Virginia's electoral vote situation is getting attention, but buried near the bottom of this piece is the part that actually matters to us right now.

"Spanberger also signed a package of bills the same day that includes a ban on so-called assault weapons and restrictions on law enforcement cooperation with federal immigration authorities. The popular vote bill is getting the headlines, but gun owners in Virginia are looking at the weapons ban as the more immediate practical concern."

The popular vote debate is a law school hypothetical until 48 more electoral votes come along. An assault weapons ban in Virginia is affecting people at the range, at the gun safe, and at the transfer counter right now. That's the story worth tracking.

"If the compact ever activates, a Virginia voter's presidential preference gets folded into a national tally rather than determining Virginia's electors directly."

The downstream effect here is what matters to gun owners specifically — presidential elections drive ATF policy, Supreme Court nominations, and the executive orders that show up in your FFL dealer's inbox. Anything that changes how that math works deserves attention, even if it's 48 electoral votes away from mattering.

For anyone in Virginia or neighboring states — how is the weapons ban language written, and what does it actually cover? That's the question that determines whether you're looking at a grandfather clause situation or something more aggressive.

Read the full article in The Handbook → | By Steve Duskett