Blue State Governor Suffers Legal Defeat Over Gun Background Checks

A Virginia judge reaffirmed an injunction blocking the state’s “universal background check” law Wednesday, days after pro-Second Amendment groups sought to hold state officials in contempt when they started enforcing the measure.

Democratic Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger signed HB 1525 into law on April 22 after the General Assembly concurred with her amendments that added an emergency provision directing the Virginia State Police (VSP) to enforce the law blocked by a permanent injunction issued in October 2025. Virginia Citizens Defense League President Philip Van Cleave provided an update Wednesday about the organization’s request for a contempt citation.

“Major breaking news! VCDL, GOA, the Constitution, and Virginia gun-owners had a huge victory in court today!” Van Cleave posted. “A judge has kept the permanent injunction against Universal Background Checks in place! R.I.P Universal Background Checks!”

Van Cleave later added that the judge declined to hold any of the Virginia officials in contempt.

“The General Assembly, the Governor, Defendant and now the Attorney General all believe they are free to enforce Section 18.2-308.2:5 irrespective of this Court’s permanent injunction, simply because they passed a new law saying they could,” the May 28 motion filed by VCDL said. “Beyond the immediate and irreparable harm to countless Virginians caused by these actions, the Commonwealth ceases to have a functional system of government if Defendant and those directing him from above are permitted to simply ignore a court’s clear directive.”

“Even if HB1525 somehow ‘overruled by statute’ this Court’s injunction in a self-executing manner (it did not), the purported emergency effective date is a nullity because the enacted bill was not passed by a four-fifths majority in the General Assembly,” the motion added.

The Virginia state Senate approved Spanberger’s amended version by a 21-18 vote, while the Virginia House of Delegates backed the altered measure by a 63-36 vote, according to the state Legislature’s website. Both votes fell well below the required 80% threshold for emergency legislation to take effect immediately.

Spanberger did not immediately respond to a request for comment from the Daily Caller News Foundation.

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