Democrats in Virginia, newly empowered by full control of state government, are moving swiftly to clamp down on gun rights despite clear resistance from voters and law enforcement.
According to The Blaze, the partys legislative majority, no longer constrained by former Gov. Glenn Youngkins veto pen, is pressing ahead with a sweeping agenda that would ban the sale, purchase, manufacture, transfer, or importation of so-called assault firearms and magazines holding more than 10 rounds, impose a five-day waiting period on all firearm sales, levy an 11% tax on every firearm and box of ammunition, and further restrict where law-abiding citizens may legally carry. Gov. Abigail Spanberger, who campaigned on a promise that I will sign commonsense gun violence prevention bills, has emerged as the chief political ally of these measures in a state whose motto pointedly reads, Thus always to tyrants.
The public, however, appears far less eager to see Richmond Democrats test the limits of the Second Amendment. A Quantus Insights survey of registered voters conducted Feb. 1617 found that 84% agreed the right to keep and bear arms is a fundamental freedom protected by the U.S. Constitution, and 65% endorsed the view that gun control laws mainly make it harder for law-abiding citizens to protect themselves, while criminals ignore the laws anyway.
On the marquee proposal to outlaw commonly owned firearms labeled as assault weapons, 60% of respondents expressed opposition, with only 33% in favor of such a ban. Even among Democrats, support was far from unanimous, with 60% backing the prohibition, while just 15% of Republicans said they would support it.
Voters were similarly skeptical of efforts to criminalize standard-capacity magazines, a staple of lawful gun ownership across the country. When asked about banning magazines holding more than 10 rounds a restriction already embedded in a Democratic bill that cleared the state House in a 5834 vote 58% of those polled said they opposed the idea.
The proposed 11% state tax on firearms and ammunition, effectively a financial penalty on exercising a constitutional right, fared even worse in the court of public opinion. Sixty-five percent of respondents rejected the tax, signaling broad discomfort with using the tax code to price ordinary citizens out of self-defense.
Law enforcement officials, who confront violent crime firsthand, are emerging as some of the most forceful critics of the Democratic package. Amherst County Sheriff LJ Ayers warned in a video statement, The Second Amendment grants us the right to bear arms to protect ourselves, our homes, our property; to go with our children, our family, our friends out hunting, to enjoy God's given nature and someone feels that they have the right to infringe upon this.
Calling the legislative push appalling, Ayers underscored that these measures will fall hardest on citizens who already follow the law, not on criminals who will simply ignore new restrictions as they ignore existing ones. Local outlet WSET-TV noted that sheriffs in Campbell, Henry, Appomattox, and Bedford Counties have likewise spoken out, reinforcing a growing rift between progressive lawmakers in Richmond and the communities expected to enforce their edicts.
As President Trumps second administration continues to champion constitutional liberties and a robust Second Amendment at the federal level, Virginias unfolding fight illustrates the stark divide between national conservative priorities and aggressive blue?state gun control experiments. With voters, sheriffs, and rural counties lining up against the Democratic agenda, the coming months will test whether Richmonds leaders heed the will of their constituents or press ahead with policies that many Virginians view as a direct affront to their fundamental rights.
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