WASHINGTON (AP) \u2014 The Trump administration sued California and Virginia on Wednesday over new laws in both states that restrict the sale of semiautomatic firearms.<\/p>\n
The two separate lawsuits filed by the Justice Department in federal court say the laws violate the Second Amendment.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Constitution is not a suggestion, and the Second Amendment is not a second-class right,\u201d Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said in a news release announcing the lawsuit against Virginia.<\/p>\n
Virginia\u2019s Democratic governor, Abigail Spanberger, signed legislation earlier this year<\/a> banning the sale and manufacture of certain semiautomatic firearms. The law, which took effect Wednesday, is facing at least four other lawsuits challenging its constitutionality.<\/p>\n The California law prohibits gun shops from selling certain handguns that can easily be made fully automatic.<\/p>\n Attorneys general in both states vowed to defend their gun laws.<\/p>\n In a statement, the office of Virginia Attorney General Jay Jones said the ban on selling certain semiautomatic firearms was a \u201ccommonsense\u201d measure that \u201ckeeps Virginians safe, protects law enforcement, and safeguards communities across the Commonwealth.\u201d<\/p>\n Spanberger\u2019s office also defended the law, saying Wednesday in a statement that the governor believes \u201cfirearms designed to inflict maximum casualties do not belong in our communities, near our kids and schools, or on Virginia\u2019s streets.\u201d<\/p>\n The California attorney general\u2019s office said in a statement the state had \u201ceffective and constitutional gun safety laws\u201d that \u201chelped drive firearm death rates to record lows.\u201d <\/p>\n The California law largely bans the sale of Glock and Glock-style pistols, among the most popular type of handgun in the U.S., according to the DOJ suit.<\/p>\n The lawsuit is also challenging additional restrictions on handguns sold in California.<\/p>\n States controlled by Democrats and those led by Republicans have diverged in recent years over gun legislation, with some Republican states passing laws to relax firearm restrictions.<\/p>\n The U.S. Supreme Court said Tuesday<\/a> it will take up another major Second Amendment case. The justices will consider whether bans on semiautomatic rifles violate the Constitution. Arguments are expected in the fall.<\/p>\n