Virginia’s sportsmen are caught in a dangerous double-edged sword. We know either the Governor’s amended version or the original bills will be headed back to her. Email and call the Governor, urging her to veto whichever version reaches her desk. Virginia’s hunters and gun owners are not criminals, and the Governor should spend her time defending our heritage, not dismantling it.

Governor Spanberger’s "substitute" amendments to these bills frame them as moderate compromises. In reality, they remain a significant overreach. This is the trap: if the legislature accepts her amendments, the bills become law with her signature. If they reject them, the original, even more restrictive bills go back to her desk for a final decision.

If the Governor signs either version of these bills, original or amended, our only remaining recourse will be the courtroom. The Sportsmen’s Alliance is already exploring all legal options to challenge these measures as soon as they are signed.

Why the Governor’s "Substitutes" Still Threaten Our Community:

• SB 749 & HB 217 (Assault Firearm Ban): This substitute actually broadens the definition of an "assault firearm" by removing the word "fixed," potentially banning any semi-automatic rifle or pistol capable of holding a magazine over 15 rounds. While it offers a narrow hunting exemption for certain shotguns, it effectively sets an expiration date on your right to own modern sporting tools and criminalizes simple transfers to friends or family.
• HB 1525 (Age Limits): This amendment strips law-abiding young adults, including many of our most active hunters, of their rights by raising the purchase age for common rifles from 18 to 21.
• HB 871 & SB 348 (Safe Storage): These changes mandate how you must secure property within your own home. Despite minor technical tweaks, it remains a "one-size-fits-all" government mandate that creates legal traps for responsible parents.

The Bottom Line: Whether the legislature accepts these amendments or sends the original bills back to her desk, the target remains the same: the law-abiding sportsman.

It is important that you share this critical email with your family, friends, and fellow sportsmen and gun owners. Virginia needs everyone to take action by sending an email and calling the Governor to urge her not to turn law-abiding citizens into criminals.