assault‑weapon bans shows which states restrict them and highlights ongoing court battles, including a New Jersey appeals decision and a Virginia injunction.
The New York Times piece lists the states and the District of Columbia that have enacted prohibitions on the sale of assault weapons, noting that twelve states plus D.C. have such bans. The laws generally target semiautomatic rifles—often defined by features such as pistol grips, detachable magazines, flash suppressors or folding stocks—and in some jurisdictions also cover handguns and shotguns.
The article reports that recent court actions are challenging these bans. A federal appeals court ruled New Jersey’s long‑standing assault‑weapon limits unconstitutional, though the decision is currently stayed pending a possible Supreme Court review. In Virginia, a judge issued a statewide injunction blocking enforcement of the state’s assault‑weapon regulation. The report also notes that a similar challenge could affect Delaware’s 2022 ban, which was enacted after the Uvalde and Buffalo mass shootings.
The coverage references the 2022 Supreme Court ruling that established a new test for evaluating firearm regulations, which gun‑rights groups have used to contest state and local restrictions. The piece cites Everytown Research & Policy and the Giffords Law Center as its data sources. The available reporting does not provide further detail on how the pending Supreme Court case or other litigation may reshape the landscape of assault‑weapon bans.