On June 24, Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon warned California officials that the state’s pending ban on Glock pistols and similar models was in the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) crosshairs.
The new law took effect on Wednesday, and the AAG made good on her promise. She revealed a federal lawsuit against California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) and Attorney General Rob Bonta (D) over the state’s latest gun-grabbing statute.
And the Golden State will have company in federal courts.
Feds now target the state where gun rights are the least protected
Dhillon announced the legal action in a press release. “The Civil Rights Division will defend law-abiding citizens from states that seek to disarm them illegally. This lawsuit is yet another example of this Justice Department enforcing the Second Amendment by protecting citizens against unconstitutional state regulation of firearms.”
California and three other outliers now prohibit so-called “convertible pistols.” Anti-gunners use illegal acts by criminals of modifying these firearms as an excuse to ban the most popular handguns in the U.S.
That act is already a felony.
DOJ now actively targets infringements on Second Amendment rights
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche backed Dhillon’s powerful message by putting Golden State lawmakers on notice as well.
“The Second Amendment is a sacred right belonging to all Americans, even those in California,” Blanche declared. “California cannot ban the most popular type of handgun in America. We will work to stop this blatant trampling of our rights by the California government to protect the rights of lawful gun owners.”
Federal officials attempted to negotiate with Bonta’s office, but to no avail.
Just before Wednesday’s announcement of the legal strike against California, word came of a similar action against Virginia’s new, out-of-control government.
Gov. Abigail Spanberger (D) ran as a moderate in last year’s gubernatorial campaign, but her actions after taking office are anything but.
Her crusade to ban popular semi-automatic firearms was supposed to begin on Wednesday, but a powerful legal challenge by the National Rifle Association (NRA) stymied that scheme. Just days before the July 1st deadline, Washington Circuit Court Judge Jeffrey L. Campbell agreed with the plaintiffs that the pending law likely violated Virginia’s Constitution.
The court granted a statewide preliminary injunction on the ban on so-called “assault firearms,” and it is now on hold.
Dhillon said this week that she warned Spanberger’s office months ago that the DOJ would sue Virginia over the prohibition, and that’s exactly what happened on Wednesday.
A spokesperson for the governor said Spanberger “firmly believes that firearms designed to inflict maximum casualties do not belong in our communities, near our kids and schools, or on Virginia’s streets.”
They added, of course, that the sweeping ban on the most popular sporting rifles in the U.S. was “commonsense legislation.”
Virginia House Minority Leader Terry Kilgore (R) disputed Spanberger’s claims, noting Richmond lawmakers ignored the law of the land in passing the controversial law.
He accused the majority of leading the state into federal court “on the wrong side of the Constitution.” Kilgore noted the recent injunction against the ban, adding that with the DOJ also fighting the state, the law should be repealed.
Legal challenges by gun rights organizations are important tools to defend the right to keep and bear arms. When they are backed by the full weight of the Justice Department, there is reason to believe that egregious anti-Second Amendment actions may fall.
Add to that the two recent rulings by the U.S. Supreme Court, and there is clear momentum building against these gun control regimes. National Foundation for Gun Rights Executive Director Hannah Hill told Fox News Digital that the DOJ struck while it was hot.
“The timing is perfect for the Department of Justice to begin to be filing these lawsuits to strike out gun bans all across the country; it’s really a bad time to be a gun grabber,” Hill declared.
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