Virginia bans “assault firearms” as gun-rights groups sue
By Main Street Independent
Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger signed a law banning the sale and manufacture of certain semi-automatic firearms that Virginia defines as “assault firearms.”
The Virginia measure takes effect July 1 and makes buying, selling, transferring, importing or manufacturing an “assault firearm” a misdemeanor punishable by up to a year in jail and a $2,500 fine.
The law defines “assault firearms” to include certain semi-automatic rifles or pistols with magazine capacity of more than 15 rounds and other specified features, and it also restricts magazines capable of holding more than 15 rounds.
The National Rifle Association and allied groups sued in federal and state court after Spanberger signed the legislation, and the U.S. Department of Justice also vowed to sue to block enforcement.
Courts including the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals have upheld similar restrictions on semi-automatic weapons, according to the AP report.
Abigail Spanberger, Virginia, National Rifle Association, Second Amendment Foundation, Everytown for Gun Safety, Moms Demand Action
Themes
Gun policy, State legislation and lawsuits, Second Amendment legal challenges, Diverging approaches to firearms regulation, Political shifts after gubernatorial changes