"Stung by the shooting deaths of two officers outside a western Fairfax County police station in May, county officials want to push the Virginia General Assembly to ban the carrying of guns into law enforcement buildings by anyone other than authorized personnel.

State law bans weapons in courthouses. But the absence of any prohibition on weapons inside police stations or jails places officers at risk, county officials say. At the request of Fairfax County Police Chief David M. Rohrer, the Board of Supervisors has included a ban in a draft of its legislative program for the 2007 Virginia General Assembly.

The county has made numerous attempts to keep firearms out of government buildings, only to see the initiatives languish in a state legislature loath to restrict the rights of gun owners. But the issue has gained new urgency since the May 8 shootings at the Sully District station in Chantilly.

Michael W. Kennedy, a mentally ill 18-year-old, drove to the rear parking lot of the station and fired more than 70 shots with an assault rifle and other weapons. Detective Vicky O. Armel, 40, died that day, along with Kennedy. Officer Michael E. Garbarino, 53, died of his wounds nine days later.

Mary Ann Jennings, a Fairfax police spokeswoman, said Rohrer would not comment on the proposal, the subject of a public hearing before the board yesterday, because it is still in draft form and has not been formally approved by supervisors.

The Sully shooting touched off an intense discussion among county officials about security at public-safety facilities. The measure has stirred opposition by gun rights groups. Philip Van Cleave, president of the Virginia Citizens Defense League, said such a ban would not have prevented Kennedy's assault on the Sully station, which occurred outside the building. He added that police stations have secure areas where only authorized personnel are allowed.

'This whole thing is a non-issue,' Van Cleave said. 'They're just trying to poke gun owners in the eye.'

The gun ban is one of several initiatives county officials are considering taking to Richmond next year. They include a 'living wage' bill that would let the county to require contractors to pay employees more than the state's minimum wage, which has been $5.15 an hour since 1997.

More than 130 communities, including the District and Montgomery County, have adopted such laws.

Advocates of the measure, led by Supervisor Catherine M. Hudgins (D-Hunter Mill) say it is necessary to help low-wage workers cope with high living costs in Northern Virginia.

The proposed legislative package also includes other measures that have failed for several years to gain passage in the General Assembly. One would ban the use of cellphones by drivers under 18. Another would allow the county to prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation.

The lack of such legal protection was noted yesterday by Victor Dunbar, chairman of the county's Human Rights Commission, who delivered to the board a report on the panel's activities. Dunbar said many jurisdictions in the metropolitan area cover sexual orientation in their human rights statutes." (Bill Turque, The Washington Post, November 21, 2006)