Virginia Democrats Pass Sweeping Gun Bans, Send to Gov. Spanberger

Virginia lawmakers on Friday sent more than 20 landmark gun safety bills to Gov. Abigail Spanberger's desk after intense debate in the General Assembly. The package, led by Democrats, includes a ban on assault weapons and high-capacity magazines (HB217/SB749), sponsored by Delegate Dan Helmer and Sen. Saddam Salim, making Virginia the 11th state to enact such measures.[2][3] Other key provisions close the 'intimate partner loophole' for domestic abusers (HB19/SB160), ban untraceable 'ghost guns' (HB40/SB323), and require secure storage in homes with minors (HB871/SB348).[2] The bills also raise the handgun purchase age from 18 to 21 (HB1525/SB643), establish industry accountability standards (HB21/SB27), and create a statewide gun violence prevention center (HB969/SB364).[2] Five measures were spearheaded by former Moms Demand Action volunteers, highlighting grassroots momentum. Gov. Spanberger, a former U.S. representative, signaled she anticipates reviewing the legislation next week.[3] Opposition was fierce from Republicans, who decried the package as an infringement on constitutional rights. The bills passed along party lines in the Democrat-controlled legislature, with no similar federal action reported despite past efforts like post-Uvalde pushes.[5] Nationally, Rep. Michael Cloud (R-TX) has introduced measures to block federal gun controls, underscoring partisan divides.[4] Contrastingly, West Virginia senators Chris Rose and Zachary Maynard proposed the Public Defense and Provisioning Act to legalize machine gun transfers for residents, citing Second Amendment protections, though it stalled this session.[3] Virginia's actions follow the state House's earlier approval of related measures, like prohibiting loaded firearms in vehicles.[1] Gun violence prevention groups hailed the slate as transformative, protecting domestic violence survivors and curbing weapons of war.[2] The governor has 30 days to act, with advocates urging swift signature amid ongoing national scrutiny.