Virginia Democrats Advance ‘Assault Weapon’ Ban, Magazine Confiscation Language

Armed with a newly minted governing trifecta, Previous Dominion Democrats are losing little time in pushing among the most aggressive gun-control laws within the nation.

Virginia lawmakers on Monday superior Senate Invoice 749 out of the Senate Courts of Justice Committee on a 9-5 party-line vote. The measure would, amongst different issues, ban the importation, sale, manufacture, and switch of any “assault firearm,” with restricted exceptions for regulation enforcement and present house owners of the coated weapons. It might additionally ban the importation, sale, manufacture, and switch of any ammunition journal able to holding greater than ten rounds. Not like the firearm portion, nevertheless, it will not grandfather in possession of such magazines by current house owners.

The invoice’s swift passage out of committee, lower than two weeks after the state’s legislative session started, highlights a renewed sense of urgency from Virginia Democrats to ban fashionable semi-automatic firearms and institute different firearms restrictions. Regardless of holding razor-thin majorities in each chambers during the last two years, Democrats handed “assault weapon” bans, journal restrictions, and dozens of extra gun-control measures solely to see them vetoed by former Governor Glen Youngkin (R.). With a much more comfy majority within the Home and a pleasant alternative within the Governor’s mansion this time round, Democrats seem keen to press the difficulty.

On the identical time, the push comes amid public defenses of the Second Modification from nationwide Democrats and even some gun-control teams within the wake of the Alex Pretti capturing by immigration brokers final Saturday in Minnesota. Whereas a lot of these occasion figures and allied teams rallied to defend the gun rights of Pretti—who was armed with a handgun and held a sound hid carry allow—each his pistol and the journal it was geared up with on the time of the capturing can be criminalized beneath the Virginia proposal.

This thorny relationship between the invoice’s influence on the Second Modification and its nexus with the Minnesota capturing even got here up throughout Monday’s committee debate.

“We have now firearms to struggle towards the tyrannical authorities,” Senator Mark Peake (R.) mentioned in protest of the invoice. “And this invoice is a direct infringement on the Second Modification struggle towards a tyrannical authorities.”

“A person was killed in Minnesota with a firearm when he was attempting to struggle tyrannical authorities,” Senator Creigh Deeds (D.) responded. “And I discovered it very ironic that Senator Peake is elevating the purpose that we’ve got bought to guard these firearm rights to struggle the tyrannical authorities.”

Like most “assault weapon” bans on the books in different progressive-leaning states, Senate Invoice 749 would go after any semi-automatic centerfire rifle or pistol that may settle for a removable journal and has a number of disfavored beauty or ergonomic options. These embrace options corresponding to a ahead grip, an adjustable inventory, a threaded barrel, or a barrel shroud. It might additionally outlaw any semi-automatic centerfire firearm with a set journal able to holding ten rounds, in addition to numerous semi-automatic shotgun configurations with disfavored options.

The ban wouldn’t apply to weapons lawfully owned earlier than July 1, 2026.

Its restrictions on “massive capability ammunition feeding units” would apply to any journal, belt, drum, feed strip, or related system that has the capability to simply accept, or that may be readily restored or transformed to simply accept, greater than ten rounds of ammunition. Not like house owners of “assault firearms,” present house owners of the coated magazines can be required to both give up them or completely modify them to not settle for greater than ten rounds.

Violating both prohibition can be a Class 1 misdemeanor, punishable by as much as one 12 months in jail. Underneath a novel provision within the invoice, any particular person violation would additionally impose a brand new firearms rights incapacity, prohibiting an individual from buying, possessing, or transporting a firearm for 3 years following a conviction.

Along with Senate Invoice 749, Virginia Democrats additionally superior extra gun-control measures on Monday. These embrace a invoice to ban the carry of “assault firearms” in “public areas” like streets and parks, a invoice to ban gun carry in public faculty buildings, separate payments to mandate the secure storage of firearms in properties and in autos, a ban on unserialized firearms or unfinished frames and receivers, and a invoice to limit Virginia’s recognition of gun carry permits issued by different states.

A lot of the payments handed Monday will subsequent be heard within the Senate Finance and Appropriations Committee earlier than a possible ground vote.

Ought to the payments make it out of the Virginia Common Meeting, all indications are that they are going to be signed into regulation by Governor Abigail Spanberger (D.). In her first tackle to lawmakers final week, Spanberger inspired them to revive all of the gun-control payments her predecessor rejected.

“Over the past 4 years, dozens of gun security payments have been vetoed,” she mentioned. “These are commonsense measures, supported by the overwhelming majority of the voters who despatched us all right here. Virginia is prepared. And I’m able to signal. Ship them to my desk.”