Images courtesy of Wikimedia Commons; composite by A1F staff
Just after Virginia’s election results last fall, Bloomberg-backed legislators in the state set about to grant the former New York City mayor’s anti-Second Amendment wishes. These politicians, who made it their agenda to pass legislation restricting your right to keep and bear arms, were able to pass a host of measures, which were later signed into law by Gov. Ralph Northam (D)—who is also no friend to this freedom. Now, these laws went into effect Wednesday, July 1.
“It is the start of a new era in Virginia, and we are not going back,” said Northam to The Washington Post in reference to what he deemed “historic gun-safety laws.”
Among the laws going into effect that restrict your Second Amendment rights are:
- SB 240/HB 674: establishing “extreme-risk” protection orders, otherwise known as “red-flag laws”
- SB 69/HB 812: limiting handgun purchases to only one every 30 days
- SB 70/HB 2: so-called “universal” background checks on all firearm sales
- HB 9: requiring gun owners to report lost of stolen firearms to law enforcement within 48 hours
“I was proud to work with legislators and advocates on these measures, and I am proud to sign them into law,” said Northam in an April press release after signing the bills. Not wanting to miss a beat, the governor also doubled down on his desire to push even more extreme measures in the future.
Thanks in part to the NRA, the most-egregious piece of proposed legislation in Virginia, a ban on the most-commonly owned rifles nationwide, was defeated earlier this year; however, these same lawmakers have made clear their desire to have another go at this.
These anti-freedom laws go into effect as record numbers of Americans are buying firearms to protect themselves amidst uncertainty throughout the country. More than two million of those buying a firearm are making their first firearm purchase ever, as they recognize the need to take their personal safety and constitutional rights literally into their own hands.
Virginia is just an example of what can happen when anti-Second Amendment politicians, backed by billionaires who detest your rights, are elected and given the opportunity to run roughshod on your freedoms.
Despite coming up short in his bid for the Democratic Party’s presidential nomination, Bloomberg is still emboldened by what is happening in Virginia, and still using his fortune to back his anti-gun initiatives across the country.
The former mayor has pledged to use his billions to back anti-gun candidates this fall. His gun-control group, Everytown for Gun Safety, has released its first round of endorsements for the House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate.
This November’s elections will play a crucial role in determining the future of the Second Amendment in our country. If Virginia is any indicator, it is clear what former Vice President Joe Biden (D) would do; after all, he said he would make “Hell yeah, we’re coming for your AR-15” Beto O’Rourke an anti-gun official in a Biden administration.
