Virginia House Democrats Pass Sweeping Gun Control Package Over GOP Objections

Virginia House Democrats on Thursday muscled through a sweeping package of gun control legislation, passing more than half a dozen bills aimed at restricting access to certain firearms, tightening storage requirements, and expanding civil liability for the gun industry, as Republicans — reduced to an even smaller minority after November’s elections — spoke forcefully in opposition but were ultimately unable to stop the measures.

Members of the Virginia House of Delegates on Thursday debated and voted on a package of gun safety legislation on the House floor at the state Capitol in Richmond. (Photo by Markus Schmidt/Virginia Mercury)

The proposals, which are now headed to the Senate, ranged from a ban on the sale of assault-style weapons and large-capacity magazines to new penalties for leaving visible handguns in unattended vehicles and requirements that firearms be locked in homes where children are present.

Several of the votes, including passage of a high-profile assault weapons ban, were greeted with applause from spectators in the House gallery.

Republicans warned repeatedly that the legislation trampled constitutional rights and would invite costly legal challenges, while Democrats previously argued the bills were long-overdue public safety measures in a state that has repeatedly revisited gun policy in the wake of mass shootings and rising firearm deaths.

Del. Tom Garrett, R-Buckingham, delivered one of the most impassioned speeches of the day, framing the debate as a fundamental struggle between citizens and government power.

Garrett argued that the Second Amendment’s protections were broader than the text itself suggests, saying that if James Madison “wanted to be a little bit more wordy,” the amendment would have explicitly spelled out the right to defend against tyranny.

“The government did not give me the right to defend myself, to defend my family, or to defend my freedom,” Garrett said, adding that the government “cannot take it away, try though it may.”

Garrett also criticized religious organizations that have backed gun control efforts, saying he was “absolutely awestruck” that a prominent Christian advocacy group supported some of the bills. “They must be reading a different Bible than me,” he said.

Despite those warnings, Democrats pressed ahead, buoyed by their majority and momentum from a revived gun safety agenda that has been building since last month, when Senate committees advanced similar measures once vetoed by former Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin.

The most significant vote came on House Bill 217, sponsored by Del. Dan Helmer, D-Fairfax, which would prohibit the importation, sale, manufacture, and transfer of assault firearms and large-capacity ammunition feeding devices. The bill passed 58-34.

Under the proposal, violations would be punishable as a Class 1 misdemeanor, with a three-year prohibition on purchasing, possessing or transporting firearms following a conviction.

The measure exempts antique firearms, permanently inoperable guns, manually operated firearms such as bolt- or lever-action rifles, and weapons manufactured before July 1, 2026. It also bars individuals under 21 from possessing assault firearms, regardless of when they were made, with limited exceptions.

House Minority Leader Terry Kilgore, R-Scott, said the bill “blatantly defies” U.S. Supreme Court precedent, particularly the court’s 2022 Bruen decision. Calling the proposal “a lawyer’s dream,” Kilgore, himself a lawyer, predicted extensive litigation.

“To call these rifles common is an understatement,” Kilgore said, arguing that the weapons and magazines targeted by the bill are widely owned and therefore constitutionally protected.

He warned the law could backfire by producing a court ruling that explicitly protects both assault-style rifles and the magazines that feed them.

Another Helmer measure, HB 21, passed 62-35 and would create new standards of “responsible conduct” for firearm industry members.

The bill allows the attorney general, local prosecutors or injured individuals to bring civil actions against manufacturers and sellers who fail to implement reasonable safeguards, including preventing straw purchases, theft and unlawful marketing.

Del. Jay Leftwich, R-Chesapeake, argued the bill conflicts with the federal Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act and is dangerously vague.

He said the real goal was to choke off gun sales through “a tsunami of litigation” that would drive firearm businesses out of Virginia.

Gun safety advocates at the Moms Demand Action rally in Richmond in 2025. (Photo by Markus Schmidt/Virginia Mercury)

Democrats also passed HB 229, by Del. Phil Hernandez, D-Norfolk, banning firearms and certain weapons in hospitals that provide mental health or developmental services; HB 626, by Del. Katrina Callsen, D-Albemarle, narrowing exemptions for carrying firearms in state-owned buildings and on college campuses; and HB 871, by Del. Mark Downey, D-Williamsburg, requiring firearms to be locked in homes where minors or prohibited persons are present.

Opposing HB 871, Del. Eric Zehr, R-Campbell, said the bill failed to account for emergencies and could criminalize gun owners even if a minor used a firearm to save lives. “This bill is the embodiment of good intentions colliding with reality,” Zehr said.

The House also approved HB 40, by Del. Marcus Simon, D-Fairfax, targeting so-called ghost guns and plastic firearms, and HB 93, by Del. Elizabeth Bennett-Parker, D-Alexandria, tightening rules around firearm transfers by individuals subject to protective orders.

HB 110, by Del. Amy Laufer, D-Albemarle, would impose civil penalties for leaving visible handguns in unattended vehicles.

Together, Thursday’s votes marked one of the most aggressive gun control pushes in the House in years.

Gun safety advocates praised the House action, calling it a turning point in Virginia’s approach to gun violence.

The Virginia chapters of Moms Demand Action and Students Demand Action, part of Everytown for Gun Safety’s grassroots network, said passage of five priority bills reflects a broad effort to curb gun violence by banning assault-style weapons, cracking down on hard-to-trace ghost guns, holding the gun industry accountable, and strengthening protections for survivors of domestic violence.

“This is a comprehensive commitment to protecting our children from gun violence in every form,” said Gayatri Manoharan, a volunteer with Moms Demand Action in Virginia, who credited lawmakers with responding to voter pressure.

Student advocates echoed that sentiment, with Prince William County Students Demand Action volunteer Aidan Vivas saying the votes showed what happens when elected leaders “prioritize our lives over the interests of the gun lobby,” and vowing continued advocacy until the bills reach Gov. Abigail Spanberger’s desk.

With Democrats controlling both legislative chambers and the governor’s office, the measures now move forward in a markedly different political climate than in prior sessions, when similar bills stalled or were vetoed by Youngkin.

by Markus Schmidt, Virginia Mercury

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