Spotsylvania County’s Stance on Assault Weapons Ban

The U.S. Attorney for Spotsylvania County, Virginia, has announced he won’t enforce a new ban on modern semi-automatic rifles recently signed into law by Democratic Governor Abigail Spanberger.

Following the signing of the bill on Thursday night, Second Amendment advocacy groups quickly filed a lawsuit, arguing that the ban is unconstitutional. In a letter to Sheriff Roger L. Harris, U.S. Attorney G. Ryan Mehaffey pointed to the Supreme Court’s rulings, asserting that the law cannot be “lawfully enforced.”

Mehaffey stated, “The assault weapons ban (SB 749/HB 217) and the public carry ban (SB 727/HB 1524) contradict Virginia’s historical traditions.” He added that these measures are unconstitutional. “Furthermore, the Heller decision protects Virginians’ right to own America’s most popular rifle, the AR-15,” he continued.

The letter received positive feedback from the vice chair of the Spotsylvania County Board of Supervisors, who highlighted that the county has identified itself as a “Second Amendment sanctuary.” Andrew “Drew” Mullins, a board member, expressed his support for Mehaffey’s stance, emphasizing that they would not conform to what he described as a violation of constitutional rights.

The Trump administration has also suggested it might pursue legal action regarding the issue, as indicated by a recent X post from Harmeet K. Dhillon, Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights. The Department of Justice previously sued Denver over a similar ban and filed to contest Colorado’s magazine restrictions.

Gun control advocates often use the term “assault weapon” to garner support for banning specific semi-automatic firearms that appear similar to fully automatic ones. According to the National Shooting Sports Foundation, over 32 million “modern sporting rifles,” such as the AR-15, are currently in use in the U.S.

As of now, Spanberger has not responded to inquiries for comment regarding the situation.