An Associated Press (AP) report indicates Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam (D) will announce a gun ban Wednesday afternoon that will prohibit the carry of firearms on Virginia Capitol grounds.

The AP reports that “Democrat leaders … [have already] used a special rules committee to ban guns inside the Capitol and a legislative office building.” Northam’s unilateral declaration will expand the ban to include the grounds around the capitol.

AP reveals that they were alerted to the coming ban by “two state officials who were briefed on the plans.”

Northam’s decision comes just days before a January 20, 2020, pro-Second Amendment rally, which is scheduled to be held on Capitol grounds in opposition to Democrat-sponsored gun controls.

Nearly 120 local governments around Virginia have declared Second Amendment sanctuary status, making clear they have no intention of enforcing gun controls they view as unconstitutional.

NRA members showed up en masse to Virginia Senate meetings on Monday to protest Democrat-proposed gun controls. Some of the gun controls were moderated as a result, and one bill — which would have banned AR-15s and other guns — was withdrawn.

But Democrats are pushing a ban on “high-capacity” magazines and suppressors, and are seeking to criminalize private gun sales via universal background checks. They also want to require all AR-15 owners to acquire a permit to own their rifles and plan to use permit issuance as a means of building a database with the names of AR-15 owners.

AWR Hawkins is an award-winning Second Amendment columnist for Breitbart News and the writer/curator of Down Range with AWR Hawkins, a weekly newsletter focused on all things Second Amendment, also for Breitbart News. He is the political analyst for Armed American Radio. Follow him on Twitter: @AWRHawkins. Reach him directly at awrhawkins@breitbart.com. Sign up to get Down Range at breitbart.com/downrange.