Virginia’s Attorney For Spotsylvania County Attorney Announces Intent To Defy...

[SVPete]

Virginia’s Attorney For Spotsylvania County Attorney Announces Intent To Defy State’s ‘Unconstitutional’ Gun Ban

https://dailycaller.com/2026/05/16/spotsylvania-county-commonwealth-attorney-g-ryan-mehaffey-announces-intent-defy-virginia-unconstitutional-gun-ban/

The Commonwealth’s Attorney for Spotsylvania County, Va., said he would not enforce new bans on modern semiautomatic weapons signed by Democratic Gov. Abigail Spanberger.

Pro-Second Amendment organizations sued to have the bans struck down as unconstitutional minutes after Spanberger signed the relevant bills into law Thursday evening. Commonwealth’s Attorney G. Ryan Mehaffey wrote a letter Friday to Spotsylvania County Sheriff Roger L. Harris, citing Supreme Court decisions as the basis of his belief that the law couldn’t be “lawfully enforced.”

“The Assault Weapons Ban (SB 749/HB 217) and the Public Carry Ban (SB 727/HB 1524) are undoubtedly inconsistent with the historical tradition of Virginia, as articulated by Miller [v. United States], and are thus unconstitutional under Bruen,” Mehaffey wrote.

“Moreover, Heller secures the right of Virginians to keep and bear the most popular rifle in America, the AR-15,” Mehaffey continued.

This law is conscious, intentional defiance of USSC rulings. The purpose is to, temporarily, burden, and thereby discourage gun ownership. The lawsuits against it, some of which were filed within minutes of Spanberger signing it, are probably requesting injunctions forbidding enforcing it during the litigation of the lawsuits.

[SVPete]

Spanberger’s Signing Statement Laid the Groundwork for Overturning Virginia’s ‘Assault Weapons’ Ban

https://www.shootingnewsweekly.com/gun-control/spanbergers-signing-statement-laid-the-groundwork-for-overturning-virginias-assault-weapons-ban/

After the [Virginia] Democrats took power recently, they went on a frenzy of tax and liberal legislative measures. The sharp move to the far left is out of sync with a purple state that remains roughly evenly divided. While [Gov. Abigail] Spanberger (who ran on being a moderate) has pushed forward many of these measures, she sought to moderate one bill banning so-called “assault firearms.”

Spanberger released a statement that:

“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. 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.”

I think this is called an admission against interest. While a court may declare part of a law unconstitutional if there is a severability clause in that law, a court cannot create an exception that is not in the law so that it satisfies Bruen. Further, that such an exception was proposed and rejected proves that banning common-use guns was conscious and intentional.