates is below. Getting these guys on board to support HB 10 will really help us fight back against the oppressive health care reform bill.

8th District: Griffith Morgan

11th District: Onzlee Ware

17th District: William Fralin

Also don’t forget about the January 6th protest at Senator Webb’s office. This is really a protest/recruiting meeting to get people who are angry with our Senators to redirect their energy to getting HB1o passed.  If we hit our local delegates as hard as we’ve hit Warner and Webb, I think a majority of them will support HB10.  More on HB1o here.

Virginia can take the lead in fighting our oppressive Federal Government. We can make this happen in our state if we can really get behind this effort.