In just a matter of weeks, the Democrat-controlled General Assembly has rammed through a stack of gun control bills, laying the groundwork for a direct assault on the Second Amendment.
With Abigail Spanberger (Virginia's first female governor) poised to sign them into law, these proposals are a shift in the wrong direction for the Commonwealth, transforming it from a cradle of American liberty into a bastion of far-left restrictions that prioritize state control over individual rights.
This rapid push, building on the initial frenzy detailed in our earlier coverage of the Democrats' first 48 hours in power, underscores a broader anti-American agenda that seeks to disarm citizens while ignoring the real threats to public safety.
At the forefront is House Bill 217, introduced by Delegate Dan Helmer of Fairfax, which passed the House on February 5, 2026, by a 58-34 vote. This measure bans the importation, sale, manufacture, purchase, and transfer of so-called “assault” firearms (I’ve explained before that all weapons are “assault” weapons), a broad category encompassing many popular semi-automatic rifles, pistols, and shotguns based on features like pistol grips, threaded barrels, folding stocks, and detachable magazines.
It also prohibits magazines holding more than 10 rounds if manufactured after July 1, 2026, effectively outlawing standard-capacity options that come factory-issued with countless firearms.
Violations carry Class 1 misdemeanor penalties, with a three-year prohibition on firearm possession for those convicted.
The Senate companion, Senate Bill 749 from Senator Saddam Azlan Salim, cleared the Senate on February 10, 2026, with a 21-19 party-line vote, and includes similar bans without grandfathering for post-enactment items.
The same Salim has also introduced a bill to criminalize "Islamophobia." They are making it illegal for Americans to own guns, while also making it legal for them to arrest Virginians on "assault" for any speech against Islam. These gun bans are just another step in weakening America for an invasion.
These bans echo historical disarmament tactics used by oppressive regimes, as Delegate Todd Garrett highlighted in a passionate floor speech (video towards end of article) on January 23, 2026.
Garrett warned that these new laws criminalize everyday citizens, like an 80-year-old veteran carrying an 11+-round magazine, without addressing actual crime.
Compounding the assault is Senate Bill 763, which imposes an 11% excise tax on all firearms, ammunition, and components sold by dealers or manufacturers. This bill sailed through the Senate on a 21-19 vote in early February 2026, with its House companion, House Bill 919, still pending but expected to advance.
Such taxes burden law-abiding gun owners, making self-defense unaffordable for working families while doing nothing to deter criminals who obtain weapons illegally. The Virginia Citizens Defense League has tracked this as part of over two dozen restrictive proposals, noting it ranks among the most punitive in the nation.
Further eroding Virginian rights, Senate Bill 27 and its House counterpart, House Bill 21, establish "standards of responsible conduct" for firearm industry members, opening the door to civil liability for manufacturers, wholesalers, and dealers if they fail to implement vague safeguards against sales to prohibited persons or those deemed "at risk."
Sponsored by Senators Jennifer Carroll Foy and Adam Ebbin, and Delegate Helmer, these bills passed their respective chambers in late January and early February 2026.
Bans on unserialized firearms and ghost guns are also advancing swiftly. Senate Bill 323, from Senator Ebbin, prohibits unfinished frames, receivers, and untraceable guns, passing the Senate 21-19 on February 10, 2026.
Its House version, House Bill 40, cleared the House 63-34 earlier that month. These measures build on 2025 laws but eliminate any grandfathering, forcing owners to surrender or destroy items that pose no inherent threat when in responsible hands.
Safe storage mandates add another layer of intrusion. Senate Bill 748 and House Bill 871 require firearms to be locked when minors are present, passing the Senate 21-19 and House 60-37 in February 2026. While framed as child-safety laws, these laws criminalize parents for quick access in emergencies, ignoring that most accidents stem from negligence, not a lack of locks.
Expanding gun-free zones just means more places where law-abiding citizens are left defenseless. Senate Bill 727 spreads these bans across the state. Senate Bill 272 and House Bill 909 add more no-gun zones in government buildings, colleges, and even around polling places. All this does is create soft targets for criminals, who never follow the rules in the first place.
Red flag expansions, like House Bill 19 and Senate Bill 160, broaden petitions to include dating partners, passing with votes like 61-35 in the House and 22-18 in the Senate.
Waiting periods under House Bill 700 impose five-day delays on transfers, advancing through committees. Even voluntary buyback programs, via House Bill 702, passed 62-34, encourage disarmament under taxpayer funding.
This onslaught, as detailed by William Kirk of Washington Gun Law in a February 2026 analysis, represents a coordinated effort to strip Virginians of their God-given rights.
With bills crossing over by the February 17, 2026, deadline and heading to conference committees, the final push could see them on Spanberger's desk by March. Virginia, the birthplace of American independence, where armed colonists secured liberty, now risks becoming a cautionary tale of how far-left policies erode freedoms.
True safety comes from empowering citizens, not disarming them. As founders like George Washington understood, an armed populace is the ultimate check against tyranny.
Republican Virginia Delegate Tom Garrett, Jr. went off, explaining the Founding Fathers would be disgusted at the trampling of the rights of good Americans these days:
Virginians must rally, contact lawmakers, and support groups like the Virginia Citizens Defense League to halt this slide into far-left authoritarianism. The Second Amendment is not negotiable; it is the safeguard of all other rights, and its defense demands vigilance now more than ever.