A bill introduced recently by two longtime anti-gun Democrat U.S. senators, both from Virginia, would export the Commonwealth’s recent tragic move toward a totalitarian state to the rest of the country.
The measure, by U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine and U.S. Sen. Mark Warner, is even named the “Virginia Plan To Reduce Gun Violence,” a slap in the face to gun owners in Virginia and throughout the nation. As most readers know, Virginia passed a wide range of gun control bills this session, including a sweeping ban on common firearms and magazines, which is still awaiting legislative confirmation of Gov. Abigail Spanberger’s amendments.
The authors of the legislation claim it would make people safer by enacting at the federal level “a series of common-sense gun violence prevention measures approved by Virginia’s elected officials.” They didn’t mention the vast opposition to the measures passed this session, of course.
“I’m proud of the Commonwealth’s leadership in taking steps to keep Virginians safe and prevent future tragedies in the years since,” Sen. Kaine bragged in a press release announcing the measure. “Far too many communities throughout the United States have been shattered by gun violence just as Blacksburg was. That’s why I’m introducing legislation to build on our progress and implement our strategies on the national level. We must build a world where everyone can go to school, work, their place of worship, a grocery store or a festival without the fear of gun violence.”
The measure would dictate a number of restrictions, many of them devastating to lawful gun owners. Along with banning the sale, manufacture or import of so-called “assault weapons,” it would also limit handgun purchases to one a month, create penalties for slow reporting of lost or stolen firearms, institute restrictive safe-storage provisions, and create a so-called “red-flag” law that would allow confiscation of firearms without due process. Other provisions include banning so-called “ghost guns,” expanding so-called “gun-free” zones to include within 1,000 feet of a hospital or mental health services facility and prohibiting the possession of a firearm in public colleges and university buildings nationwide.
For his part, Sen. Warner doubled down on Sen. Kaine’s assertion that the legislation is needed to make Americans safer.
“On the 19th anniversary of Virginia’s deadliest mass shooting, I’m joining my friend Sen. Kaine in introducing the Virginia Plan,” Warner said. “Too many families across the country have experienced gun violence. I am proud of the Commonwealth for leading the way in implementing commonsense gun reforms, and it’s time for the country to follow.”
Of course, neither senator mentioned that nearly every one of the provisions in their legislation directly violates the Second Amendment’s protection of the right to keep and bear arms. In fact, the U.S. Department of Justice has threatened to file a lawsuit against Virginia if it enacts the ban on semi-automatic rifles and standard firearm magazines.
“This letter provides formal notice that the Civil Rights Division will commence litigation in the event the Commonwealth of Virginia enacts certain bills that unconstitutionally limit law-abiding Americans’ individual right to bear arms,” the letter, sent by Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon, stated. “Specifically, SB 749, as written, would require Virginia law enforcement agencies to engage in a practice of unconstitutionally restricting the making, buying or selling of AR-15s and many other semi-automatic firearms in common use.”
