Democrats Advance Gun Control Blitz In Virginia With Spanberger Now In Office [WATCH]

Democratic lawmakers in Virginia moved forward Monday with a broad package of firearm restrictions, reviving proposals that had previously been blocked under former Gov. Glenn Youngkin as they test whether the state’s new governor, Abigail Spanberger, will support the measures.

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During a nearly four-hour meeting, the Democratic-controlled Senate Courts of Justice Committee approved more than half a dozen gun-related bills addressing assault-style firearms, gun storage requirements, concealed carry reciprocity, ghost guns and firearms carried in public places.

The committee rejected the lone Republican-backed proposal, which would have increased mandatory minimum penalties for repeat firearm offenses.

All votes taken during the meeting followed party lines.

The legislative push comes amid heightened political attention surrounding gun policy in Virginia.

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Just one week before the committee meeting, hundreds of gun rights advocates gathered at Capitol Square in Richmond for the annual Lobby Day rally held on Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

Speakers at that rally warned that Democratic lawmakers were preparing to revive firearm restrictions that had been repeatedly vetoed by Youngkin during his administration.

The turnout at the rally was larger than in recent years, reflecting increased concern among gun owners now that Democrats control the governor’s office and both chambers of the General Assembly.

Because of time limitations during Monday’s meeting, lawmakers did not consider an additional group of gun-related bills that remain pending.

Philip Van Cleave, president of the Virginia Citizens Defence League, criticized the committee’s actions and said the proposals focus on legal gun owners rather than violent criminals.

“While Democrats have bills to weaken laws on violent criminals, they like and support every bill that in any way infringes on the ability of law-abiding citizens to protect themselves,” Van Cleave said in an email Monday afternoon.

“For years Democrats said, ‘No one wants to take your guns, we just want reasonable gun control.’ They do want to take our guns away, and the committee reported out bills that do just that with the most popular long guns in America. There is only one reason that a government would want a disarmed population, and that’s to force their will upon that population.”

Among the measures approved by the committee was Senate Bill 749, introduced by Sen. Saddam Azlan Salim, D-Fairfax.

The proposal would prohibit the importation, sale, manufacture, purchase, possession or transfer of certain assault-style firearms and large-capacity ammunition feeding devices, though it would not criminalize weapons already legally owned.

The legislation passed the committee on a 9–5 vote.

Assault firearms manufactured before July 1, 2026, would be exempt from the restrictions, along with antique firearms, permanently inoperable weapons and manually operated firearms.

The bill also includes exemptions for law enforcement, military use and certain family transfers.

“Currently, there are so many assault weapons in circulation. This approach will gradually take the weapons off the street without retroactively making it a crime to own a weapon that was legally purchased,” Salim said.

Republican lawmakers and gun owners argued the proposal violates constitutional protections.

“That’s the purpose of the Second Amendment. That’s why we have firearms — to fight against a tyrannical government,” said Sen. Mark Peake, R-Lynchburg.

“And this bill is a direct infringement on the Second Amendment to fight against a tyrannical government.”

Carla Poff, a resident of southwest Virginia who spoke in opposition to the bill, said, “I find this to be a blank violation of our Second Amendment.”

Supporters of the measure pointed to legal precedents in other states. Lori Haas of the Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Violence Solutions noted that a similar law has been upheld by federal courts.

“I think we’re in good standing constitutionally,” Haas said, referencing a recent Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals decision upholding Maryland’s assault weapons ban.

The committee also approved Senate Bill 272, introduced by Sen. Creigh Deeds, D-Charlottesville, which would limit where firearms can be carried inside buildings owned or leased by the state, including public colleges and universities.

“This bill has been introduced three times, in 2023, 2024, 2025. This is the fourth time,” Deeds said.

“It’s passed the Senate, all three times, it passed both houses, and was vetoed.”

Deeds originally introduced the measure following the 2022 University of Virginia shooting that left three students dead.

Opponents argued that prohibiting firearms in campus buildings would limit students’ ability to defend themselves.

“Students have a right to self defense,” said Eric Nolen.

Another measure approved Monday was Senate Bill 348 from Sen. Jennifer Boysko, D-Fairfax.

The bill would require firearms and ammunition to be stored in locked containers if a minor or prohibited individual is present in the home.

Violations would be classified as a Class 4 misdemeanor, and firearm dealers would be required to display notices explaining the law.

“Every single time I’m carrying this bill, there has been a fatality of a small child,” Boysko said, referencing recent incidents involving children in Newport News, Chesterfield County and Norfolk.

Lawmakers also advanced Senate Bill 312, sponsored by Sen. Adam Ebbin, D-Alexandria, expanding restrictions on carrying certain semi-automatic firearms in public places such as streets and parks.

“This was inspired by an incident at the Old Town Farmer’s Market,” Ebbin said.

He also referenced the 2017 Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville and studies examining casualty rates in mass shootings involving such firearms.

Republicans argued the measure would be too broad.

Sen. Mark Obenshain, R-Harrisonburg, said the proposal “would not last five minutes under any constitutional scrutiny.”

Another proposal, Senate Bill 323, also sponsored by Ebbin, targets so-called ghost guns by prohibiting the manufacture, sale or possession of unserialized firearms or unfinished firearm components.

“This bill is about keeping guns out of the hands of children, or people prohibited from guns, and traffickers,” Ebbin said.

John Weber of the National Rifle Association argued the measure creates compliance issues.

“There is no process set up to acquire a serial number for a firearm,” Weber said.

The committee also approved Senate Bill 496 from Sen. Dave Marsden, D-Fairfax, which would require handguns left in unattended vehicles to be secured in locked containers out of sight.

“This is where young people are getting these guns,” Marsden said.

Republicans warned the bill could punish theft victims. Sen. Glenn Sturtevant, R-Chesterfield, said it “essentially criminalizes behavior when someone has been robbed.”

Another bill, Senate Bill 115 from Sen. Stella Pekarsky, D-Fairfax, would tighten Virginia’s recognition of concealed carry permits issued by other states.

“Basically it says you can’t just go down to Texas and pay a couple bucks and then get a concealed weapon permit all around Virginia,” said Senate Majority Leader Scott Surovell, D-Fairfax.

The committee rejected Senate Bill 78, introduced by Sen. Danny Diggs, R-York, which proposed increasing mandatory minimum sentences for repeat firearm offenses.

“What deters crime is knowing you’re going to get caught,” Surovell said.

Several of the Democratic-backed bills will now move to the Senate Finance Committee for review of their potential fiscal impact before advancing further in the legislative process.

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