The National Rifle Association (NRA) filed a lawsuit against Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger after she signed legislation to place restrictions on so-called “assault weapons.”

“As promised, we are taking Abigail Spanberger to court. Throughout the legislative session, the NRA and our members fought Richmond’s radical gun control package tooth and nail. We made it clear that this extreme anti-gun proposal, which bans the new purchase of commonly owned firearms and standard capacity magazines in the Commonwealth, is a blatant violation of Second Amendment rights and an affront to landmark Supreme Court cases,” the NRA said in a statement, according to WCYB.

“Instead of listening to these factual concerns from their constituents, progressive politicians sided with Michael Bloomberg and his gun-grabbing groups. The NRA will not sit idly by while progressive politicians strip the rights of law-abiding citizens, and our world-class legal team is locked, loaded, and ready to shoot down this outrageous gun-control law,” it continued.

“We’re not going to stand idly by and let this new governor ban America’s rifle in the Commonwealth of Virginia,” NRA-ILA Executive Director John Commerford said.

More from the NRA-ILA:

The bans were signed into law earlier today by Governor Spanberger. The “assault firearms” ban criminalizes the purchase, sale, transfer, manufacture, and importation of a wide range of commonly owned semiautomatic handguns, shotguns, and rifles—including the AR-15, the most popular rifle in America. The law also prohibits the purchase, barter, transfer, and importation of “large capacity magazines,” defined as magazines capable of holding over 15 rounds of ammunition.

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The complaint argues that the bans violate the arms guarantee in Article 1, Section 13 of the Virginia Constitution. It further contends that, because the Virginia Supreme Court has interpreted that provision as coextensive with the Second Amendment, it bars prohibitions on commonly owned arms.

The plaintiffs include the Virginia Shooting Sports Association, Middletown Firearms, Middletown Training, Virginia Pride Ltd., and VSSA members Joseph Santolla, Reagan Adams, James Rowe, Robert Pride, and Stephen Bokmiller.

The case, Santolla v. Katz, will be heard by the Washington Circuit Court.

“I am signing this bill into law because firearms designed to inflict maximum casualties do not belong on our streets. We are taking this step to protect families and support the law enforcement officers who work every day to keep our communities safe,” Spanberger said, according to WCYB.

“While the General Assembly chose not to adopt my amendment that specifically carves out certain firearms frequently used for hunting, I will work with the patrons to clarify this language,” she continued.

“Unfortunately, our Commonwealth has been the victim of far too many mass shootings. Today, we took the first step to ban these weapons of war and stop this violence once and for all. History made in Virginia today,” Virginia House of Delegates Speaker Don Scott said.

WCYB shared further:

The new law makes it a Class 1 misdemeanor to import, sell, manufacture, purchase or transfer an assault firearm, and prohibits a person who has been convicted of such a violation from purchasing, possessing or transporting a firearm for three years.

The ban does not apply to firearms that are antique, have been rendered permanently inoperable or are manually operated by bolt, pump, lever or slide action.

 

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