Virginia Governor’s Gun Ban Faces Legal Challenges

Governor Abigail Spanberger’s recent ban on “assault weapons” has only been active for a few hours but is already encountering numerous legal hurdles.

The Virginia Democratic Party has endorsed law SB 749, which was passed on Thursday despite the General Assembly’s refusal to amend it. Supporters argue the gun ban aims to “protect families.” In response, the National Rifle Association has initiated both federal and state lawsuits. Additionally, organizations like the Second Amendment Foundation and the Firearms Policy Coalition issued statements following the lawsuit announcement.

Interestingly, the Trump administration also plans to challenge this ban, with Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon stating that legal action would be forthcoming by late Thursday.

“As promised, we will take Abigail Spanberger to court,” expressed NRA-ILA Executive Director John Comerford. He emphasized that throughout Congress, the NRA and its members battled fiercely against what they consider Richmond’s extreme gun control measures. He described this proposal as a blatant violation of Second Amendment rights.

Comerford further remarked that instead of addressing concerns raised by constituents, progressive politicians opted to align with groups like Michael Bloomberg’s. “The NRA will not stand idly by as citizens are disenfranchised, and our legal team is prepared to challenge this unjust law.”

The Firearms Policy Coalition filed a lawsuit on behalf of two members, addressing the term “assault weapon.” They argued that semi-automatic firearms, including AR-style rifles, only fire one round per trigger pull, highlighting that they are not machine guns.

The legislation not only prohibits “assault weapons” but also bans standard-capacity magazines, arbitrarily capping them at 15 rounds. The term “assault weapon” is viewed by gun control advocates as a strategy to gain traction for banning certain semi-automatic firearms.

Adam Kraut, Executive Director of SAF, stated, “Virginia is now among a select few states challenging the Constitution by imposing bans on ‘assault weapons’ and restricting magazine capacity.” He expressed commitment to pursuing this issue until the Supreme Court weighs in on the legality of these bans, which he believes have adversely affected millions.

SAF founder Alan Gottlieb criticized the bans, calling them an affront to the Constitution and to the intelligence of Virginians, whom he suggests have been misled by their elected officials. He expressed eagerness to advance the case to the Supreme Court.

Earlier this month, the Department of Justice also sued the city of Denver over a similar ban and sought to overturn Colorado’s magazine restrictions.