Virginia Democrats Pass Gun Ban, Confiscation Bill
House of Delegates passes package of gun control measures
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The Democrat-controlled Virginia House of Delegates has just passed a radical gun ban bill that also seeks to confiscate "high capacity" magazines from law-abiding citizens.
On Tuesday, Virginia Democrats narrowly passed a proposed measure to ban the sale of "assault-style" weapons in the state.
Democratic lawmakers are continuing to push for a series of gun control measures in what has become the epicenter of the nationwide gun debate.
H.B. 961 will now move to the state Senate after passing in the House of Delegates with a 51-48 vote.
Passage among senators could be in jeopardy as Democrats only have a two-seat majority, meaning they can only afford to lose one vote should all the Republicans oppose the bill.
“This legislation, just like other bills passed by the House this year, is intended to make Virginians safer every day,” House Democrats said in a statement after the vote.
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The proposal passed the House 51-48 with all Republicans and several Democrats voting against the bill, according to The Daily Caller.
Democrat Delegate Mark Levine celebrated the latest passage of HB961, Tweeting:
"The @VaHouse just passed HB961, my bill to get weapons of war off of our streets. This bill will save lives."
The legislation includes a ban on the sale of several firearms defined as “assault weapons,” including the popular AR-15.
The House of Delegates has passed HB961.
— VA House Democrats (@VAHouseDems) February 11, 2020
This legislation, just like other bills passed by the House this year, is intended to make Virginians safer every day.@VAHouseDems will continue to listen to the voters' mandate from November to support gun violence prevention efforts.
Virginia residents who currently own these types of firearms will not be forced to participate in a mandatory buyback program as had initially been considered by state Democrats.
However, the bill gives the state government the authority to confiscate certain types of magazines that are considered “high capacity.”
Here is the roll call for the vote on HB961: https://t.co/8tlUol9jmM
— Stephen Gutowski (@StephenGutowski) February 11, 2020
This is the second gun-control package approved by the House in recent weeks.
The legislature passed legislation late last month that included universal background checks, red flag laws, and a law limiting citizens of the Commonwealth to one firearm purchase a month.
Both bills now head to the state senate, where Democrats hold a narrow 21-19 majority.
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Democratic Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam has spoken out in support of both bills, making gun control a top priority for his remaining two years in office.
Gun-control initiatives have been met with intense backlash in the Commonwealth.
91 of the state’s 95 counties have declared themselves sanctuaries for the Second Amendment.
A Second Amendment rally in the state’s capital of Richmond drew roughly 22,000 attendees.
