Newly Empowered Democrats in Virginia Immediately Tee Up a Slew of Restrictive Gun Control Measures

With a new governor supported by Virginia’s Democratic majority in the statehouse, gun control advocates in the state have teed up a slew of restrictive new measures that mark a 180-degree turn from the previous administration. The bills, however, may never see the light of day after pro-gun groups have vowed to rally against any unconstitutional measures.If passed, many of the bills will likely face constitutional challenges based on three landmark Supreme Court cases — District of Columbia v. Heller (2008), McDonald v. City of Chicago (2010), and New York State Rifle & Pistol Association v. Bruen (2022) — that have recently established the rights of citizens to possess and carry guns.While serving as a state lawmaker, the now-governor, Abigail Spanberger — who as a former Postal Inspection Service officer and CIA agent carried a gun everyday in her job — insisted that she supports the Second Amendment and “responsible gun ownership.” For her, that includes background checks, limitations on where guns can be carried, and bans on semi-automatic weapons often referred to as assault weapons. With a Democratic trifecta in state government, the new legislative session is rife with bills to support her positions, and in some cases go so far as to effectively ban ownership or the ability to carry weapons in public or private vehicles.Among the bills floating through Senate committees is a ban on commonly owned semi-automatic firearms, criminalization of standard-capacity magazines, expansion of “safe storage” laws, and restrictions on public carry, even in locked containers. Within several bills are also new fees, mandates on permits, and long waiting periods.Other legislation would impose civil liabilities on gun manufacturers, expand bans for individuals who have been convicted of domestic violence, and prohibit carrying a gun inside hospitals providing mental‑health or developmental services.One bill, introduced by state Senator Saddam Azlan Salim, would criminalize ownership of magazines with a capacity of more than 10 bullets. According to the firearms industry’s trade association, the National Sports Shooting Foundation, approximately 74 percent of the estimated 963 million magazines in circulation in America have a capacity of 11 or more rounds, the majority designed for rifles. Owners of magazines that can load more than 10 rounds would be subject to a misdemeanor charge that carries a fine of up to 12 months in prison and/or a $2,500 fine. Last week during committee debate, lawmakers chose to eliminate the grandfather clause for current magazine owners.Another bill up for consideration would prevent individuals from renting a gun if they do not have a permit to own a gun, which one Democratic senator and gun control supporter, Russet Perry, notes creates a potential conflict for would-be owners. “Dem Senator Perry pointed out that the requirement that you have a permit before you can rent likely runs counter to the requirement that you have training because a lot of people rent firearms for training. Other Dems unfazed by conflict,” the oldest gun rights group in Virginia, the Virginia Shooting Sports Association, wrote on X.Two of the bills, by Senators Creigh Deeds and Adam Ebbin, respectively, would ban firearms near any state-owned or leased building or at “a place of whatever nature that is open to the public,” including inside a vehicle. Another challenge offered by Senator David Marsden would prohibit carrying a gun in a vehicle unless it’s in a locked, unremovable hard-sided container, like a glove compartment or center console. Possessing an unloaded gun in a hard case in a locked trunk would not count as sufficiently protective and could result in a $250 fine.Other laws introduced prohibit sale or possession of guns made with 3D printers, ownership of weapons in households with children unless they are kept in a biometric safe, and reduction in reciprocity rules. House members have also forwarded several accompanying bills.Pro-gun groups say that several of the bills demonstrate a cognitive dissonance by Democrats who wish to limit gun ownership while also defending the man shot dead by ICE in Minnesota, Alex Pretti. Under the new laws in Virginia, Pretti would have been prevented from owning or carrying the magazine that he legally wore when he was killed. “‘The federal government is killing people just because they legally own guns!’ *4 days later* ‘We’re going to give the federal government a list of everyone who legally owns guns,’” wrote the litigation and intelligence coordinator for Second Amendment group, FPC Action Foundation, Rob Romano, on X.Mr. Salim, who also has introduced separate legislation to limit ICE from operating in Virginia, said those bills are intended to prevent tyranny.“We have to remember that when peaceful citizens start to be targets of state violence, it is exactly at that moment that we either let fear close our eyes, or we insist that no agency, no badge, and no president is above the law or the value of a human life,” he said.Polling shows the state is nearly evenly split on gun control laws, with slightly more leaning toward stricter rules. But one Second Amendment watcher, Bearing Arms editor Cam Edwards, suggested many voters may not be aware of the breadth of legislation now passing through the Statehouse. He suggested Ms. Spanberger’s attempt to cast herself as a moderate in pursuit of higher office may compel her to reject some of the stricter legislation currently wending its way through Richmond.“Virginia gun owners do have the opportunity to do some damage to the onslaught of gun control bills before they become bad laws that will be challenged in court,” he wrote.

Newly Empowered Democrats in Virginia Immediately Tee Up a Slew of Restrictive Gun Control Measures

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