New Virginia law banning "assault firearms" prompts quick lawsuits from gun-rights groups
The law takes effect July 1 and allows current owners to keep covered firearms, while gun-rights groups say it violates the Second Amendment.
- On Thursday, Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger signed legislation banning the sale and manufacture of certain semi-automatic firearms, with the measure taking effect July 1.
- Spanberger, a former CIA officer and past Moms Demand Action volunteer, reversed the approach of former Republican Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin, who vetoed similar bills for two consecutive years.
- Defining "assault firearms" as semi-automatic rifles or pistols with magazines holding more than 15 rounds, the law makes buying, selling, or manufacturing these weapons a misdemeanor punishable by up to a year in jail and a $2,500 fine.
- Gun-Rights groups, including the National Rifle Association and the Second Amendment Foundation, filed lawsuits Thursday asserting violations of the right to bear arms, joined by a Department of Justice challenge.
- Similar bans exist in 11 other states, and the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals has upheld comparable measures, though gun-rights advocates remain hopeful the Supreme Court will eventually hear a challenge.
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Members’ Newsletter: Virginia AR-15 Lawsuits Pour In
The ink wasn’t even dry on Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger’s (D.) signature on the state’s new “assault firearms” ban before a half dozen suits were filed against it. Every gun-rights group you’ve ever heard of has now sued Virginia over its AR-15 and ammo magazine sales ban. Some in federal court. Some in state court. But what does the path ahead look like for them? Source
Exclusive: Virginia Republicans Slam Spanberger’s Gun Ban, Pledge to Repeal It – The American Spectator | USA News and Politics
On May 14, 2026, Democratic Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger signed SB749, a signature piece of legislation that bans the purchase and importation of the vast majority of modern rifles and standard-capacity magazines. The bill fulfills a longstanding desire on the part of Virginia Democrats to crack down on gun owners and move the state decisively to the blue-state model of gun control. But today, Virginia Republican leaders exclusively told The…
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