
By Dave Workman
Editor-in-Chief
Despite a push by Virginia Democrats to advance several gun control measures during their current session, Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin is expected to veto them, according to the Virginia Mercury.
Youngkin, currently in his final year—Virginia governors may only serve one four-year term at a time, they may not serve consecutive terms—has vetoed similar legislation in the past, the newspaper noted.
Senate Bill 881 has passed on a 20-18 vote. It is sponsored by Sen. Adam Ebbin, an Alexandria Democrat. The legislation would ban the sale, transfer or possession of so-called “ghost guns,” which are not serialized.
According to a summary of the bill, SB 881 “Creates a Class 5 felony for any person who knowingly manufactures or assembles, imports, purchases, sells, transfers, or possesses any firearm that, after removal of all parts other than a major component, as defined in the bill, is not detectable as a firearm when subjected to inspection by the types of detection devices, including X-ray machines, commonly used at airports, government buildings, schools, correctional facilities, and other locations for security screening. The bill updates language regarding the types of detection devices that are used at such locations for detecting plastic firearms. Under current law, it is unlawful to manufacture, import, sell, transfer, or possess any plastic firearm and a violation is punishable as a Class 5 felony.”
It also “creates a Class 1 misdemeanor, which is punishable as a Class 4 felony for a second or subsequent offense, making it unlawful for any person to knowingly possess a firearm or any completed or unfinished frame or receiver that is not imprinted with a valid serial number or to knowingly import, purchase, sell, offer for sale, or transfer ownership of any completed or unfinished frame or receiver, unless the completed or unfinished frame or receiver (i) is deemed to be a firearm pursuant to federal law and (ii) is imprinted with a valid serial number.”
Senate Bill 886 “Defines “trigger activator” as a conversion kit, tool, accessory, or device designed to alter the rate of fire of a semi-automatic firearm to mimic automatic weapon fire or used to increase the rate of fire to a rate faster than that possible for a person to fire such semi-automatic firearm unassisted by a conversion kit, tool, accessory, or device.”
Lastly, the Senate has passed Senate Bill 1181, while the companion legislation—House Bill 1607—is still awaiting action. These measures would “Create a Class 1 misdemeanor for any person who imports, sells, manufactures, purchases, possesses, transports, or transfers an assault firearm, as that term is defined in the bill, and prohibits a person who has been convicted of such violation from purchasing, possessing, or transporting a firearm for a period of three years from the date of conviction. The bill provides that an assault firearm does not include any firearm that is an antique firearm, has been rendered permanently inoperable, is manually operated by bolt, pump, lever, or slide action, or was manufactured before July 1, 2025. The bill also prohibits the sale of a large capacity ammunition feeding device, as that term is defined in the bill. The bill provides that any person who willfully and intentionally (i) sells an assault firearm to another person or (ii) purchases an assault firearm from another person is guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor and that any person who imports, sells, barters, or transfers a large capacity ammunition feeding device is guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor. The bill also makes it a Class 1 misdemeanor for any person younger than 21 years of age to import, sell, manufacture, purchase, possess, transport, or transfer an assault firearm regardless of the date of manufacture of such assault firearm.”
Democrats will be pushing hard to recapture the governor’s office, plus the offices of lieutenant governor and attorney general this fall.