Listen up, folks — this is exactly why we can't stop fighting.
Just days before Virginia's unconstitutional gun ban was set to take effect, Judge Jeffrey Campbell in Washington County handed down a one-year preliminary injunction against SB749, the Commonwealth's so-called "assault weapon" ban that would've shut down sales of popular semi-auto firearms and standard-capacity magazines.
That's right — the state tried to tell us that banning common guns like the AR-15 has some historical basis in the National Firearms Act of 1934. But as Judge Campbell correctly pointed out, none of the firearms they're trying to ban are NFA items. That argument doesn't hold water, and the judge saw right through it.
"Because the newly enacted Firearms Ban and Magazine Ban would likely run afoul of the protections of the Second Amendment... I find that the Plaintiffs are likely to prevail on the merits," Campbell wrote. Well said, Judge.
This is the second win in a week — Lancaster County Judge John Martin already issued a one-month injunction in a separate case. The NRA, Virginia Shooting Sports Foundation, and gun retailers backed these challenges, and they're already planning the next move. The NRA-ILA put it perfectly: "This is a major victory, but our mission is not complete."
They've also got a federal lawsuit, McDonald v. Katz, working in the Eastern District of Virginia.
Look, I've been saying all along — these bans are political theater, not public safety policy. The courts are starting to see through it too. But we've got a year to keep up the pressure. Stay informed, stay involved, and remember: they don't give up, so we can't either.
This fight isn't over — it's just getting started.