Deja VA

Ever feel like you’ve been here before? Well, you have. Virginia gun-banners are at it again, as the “purple” state legislature tries to pass more unconstitutional gun control.

Recently, the Virginia House of Delegates voted along party line to pass an “assault weapons” ban. The bill has not yet been voted on in the (Democrat majority) Virginia Senate, and one would hope that if passed there, Republican governor Glenn Youngkin could be counted upon to veto it. A politically connected and savvy friend on the ground in the Old Dominion says that he believes that the governor will veto the bill if it reaches his desk, and that override of such a veto would be unlikely. Still, it is important to understand what is in this bill, and what the implications could be for Virginians.

The most problematic aspect of the bill is that its definition of “assault weapon” is so far-reaching that it would ban many commonly-owned firearms in addition to the modern semiautomatic rifles it is supposedly targeting. According to the linked news article, the bill goes as far as to define a handgun with a threaded barrel as an “assault weapon.” Interestingly, however, the ban would not apply to weapons manufactured prior to July 1, 2024…though it is not clear how that might be enforced. The bill also includes a ban on ammunition magazines with a capacity exceeding ten rounds.

Despite the improbability of this bill becoming law, its progress through the Virginia House is a sign that it is past time for liberty-loving Virginians to speak up. Contact your state senators and the governor to demand that they put a stop to this unconstitutional bill.

Follow this link to find contact information for your state senator, and contact Governor Youngkin’s office at 804-786-2211 or by email at glenn.youngkin@governor.virginia.gov

Soon to be illegal in Virginia?