The 2026 legislative session has come to a close in Virginia, but not without some last minute changes to several gun control laws that are now on their way to Gov. Abigail Spanberger.
None of the changes benefit gun owners, except for one… and with that bill only a very select number of Virginians will qualify.
Unreal. @VAHouseDems just voted to exempt themselves and their cars from the ‘guns in cars’ bill.
Laws for thee, not for me. https://t.co/vuVDET0dnB
— Garren Shipley (@GarrenShipley) March 14, 2026
House Bill 110 makes it a misdemeanor to “leave a handgun in an unattended vehicle or trunk unless such handgun is placed out of plain view in a locked hard-sided container, including a locked container that is affixed to the vehicle’s interior by steel cable, bolt, or welding”… include a locked glove compartment or a locked center console.
The bill also sets the boundaries for the “gun-free zone” around the state capitol complex, and here’s where the carveout comes in.
G. The provisions of this section shall not apply to any member of the General Assembly who leaves a handgun in an unattended motor vehicle pursuant to § 18.2-308.7:1 when such vehicle is parked in any parking structure reserved for members of the General Assembly under § 2.2-1172.
It reads to me like Virginia Democrats did exempt lawmakers from facing misdemeanor charges if they leave one of their guns where it’s visible in their car, so long as it’s in the parking garage reserved for them.
This isn’t just hypocrisy. This is a taunt from the anti-gun caucus in Richmond, a reminder to Second Amendment advocates that, no matter how many of them might rally on the statehouse grounds in opposition, they have the power to both pass any gun control bill they want and exempt themselves in the process.
I asked on X whether this would be the one gun bill that Spanberger vetoes in an attempt to look moderate, but I’m not holding my breath. 2A folks are already complaining about her, so what are they going to do about one more legislative middle finger? If she vetoes the bill, though, she’s going against the gun control lobby who spent a lot of money getting her elected and the Democrat majority in the General Assembly. Maybe she lets the bill become law without her signature, but I think the law.. and the exemption for lawmakers, is going into effect later this year.
Another insult was hurled at gun owners in the closing hours of this year’s session on Saturday. During debate on HB 1525, which prohibits adults under the age of 21 from bearing arms in most circumstances, Del. Garrett McGuire tried to make the case for not carrying at all.
Dem Del. @GMcGuireVA: “We know that it’s not always true that you need a gun to fight back someone with a gun. Because those hero cadets didn’t. Leivu Labrescu, …didn’t have a gun when he selflessly gave up his body to prevent the Virginia Tech shooter from entering his class.” pic.twitter.com/k9G34CcCtS
— Virginia House GOP (@vahousegop) March 14, 2026
You don’t need a gun. You can just depend on your fellow ROTC cadets to help you take on a terrorist. Or, if you prefer, you can “selflessly give up your body” and your life to maybe save others.
I wonder what McGuire would tell women concerned about sexual assault? You can just stop struggling and get it over with?
This brazen display of contempt for Virginia gun owners is some of the best evidence yet that the gun control crusade by Democrats in Richmond this session isn’t about public safety. Arguing that people should just be human shields instead of armed citizens is a matter of morality for anti-gun extremists like McGuire. Progressivism is his religion and, and the progressive faith sees gun ownership as an immoral act and a mortal sin.
With an “assault weapon” ban, expanded “red flag” laws, storage mandates, more “gun-free zones”, and deprivations of 2A rights for young adults, Democrats have come a long way towards turning the Commonwealth into East California. Many of these new laws will face challenges in state and federal courts, but Democrats also left plenty on the table for next session, including new taxes on guns and ammo and a “permit-to-“purchase” law aimed at making it more difficult and more expensive to become a gun owner. The anti-gun owner majority in Richmond isn’t done with us yet. They’re only getting started.
Editor’s Note: The radical left will stop at nothing to enact their radical gun control agenda and strip us of our Second Amendment rights.
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