DOJ Sues California, Virginia Over Semiautomatic Firearm Bans

The Trump administration has filed federal lawsuits against California and Virginia, challenging new state laws that restrict the sale of semiautomatic firearms. The Justice Department argues these laws violate the Second Amendment, with Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche stating, “The Constitution is not a suggestion, and the Second Amendment is not a second-class right.”

Virginia’s Democratic governor, Abigail Spanberger, signed legislation that bans the sale and manufacture of certain semiautomatic firearms, which took effect Wednesday and faces at least four other lawsuits. The California law prohibits gun shops from selling specific handguns that can easily be converted to fully automatic. The California attorney general’s office stated the state has “effective and constitutional gun safety laws” that have helped reduce firearm death rates.

Attorneys general in both states have vowed to defend their gun laws, with Virginia’s AG office calling the ban a “commonsense” measure. The U.S. Supreme Court recently announced it will consider another major Second Amendment case concerning bans on semiautomatic rifles.