Staff Reports
Virginia’s new assault weapons ban is now law, and the courtroom fireworks started almost at once. Governor Abigail Spanberger signed SB 749, which bans many semi‑automatic “assault firearms” and magazines that hold more than 15 rounds. Gun groups rushed to court, and the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division had already warned it would sue if the bill became law. But let’s be clear: DOJ warned — it hadn’t filed a federal suit against Virginia in public dockets when the complaints hit the courthouse doors.
What Governor Spanberger signed into law
SB 749 makes it illegal to import, sell, manufacture, purchase, or in many cases transfer firearms the bill calls “assault firearms.” It also outlaws magazines that hold more than 15 rounds. The law is slated to take effect on July 1. That timing — three days before a major anniversary for the nation — looks less like careful planning and more like a political grandstand.
Lawsuits filed fast — and for good reason
Within hours of the signing, major gun‑rights groups filed suit. The federal case, McDonald v. Katz, names the NRA, Firearms Policy Coalition, Second Amendment Foundation and private plaintiffs seeking emergency relief in federal court. The NRA also filed a state challenge in Santolla v. Katz under the Virginia Constitution. These complaints ask judges to block enforcement and say the law violates the Second Amendment — a straightforward legal fight over rights and limits.
DOJ’s role: a warning, not a public filing (yet)
Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon’s Civil Rights Division sent Virginia a formal notice saying it was prepared to sue if such a law became reality. That warning grabbed headlines — and rightly made people nervous about federal pressure on states. But public records and dockets show private plaintiffs, not DOJ, filed the immediate lawsuits. If the Justice Department files a complaint later, that will be a new escalation. For now it’s a threat backed by a team eager to defend the Second Amendment — depending on who’s in charge, that sounds like either consistency or selective outrage.
Why this fight matters and what to watch next
This case is about more than one law in one state. It will test how far governments can go in banning commonly owned rifles and magazines. If courts slow the law before July 1, Virginians won’t face new criminal penalties while judges sort this out. Watch the federal docket in the Eastern District of Virginia and the state filings for motions asking judges to issue preliminary injunctions. Expect fast briefs, emergency hearings, and plenty of lawyer chatter about precedent and “common use.” In the meantime, lawmakers who rammed this through should remember: when you take people’s tools and their rights, the people often take turns in court.
