| Friday, May 15 — Today Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger signed legislation banning assault weapons in Virgnia. Falls Church Sen. Saddam Salim was a co-sponsor of that legislation. Here is Sen. Sallm’s statement today upon the signing: “When I ran for the Virginia State Senate, I made a simple promise: I would fight for gun violence prevention and work every day to keep our communities safe. Today, that promise is becoming reality. “Governor Spanberger has now signed SB749, a major victory for public safety that bans the sale, manufacture, and transfer of assault firearms and large-capacity magazines effective July 1, 2026. This is the kind of progress that only happens when people organize, vote, and refuse to accept that gun violence is inevitable. “This achievement is the product of years of people power, countless advocates, survivors, elected leaders, and community groups who fought tirelessly for gun violence prevention long before my time in the General Assembly. “I ran against an incumbent who had voted against prior versions of an assault weapons ban because I believed our communities deserved better, and people who shared that belief helped make the impossible possible. I am deeply grateful to have helped lead this bill as chief patron in my third session, building on years of work to protect our communities from weapons of war. |
