A bill prohibiting AR-15s and other semiautomatic rifles has made its way to Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger’s (D) desk.
The legislation, Senate Bill 749, and sponsored by Sen. Saddam Azlan Salim of Fairfax, bars the future manufacture, sale, purchase, transfer and importation of assault‑style firearms defined under state law. Magazines holding more than 15 rounds of ammunition are also banned under the bill.
“How do we ensure that my kids and your kids, and whoever kids come after this, that they have a safe place when they go to school, not necessarily a place where they have to do active shooter drills and think about whether it’s real or if it’s not,” Salim said, as per WRIC ABC 8.
Meanwhile, Rep. Mark Obenshain, a Republican, said the legislation is “one of the more extreme bills that is gonna pass this year.” He added, “The people who are gonna obey this law, they’re gonna be the law-abiders, they’re not gonna be the people who engage in the mass shootings or other criminal conduct.”
A spokesperson for Spanberger said in a statement on the legislation: As the mother of three daughters in Virginia public schools and a former federal law enforcement officer who carried a gun every day, Governor Spanberger knows how important it is to make sure kids and families are safe. The Governor is grateful for the efforts of legislators and advocates to address gun violence in Virginia communities, and she looks forward to reviewing all legislation that comes to her desk.”
