The National Rifle Association (NRA) has filed a lawsuit against Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger after she signed legislation imposing restrictions on so-called “assault weapons.”
In a statement released through WCYB, the NRA declared: “As promised, we are taking Abigail Spanberger to court. Throughout the legislative session, the NRA and our members fought Richmond’s radical gun control package tooth and nail. We made it clear that this extreme anti-gun proposal, which bans the new purchase of commonly owned firearms and standard capacity magazines in the Commonwealth, is a blatant violation of Second Amendment rights and an affront to landmark Supreme Court cases.”
The lawsuit further stated: “Instead of listening to these factual concerns from their constituents, progressive politicians sided with Michael Bloomberg and his gun-grabbing groups. The NRA will not sit idly by while progressive politicians strip the rights of law-abiding citizens, and our world-class legal team is locked, loaded, and ready to shoot down this outrageous gun-control law.”
NRA-ILA Executive Director John Commerford emphasized: “We’re not going to stand idly by and let this new governor ban America’s rifle in the Commonwealth of Virginia.”
The legislation, signed into law by Governor Spanberger earlier today, prohibits the purchase, sale, transfer, manufacture, and importation of a wide range of commonly owned semiautomatic handguns, shotguns, and rifles—including the AR-15. It also bans “large capacity magazines,” defined as those holding over 15 rounds of ammunition.
The complaint asserts that the restrictions violate the arms guarantee in Article 1, Section 13 of the Virginia Constitution, which the state’s Supreme Court has interpreted as coextensive with the Second Amendment. The plaintiffs include the Virginia Shooting Sports Association, Middletown Firearms, Middletown Training, Virginia Pride Ltd., and VSSA members Joseph Santolla, Reagan Adams, James Rowe, Robert Pride, and Stephen Bokmiller.
In her statement to WCYB, Governor Spanberger defended the law: “I am signing this bill into law because firearms designed to inflict maximum casualties do not belong on our streets. We are taking this step to protect families and support the law enforcement officers who work every day to keep our communities safe.” She added that while she did not adopt an amendment exempting hunting firearms, she would work with patrons to clarify language in the legislation.
Virginia House of Delegates Speaker Don Scott declared: “Unfortunately, our Commonwealth has been the victim of far too many mass shootings. Today, we took the first step to ban these weapons of war and stop this violence once and for all. History made in Virginia today.”
The law designates importation, sale, manufacture, purchase, or transfer of assault firearms as a Class 1 misdemeanor and prohibits convicted individuals from possessing firearms for three years. Exceptions apply to antique firearms, permanently inoperable weapons, and those manually operated by bolt, pump, lever, or slide action.