On Monday, January 26th, Virginia’s Senate Courts of Justice Committee pushed forward a batch of gun control bills that read like a greatest-hits album of anti-2A wishlisting: red flag laws, restrictions on assault weapons, magazine capacity limits, and even one-day waiting periods for purchases. This isn’t some fringe proposal; it’s a coordinated assault from Democrats holding slim majorities in both chambers, signaling Governor Ralph Northam’s spiritual successors are doubling down on disarming law-abiding Virginians. The bills advanced on party lines, with zero Republican support, underscoring the raw partisan divide in a state that’s swung purple but retains deep 2A roots in its rural heartland.
What’s clever—and chilling—about this timing is how it exploits the post-election lull before the General Assembly’s February 19 crossover deadline, when bills must pass one chamber to stay alive. Proponents frame these as common-sense measures amid national debates on school safety, but dig deeper: Virginia’s violent crime rates have spiked in urban areas like Richmond and Norfolk (FBI data shows a 20%+ homicide uptick since 2020), yet these bills ignore root causes like soft-on-crime DAs and focus laser-like on firearms owned by the 1.5 million concealed carriers here. It’s classic misdirection—punish the compliant while felons bypass rules via straw purchases or black markets. For the 2A community, this is a five-alarm fire: if Virginia falls fully into the California model, expect carry permit revocations next, eroding the hard-won victories from 2020’s mass sheriff rebellions.
The implications ripple nationwide. With the NRA-ILA sounding alarms and GOA mobilizing grassroots opposition, 2A Virginians must flood the Senate Finance Committee hearings next—pack the rooms, testify en masse, and primary any squishy Republicans. This isn’t just Richmond’s fight; it’s a bellwether for battlegrounds like Pennsylvania and Michigan, where similar schemes lurk. Stay vigilant, stock up legally while you can, and remember: incrementalism is how they boil the frog. Fight now, or watch your rights evaporate bill by bill.
