The Virginia House of Delegates voted to 51-48 Tuesday afternoon to pass HB 961, a bill that would ban assault weapons and other firearm accessories. Three Democrat delegates joined Republicans in voting against the bill in the House. The bill now moves to the Senate which Democrats hold by a slimmer majority.

HB 961 passed advanced out of a state House committee on last Friday, but not before the packed chamber erupted in protest, forcing state police to order the rowdy crowd to clear the assembly under threat of arrest for trespassing.

The new law would make it a Class 6 felony for anyone to "import, sell, transfer, manufacture, purchase, possess, or transport large-capacity firearm magazines, silencers, and trigger activators, all defined in the bill."

BREAKING—A bill to ban assault weapons and other firearm accessories like high-capacity magazines, suppressors and bump stocks passes the House 51-48 pic.twitter.com/LRjlgwbv8w — Jackie DeFusco 8News (@Jackie8News) February 11, 2020

“HB 961 would make tens of thousands of gun owners in Virginia criminals overnight,” Republican Del. Nick Freitas told the Washington Examiner. “This bill creates an environment where you could receive up to 12 months in jail for every magazine you have over 12 rounds. At the same time that Democrats are voting for early release programs for people convicted of first-degree murder and rape, they are criminalizing law-abiding gun owners.”

Watch Delegate Mark Levine try to explain his bill, HB961, and fail miserably below. No politician, especially those who have no understanding or knowledge of firearms, should be allowed to write regulation that infringes upon everyday citizens' Second Amendment rights.

Today, we passed HB961. Yesterday, on the House floor, I made clear that my bill to regulate the sale of assault weapons and ban high-capacity magazines has always been about one thing and one thing only: saving lives. pic.twitter.com/O7FsNc02mS — Mark Levine (@DelegateMark) February 11, 2020

Read the full text of “HB 961 Assault firearms, certain firearm magazines, etc.; prohibiting sale, transport, etc., penalties” here.