Second Amendment activists in Virginia are rallying opposition to a raft of gun control bills that Democratic lawmakers pre-filed for the 2026 legislative session in Richmond.
The bills will be at the top of the agenda when pro-firearm activists gather Thursday in Richmond for the annual Lobby Day, where the lineup of speakers will include members of the Virginia Citizens Defense League and Gun Owners of America.
Those Second Amendment groups, as well as the National Rifle Foundation, are spotlighting eight new gun control bills that Virginia’s Democrat-controlled General Assembly and the soon-to-be sworn-in Democratic governor, Abigail Spanberger, appear ready to approve.
Topping the list is HB 217, which bans the importation, sale, manufacture, purchase and transfer of a wide range of commonly owned semi-automatic rifles, pistols and shotguns by classifying them as “assault firearms.”
The classification is based on features such as pistol grips, threaded barrels, folding or adjustable stocks, muzzle devices or the ability to accept detachable magazines.
“The U.S. Supreme Court has said in both D.C. v. Heller, and recently The New York State Rifle and Pistol Association v Bruen, that any firearm ‘in common use’ is protected by the Second Amendment,” said the Virginia Citizens Defense League.