{"id":2616695,"date":"2026-06-20T13:14:58","date_gmt":"2026-06-20T17:14:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/some-democrats-apparently-dont-understand-basics-about-gun-ban-they-rammed-through-state-legislature\/"},"modified":"2026-06-20T13:16:42","modified_gmt":"2026-06-20T17:16:42","slug":"some-democrats-apparently-dont-understand-basics-about-gun-ban-they-rammed-through-state-legislature","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/some-democrats-apparently-dont-understand-basics-about-gun-ban-they-rammed-through-state-legislature\/","title":{"rendered":"Some Democrats Apparently Don&#8217;t Understand Basics About Gun Ban They Rammed Through State Legislature"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">28<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fsome-democrats-apparently-dont-understand-basics-about-gun-ban-they-rammed-through-state-legislature%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2616695&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>Virginia State Senator Saddam Salim and Delegate Dan Helmer, both Democrats, appeared to disagree about the provisions of Virginia&#8217;s recent ban on modern semiautomatic firearms. The law, signed by Governor Abigail Spanberger on May 14, prohibits the sale and transfer of &#8220;assault weapons&#8221; starting July 1, and has <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/supreme-court-blocks-biden-vaccine-mandate-for-businesses-with-100-employees\/\" title=\"Supreme Court blocks Biden vaccine mandate for businesses with 100+ employees\">faced legal challenges<\/a> from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/pro-gun-rights-economist-disinvited-from-committee-hearing-by-oregon-senate-democrats\/\" title=\"Pro-... Rights Economist Disinvited From Committee Hearing by Oregon Senate ...\">pro-gun organizations<\/a>. Salim claimed that people could still buy these firearms, like AR-15s, in other states and bring them into Virginia legally, which drew criticism and accusations of ignorance from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/nra-mothers-day-tweet-of-little-girl-holding-a-rifle-sparks-backlash\/\" title=\"NRA Mother\u2019s Day Tweet Of Little Girl Holding A Rifle Sparks Backlash\">gun rights advocates<\/a>. Helmer argued that importing such firearms remains a misdemeanor under the law. Experts note that federal law restricts purchasing firearms across state lines and that many of these weapons, including AR-15s, are widely owned. The debate highlighted misunderstandings about the law and its implications for gun owners and law enforcement.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><br \/>\n<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC \"-\/\/W3C\/\/DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional\/\/EN\" \"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/TR\/REC-html40\/loose.dtd\"><br \/>\n<?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><html><body><\/p>\n<section> \t\t\t\t<script>console.log(\"ad slot (AC1)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC1)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC2)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC3)\")<\/script><\/p>\n<p>Democratic Virginia state Sen. Saddam Salim and Democratic Virginia state Del. Dan Helmer appeared to be at odds about the provisions of a ban on modern semiautomatic firearms, reflecting an apparent misunderstanding of the law they passed.<\/p>\n<p>Democratic Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger <a href=\"https:\/\/www.governor.virginia.gov\/newsroom\/news-releases\/2026\/may-releases\/name-1117882-en.html\">signed<\/a> SB 749 into law on May 14, which would prohibit the sale and transfer of so-called \u201cassault weapons,\u201d as of July 1, drawing legal challenges from pro-Second Amendment organizations, including the National Rifle Association (NRA), Second Amendment Foundation (SAF) and the Firearms Policy Coalition (FPC). Salim claimed during remarks to the <a href=\"https:\/\/archive.ph\/FVT9U\">Richmond Times-Dispatch<\/a> that people could still buy popular firearms like AR-15s in other states, which would be illegal under federal law.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIf you happen to get (a firearm) from North Carolina, and then you come to Virginia and you don\u2019t commit any crimes, none of us know that you have this,\u201d Salim told the paper. \u201cLaw enforcement in Virginia is never going to go knock on your door and ask you, \u2018Do you have a gun at your home? When did you get that?\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">Wait did he actually say this? If so then it wouldn\u2019t be an AWB lol.<\/p>\n<p>I don\u2019t think Everytown will agree! <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/Xe1olBIZ6n\">https:\/\/t.co\/Xe1olBIZ6n<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Kostas Moros (@MorosKostas) <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/MorosKostas\/status\/2066393809710457030?\">June 15, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Federal law <a href=\"https:\/\/www.law.cornell.edu\/uscode\/text\/18\/922\">prohibits<\/a> a person from purchasing a handgun from a federally licensed dealer or any firearm from a private citizen in a state other than the state the purchaser resides in. Rifles and shotguns can be purchased, but only if they are legal in both the state they are sold in and the state in which the purchaser resides.<\/p>\n<p>Virginia Citizens Defense League President Philip Van Cleave said Salim\u2019s comment reflected his ignorance of current laws.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe clearly doesn\u2019t understand firearm laws, as recently he said somebody could purchase an \u2018assault firearm\u2019 outside of Virginia and bring it back into Virginia, and nobody would know,\u201d Van Cleave told the Daily Caller News Foundation. \u201cGun dealers in other states will check Virginia law and will not sell a Virginia resident an \u2018assault firearm.\u2019 He also doesn\u2019t understand that the US Supreme Court in DC v Heller said that guns that are in \u2018common use\u2019 cannot be banned. But that\u2019s exactly what he\u2019s done.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWait did he actually say this? If so then it wouldn\u2019t be an AWB lol,\u201d Second Amendment Foundation Director of Legal Research and Education Konstadinos Moros <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/MorosKostas\/status\/2066393809710457030\">posted<\/a> on X. \u201cI don\u2019t think Everytown will agree!\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Helmer disputed Salim\u2019s interpretation, telling the Times-Dispatch that importing such a firearm would still be a misdemeanor. Under the provisions of the ban, a conviction for violating the law results in a loss of gun rights for three years.<\/p>\n<p>The National Shooting Sports Foundation <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nssf.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/EstMSR1990_2020.pdf\">estimated<\/a> in a January <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nssf.org\/articles\/nssf-releases-most-recent-firearm-production-figures-3\/\">release<\/a> that over <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/nyt-makes-whopping-admission-on-ar-15s-ak-47s-deals-devastating-blow-to-gun-grabbers\/\" title=\"NYT Makes Whopping Admission on ..., AK-47s, Deals Devastating Blow to ... Grabbers\">32 million \u201cmodern sporting rifles<\/a>,\u201d which include the AR-15, are \u201cin circulation.\u201d In an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2026\/05\/13\/us\/ak-47.html\">article<\/a> published May 13, The New York Times noted\u00a0that both the AR-15 semiautomatic rifle (which bears a resemblance to the M16 and M4 select-fire weapons used by the U.S. military) and semiautomatic rifles with cosmetic features or accessories that make them look like fully-automatic AK-47s are popular firearms owned by millions of civilians.<\/p>\n<p>Under the Supreme Court\u2019s rulings in <a href=\"https:\/\/supreme.justia.com\/cases\/federal\/us\/554\/570\/\">Heller<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/supreme.justia.com\/cases\/federal\/us\/597\/20-843\/\">Bruen<\/a>, firearms in common use for lawful purposes fall under the Second Amendment\u2019s protection.<\/p>\n<p>Salim did not immediately respond to a request for comment from the DCNF.<\/p>\n<div class=\"disclaimer\">\n<p>All content created by the Daily Caller News Foundation, an independent and nonpartisan newswire service, is available without charge to any <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >legitimate news publisher<\/a> that can provide a large audience. 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