As voting day for the Virginia referendum on redistricting approaches, Governor Abigail Spanberger has sent numerous gun bills back to the legislature for modification.
On April 21, Virginians will head to the polls to vote on a redistricting plan that would limit Republicans to just one seat in the United States House of Representatives. Right now, Democrats hold a 6-5 seat advantage and are looking to increase their representation. Virginia has an anti-gerrymandering amendment in its state constitution, yet Democrats passed a bill that would allow them to gerrymander anyway. They claim that stripping Republicans of their voice in the state is necessary to restore fairness to the election process. In reality, the referendum question does not mention that its purpose is to reduce Republican representation, even though that is the Democrats’ stated goal.
The question on the ballot reads: “Should the Constitution of Virginia be amended to allow the General Assembly to temporarily adopt new congressional districts to restore fairness in the upcoming elections, while ensuring Virginia’s standard redistricting process resumes for all future redistricting after the 2030 census?”
Many Virginians believe the question is deliberately misleading. Some say it smacks of Orwellian doublespeak, since the real purpose of the vote is to artificially increase Democratic power while marginalizing Republican voters. Democrats claim the measure is a response to redistricting efforts in Texas. They argue that the only way to make elections “fair” is to silence nearly half the voters in the Old Dominion.
Just one day after the redistricting vote, the Virginia General Assembly will reconvene to consider the Governor’s amendments to several high-profile gun bills. Governor Spanberger could have signed the anti-gun legislation, vetoed it, done nothing (Virginia law states that if the Governor takes no action, the bill automatically becomes law), or sent it back to the General Assembly with suggested amendments. She chose to send the draconian anti-gun bills back with changes that make them even more oppressive.
The former CIA agent modified the “assault firearms” bill (HB 217 / SB 749) by removing the word “fixed” from the magazine definition. Critics say this broadens the ban to cover many more semi-automatic rifles and pistols that accept detachable magazines.
The change could potentially affect a wide range of common firearms capable of holding more than 15 rounds, including most pistols. All major gun rights organizations are preparing to sue the state over the new laws, but they cannot file suit until the legislation actually passes.
Some view the Governor’s modifications as a stall tactic until after the redistricting vote. They argue that signing the bills before the election could have motivated more gun owners to turn out at the polls. The General Assembly can either accept the Governor’s changes (allowing her version to become law), attempt to override them (though they appear to lack the votes), or let the bills die.
All of the new gun laws are expected to face legal challenges, including a potential challenge from the United States Department of Justice (DOJ), which publicly warned the Governor on X (formerly Twitter) about violating Virginians’ Second Amendment rights.
One group that has vowed to fight the new laws is Gun Owners of America (GOA). GOA was previously successful in blocking universal background checks — a victory that Spanberger derisively calls the “Lynchburg loophole.” The Governor has also modified HB 1525, which concerns the purchase, possession, or transportation of certain firearms by persons younger than 21. Her changes would direct the Virginia State Police to resume background checks on private sales. GOA sees the new gun laws and the redistricting referendum as closely linked.
“Make no mistake, this is partisan gerrymandering in its purest form,” said Chris Stone, Director of State and Local Affairs for Gun Owners of America. “This amendment is an obvious attempt by anti-Second Amendment Democrats to change the rules midstream so they can protect their power, weaken opposition, and make it harder for voters to hold them accountable.”
As Virginians head to the polls on April 21, they face a critical choice that will shape both the future of fair elections and the protection of their constitutional rights in the Commonwealth. The intertwined battles over redistricting and gun control highlight a deeper struggle: whether Democratic leaders will be allowed to rewrite the rules to entrench their power at the expense of Republican voices and Second Amendment freedoms.
The coming weeks will test whether voters see through what many view as a calculated power grab, or whether Virginia’s political landscape will be fundamentally reshaped for years to come.
Spanberger Amends Virginia Gun Ban Bill After DOJ Threatens Lawsuit
About John Crump
Mr. Crump is an NRA instructor and a constitutional activist. John has written about firearms, interviewed people from all walks of life, and on the Constitution. John lives in Northern Virginia with his wife and sons, follow him on X at @right2bear, or at www.crumpy.com.
