Looking forward at 2026 and 2027

Just like 2020, the Democrats have a strong majority in the House. They maintain a one vote majority in the Senate, with Lt. Governor-elect Ghazala Hashmi able to break the extremely rare ties in the Senate. She is pretty much a paper tiger.

I won’t sugarcoat this. Like in 2020 and 2021, the Democrats can pass pretty much anything they want to pass into law – there is no firewall, and Democrats have a strong tendency to ignore the Constitution. Since 2020, the Democrats in the General Assembly have voted unanimously against all pro-gun bills, no matter how minor, and they have voted unanimously for all gun-control bills, no matter how stupid or unconstitutional.

I predict that Democrats in the General Assembly will go hog wild in 2026, passing all kinds of gun control into law, but they will tone it down in 2027, as that is an election year for both the House and Senate (and an opportunity for Republicans to take back one or both houses). Am I a soothsayer? No, that prediction simply mirrors what happened in 2020 and 2021.

So, on July 1, 2026, for starters, we will probably see:

• an “assault weapon” ban
• magazine capacity limitations
• an expansion of red flag laws
• a permit to purchase firearms/ammunition
• a revamping of Universal Background Checks
• a waiting period for firearm purchases
• a prohibition on young adults owning firearms
• more restrictions on where you can carry
• a weakening of reciprocity with other states and
• more roadblocks to getting a CHP
  

The road forward – fighting back!

We have options to fight back:

• VCDL Lobby Day is on January 19, 2026, starting at 8am, with a rally at the Bell Tower at 11am. In 2020, we had over 50,000 gun-owners show up for the largest gun-rights rally in American history. While that show of solidarity by gun owners didn’t stop all the gun-control bills from passing, it certainly stopped an “assault weapon” ban that year and it toned down many of the gun-control bills that passed.
  
  
• We need to reinforce the Second Amendment Sanctuary movement from 2019. Then, around 95% of localities supported being some form of a 2A sanctuary. Basically, getting our local governments to repledge their support for being sanctuaries and not enforcing unconstitutional restrictions on the right to keep and bear arms.  We should also encourage our sheriff’s and Commonwealth Attorneys to not enforce such unconstitutional laws. More on getting that effort moving will come in a future VA-ALERT.
  
  
• We will fight unconstitutional laws in court, as our budget allows. VCDL has won several times in court over the last couple of years. It is expensive and can take years for a ruling, but we can fight back successfully. We need members to make tax-deductible contributions to the Virginia Citizens Defense Foundation (VCDF) to help cover the costs of litigation. You can contribute to the VCDF by clicking here. We will be working with Gun Owners of America in doing lawsuits. GOA has been a fantastic partner.
  

• VCDL needs more members to give it more power and clout. We currently have 11,000 dues paying members, but we have 61,000 people here on VA-ALERT! If you aren’t paying dues to VCDL every year, then you are not a member. (If you think you are already a member, we ask that you double-check your membership status on our website by clicking here and asking for assistance.) Membership is only $25 a year. To join VCDL, click here.  If you are already a member and have not created a portal account since our new website launched on October 20, please follow the instructions here.

• If we want good candidates in 2027 to help take back the General Assembly, the VCDL-PAC needs to start building its war chest NOW. To contribute to the VCDL-PAC, click here.

• There is always the option of civil disobedience (“I will not comply”) when dealing with unconstitutional or unfair laws, if you are willing to accept the consequences if prosecuted. For example, Delegate Nick Freitas recently said something along the lines of, “I did not lose my guns in a boating accident. I still have them and I’m not giving them up!”
  
  
• Jury nullification allows you to vote “not guilty” if someone is being tried for mere civil disobedience of unconstitutional gun-laws. It just takes one “not guilty” vote to hang a jury.  Note that lawyers cannot tell you about jury nullification during a trial. But it is always an option a jury has, nonetheless.

Keep your eye on VA-ALERTs as we move forward.