Virginia Governor Spanberger Signs Assault‑Weapon Ban Amid Lawsuits

Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger signed a package of 25 bills during the 2026 General Assembly session, including a ban on the sale, manufacture and transfer of so‑called “assault firearms” and high‑capacity magazines that will take effect on July 1. The legislation makes such activity a Class 1 misdemeanor and prohibits convicted individuals from possessing firearms for three years. Shortly after the signing, gun‑rights groups filed both federal and state lawsuits challenging the ban as unconstitutional under the Second Amendment and the Virginia Constitution.

In the same session, Spanberger vetoed two collective‑bargaining bills that would have expanded union rights for public employees statewide, drawing sharp criticism from labor unions. She also signed a bill to automatically resentence more than 1,000 Virginians incarcerated for marijuana offenses that are no longer illegal, and a law joining the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact, committing Virginia to award its electoral votes to the national popular‑vote winner.

The lawsuits, filed by the Second Amendment Foundation, the National Rifle Association and other plaintiffs, argue that the banned firearms are “common use” and therefore cannot be prohibited. Virginia officials, including State Police Superintendent Jeffrey Katz, are named as defendants. The legal challenges are expected to shape future state and possibly national gun‑policy jurisprudence.