Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger (D) fulfilled her campaign pledge to Second Amendment opponents when she signed a slew of new gun control bills into law. That action, however, is hardly the end of the story.
Assistant Attorney General Harmett K. Dhillon served notice to Virginia officials just hours before the ink was dry on the controversial measures. The Department of Justice (DOJ) intends to battle the state’s radical 2A opponents as they attempt to suppress gun rights.
Bill signed to ban popular sporting rifles in Virginia
At the top of the heap of bills on Spanberger’s desk was SB 749. This monstrosity bans the manufacture and sale of AR-15s and other popular sporting rifles in the state.
Just last year, the U.S. Supreme Court described these weapons as “both widely legal and bought by many ordinary customers.” These are the same ubiquitous firearms that Virginia and a handful of other states want to eradicate somehow.
On Friday, Dhillon posted on X that the DOJ is “closely watching—in the event any unlawful legislation is enacted, we will sue.” She added that Second Amendment attorneys are ready for action.
Virginia should test DOJ’s commitment to new Second Amendment Section
Among the highlights of the bills Spanberger signed was a controversial measure intended to hold the weapons industry liable for third-party acts.
Despite established federal law prohibiting frivolous lawfare against Second Amendment-related businesses, Virginia and a few other outliers continue to pursue punitive litigation against firearm manufacturers, distributors, and retailers.
Another bill targeted so-called “ghost guns.” Handy Americans have produced their own weapons for centuries, but some cities and states contend that this practice should be unlawful.
Then there are new storage mandates that flatly ignore the realities of self-defense in a crisis.
Of course, there is nothing in the nation’s history and tradition of firearm regulation to support such restrictive laws, and they are ripe for challenge. This appears to be a perfect test of the DOJ’s much-ballyhooed Second Amendment Section. Stay tuned.
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