By Tanya Metaksa
What’s New—Tomorrow is election day, and despite it being an off-year, ELECTIONS HAVE CONSEQUENCES;
Politics: Elections Impacting Second Amendment Issues in NJ, VA, PA, and ME (2025); State Legislature: Massachusetts: On Tuesday, Oct. 21, the Joint Committee on Environment and Natural Resources held a hearing on dozens of hunting-related bills, including two bills restricting ammunition used in hunting; Minnesota: The St. Paul City Council introduced an “assault weapon” ban ordinance on Oct. 22; North Carolina: The veto override vote of SB50 has been rescheduled for Nov. 17, 2025; Pennsylvania: On Oct. 29, 2025, the Local Government Committee held a public hearing to collect testimony on Senate Bill 822, which would strengthen the Commonwealth’s firearms preemption statute; Virginia: The Wytheville Town Council was scheduled to vote on a gun control ordinance (Ordinance No. 1460) on Oct. 27. In advance of the meeting being called to order, the Mayor withdrew the ordinance from the agenda.
Politics: Elections Impacting Second Amendment Issues in NJ, VA, PA, and ME (2025)
New Jersey: Legislative and Gubernatorial Races—Gun rights advocates say VOTE for Republicans
Virginia: Statewide and Legislative Races— Gun rights advocates say VOTE for Republicans
Pennsylvania: Judicial Races- Gun rights advocates say VOTE NO to retain Judges
Maine: Referendum on Red Flag Laws—On Question 5, Gun rights advocates say VOTE NO
Maine’s Question 2 referendum asks voters in November whether to implement a “red flag” law allowing family members or law enforcement to temporarily remove firearms from individuals deemed dangerous. Even Governor Janet Mills, a Democrat, opposes the measure and favors the existing “yellow flag” law.
Conclusion
Whether voters are choosing lawmakers, judges, or referendum outcomes, those in New Jersey, Virginia, Pennsylvania, and Maine will have an unusual influence on Second Amendment policy. This has been a pivotal year, and 2026, with legislative and judicial shifts pointing to new case law, regulatory approaches, and political coalitions, could be a very significant year in the history of the Second Amendment.
State Legislature
The following states are still in SESSION:
Massachusetts, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin
Massachusetts: On Tuesday, Oct. 21, the Joint Committee on Environment and Natural Resources held a hearing on dozens of hunting-related bills, including two bills restricting ammunition used in hunting in the Commonwealth: H1047, banning the use of lead-based ammunition, and H1075, giving the Director the ultimate power to decide any and all shotgun ammunition to be used in hunting.
Michigan: A bill, HB4843, modifying who can use portable devices or weapons directing electrical current, impulse, wave, or beam, is awaiting second reading.
Minnesota: The St. Paul City Council introduced an “assault weapon” ban ordinance on Oct. 22. The meeting minutes read: “Mayor Melvin Carter gave remarks. Brynn Hausz from the Mayor’s Office gave a staff report and answered councilmember questions. Laid over to Second Reading.”
This proposal cannot be enforced as Minnesota has a state preemption law regarding firearms ordinances.
North Carolina: The veto override vote of SB50 has been rescheduled for Nov. 17.
Pennsylvania: On Oct. 29, the Local Government Committee held a public hearing to collect testimony on Senate Bill 822, which would strengthen the Commonwealth’s firearms preemption statute. The hearing featured testimony from members of pro-gun organizations, including Gun Owners of America (GOA), National Rifle Association (NRA), and Pennsylvania Gun Rights, among others. These groups advocated for the bill, arguing it would prevent costly legal challenges for gun owners due to conflicting local ordinances and provide legal remedies when municipalities violate state law.
Virginia: The Wytheville Town Council was scheduled to vote on a gun control ordinance (Ordinance No. 1460) on Oct. 27. The proposed ordinance would expand “gun-free zones” by prohibiting firearms in Wytheville government buildings, public parks, and community and recreation centers, with no exception for Concealed Handgun Permit (CHP) holders.
At the beginning of the meeting, before the Pledge of Allegiance, the Mayor stated: “I have a statement I would like to make. Agenda item 11D, ordinance number 1450, regarding firearms on the meeting agenda was expressly based on Virginia Code section 15-2-915 that authorizes localities to regulate firearms. From the vast amount of comments received, it is obvious that the citizens are not in favor of this ordinance. Therefore, the ordinance is going to be removed from the town council meeting agenda and will not be considered for adoption.”
The Town Council then voted to continue the agenda without Agenda item 11D.
