{"id":383325,"date":"2026-07-02T07:50:26","date_gmt":"2026-07-02T07:50:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/383325\/"},"modified":"2026-07-02T07:50:26","modified_gmt":"2026-07-02T07:50:26","slug":"justice-department-sues-california-and-virginia-for-weapons-bans","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/383325\/","title":{"rendered":"Justice Department sues California and Virginia for weapons bans"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Justice Department has filed lawsuits targeting assault weapons bans in Virginia and California, both of which were set to take effect Wednesday.<\/p>\n

The government is seeking permanent injunctions in both cases to block the laws from being enforced, arguing that they violate gun owners\u2019 Second Amendment rights. The legal challenges come as the latest example<\/a> of the Trump administration<\/a> pushing to strike down<\/a> gun control measures.<\/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 statement announcing the Virginia lawsuit.<\/p>\n

That lawsuit, which names the commonwealth and the Virginia State Police as defendants, challenges a law<\/a> banning the sale and purchase of assault weapons and magazines capable of holding more than 15 rounds. Gov. Abigail Spanberger, a Democrat, signed the law in May, but two court injunctions<\/a> have blocked it from taking effect until next year as legal challenges from gun rights groups unfold<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, gun safety organizations, including Everytown for Gun Safety<\/a> and Brady<\/a>, applauded the measure when it was signed into law, making Virginia the 11th state to ban assault weapons nationwide, according to Everytown. Among Virginians, the law appears popular: Roanoke College conducted a poll of more than<\/a> 800 voters in February and found that\u00a0almost 60% supported banning assault rifles.<\/p>\n

According to a Washington Post report published in 2023<\/a>, AR-15s are the bestselling rifles in the U.S., with roughly 15 million people owning at least one,\u00a0per polling data from the Post and Ipsos. Those who do not own the rifles may be most familiar with them from their use in several of the country\u2019s deadliest mass shootings.<\/p>\n

The government\u2019s 13-page complaint makes no mention of the rifles\u2019 historic use in school shootings. The complaint states: \u201cAR-15 type rifles are not commonly used by criminals,\u201d instead citing survey data showing their use for self-defense and hunting.<\/p>\n

A spokesperson for Spanberger\u2019s office told MS NOW on Wednesday that the governor \u201cfirmly believes that firearms 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 Virginia State Police directed MS NOW\u2019s questions to the state attorney general\u2019s office, which said in a statement that it would \u201cdefend Virginia\u2019s assault weapons ban against the Trump DOJ\u2019s misuse of the Civil Rights Division.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThis commonsense law keeps Virginians safe, protects law enforcement, and safeguards communities across the Commonwealth,\u201d the statement said.<\/p>\n

\tRecommended<\/p>\n

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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\tJulianne McShane<\/a>\t\t<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\t\t\tJulianne McShane is a breaking news reporter for MS NOW who also covers the politics of abortion and reproductive rights. You can send her tips from a non-work device on Signal at jmcshane.19 or follow her on X or Bluesky.\t\t<\/p>\n

\"MS<\/p>\n

\u00a9\u00a02026 Versant Media, LLC<\/p>\n

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