That process is pretty unique, with Governor Abigail Spanberger (D.) having a rare ability to change bills after they've already passed. To break down how that process works and what Spanberger is trying to accomplish, we have Virginia Citizens Defense League (VCDL) President Philip Van Cleave back on the show.

The changes pushed legislation in both directions, but Van Cleave said VCDL was very angry with the overall suggestions Spanberger made. That's because her recommendations to moderate a few gun bills were far less significant than those to double down on other restrictions. Specifically, he argued the changes Spanberger pushed for the "assault firearm" carry and sales ban were the most significant.

He said Spanberger's language change for what constitutes an "assault firearm" is confusing and could be read to be extremely expansive. He argued even if you take the most restrictive reading, the move would effectively ban the carry of the 15+ magazines the bill bans the sale of. That would be a substantial tightening of the proposed ban.

Still, Van Cleave said some of the changes Spanberger recommended will probably face at least some pushback from the Democratically-controlled legislature. For instance, her request to convert the 18-to-20-year-old handgun ban into an emergency measure that would go into effect immediately actually requires a 4/5ths vote of both houses to pass. Even her "assault firearm" ban changes could be doomed because she removed exemptions for retired and off-duty police, a powerful political force.

The legislature can only vote up and down on the overall changes in each bill, Van Cleave said. So, if they don't like one change, they have to reject them all.

Whatever makes it into law, though, Van Cleave said VCDL would challenge in court. He said the group is likely to go to state court to challenge, and he welcomes the possibility that the Department of Justice might file suit against the new gun bans in federal court.

Special Guest: Philip Van Cleave.

Our guest is Philip Van Cleave. He's the president of the Virginia Citizens Defense League (VCDL), and one of the top gun-rights activists working in Richmond. He has been on the ground since the beginning of the session, and he has tracked every gun bill going through the legislature.

So far, 33 gun bills have passed through at least one chamber. Many have passed through both. Some are already identical copies, and on their way to Governor Abigal Spanberger's (D.) desk, where she's expected to sign them.

However, Van Cleave said there are several bills that each house will have to reconcile during what's called "crossover" in Virginia. That's where he believes gun-rights activists still have a chance to block at least some of the bills. He noted they were already able to block a few bills, such as the proposed $500 tax on suppressors.

Still, he said it's going to be an uphill battle to block big-ticket items like the "assault weapons" banand numerous gun-carry restrictions. But he said VCDL is going to keep pressuring lawmakers and the governor until the session ends. Then he said they plan to pursue legal actions if some of the more aggressive restrictions pass.

Special Guest: Philip Van Cleave.