Virginia AG Welcomes Gun Ban Ruling, Touts Manufacturer Liability Law | The States

Gas prices going down while some state gas taxes are set to go up, Georgia's special session looking both at taxes and election accountability, a federal appeals court allowing social media age verification to take effect, and Virginia enacting a law to pursue gun manufacturers deemed negligent. Gas prices have fallen for six straight weeks, bringing the national average to $3.86 a gallon, with diesel dropping back below $5. GasBuddy's Patrick DeHaan joins The Center Square's Greg Bishop, explaining that the trend is largely tied to U.S.-Iran relations and the status of the Strait of Hormuz, but China cutting back on their imports also is playing a role. Georgia lawmakers held a special session Saturday, unanimously extending the state's fuel tax moratorium by two weeks. Beyond the gas tax, the session saw sharp partisan conflict over a penny sales tax proposal that would allow cities and counties to fund property tax relief — which House and Senate Democrats blocked — and over a new voting system bill that passed the Senate 33 to 19 along party lines and now heads to a House committee. A federal appeals court in Ohio ruled that the state's social media age verification law can take effect, ending an injunction that had blocked it for more than two years. The Center Square regional editor J.D. Davidson explains how the Sixth Circuit's two-to-one ruling dismissed NetChoice's First Amendment argument and what it means for similar laws pending in Illinois, Minnesota, Louisiana, and elsewhere. Virginia's assault weapons ban takes effect July 1st after a federal judge ruled in Curtis v. Katz that the state's militia clause does not create an individual right to own military-style firearms. Attorney General Jay Jones also announced enforcement of a new Firearm Industry Accountability Law targeting negligent gun manufacturers and sellers, with the Supreme Court's recent denial of cert on a similar New York law bolstering the state's legal position. Plus, America's Talking: California - https://www.thecentersquare.com/california/article_b01425c0-9c88-4a76-8df6-d33f595c12da.html Arizona - https://www.thecentersquare.com/arizona/article_52d8d69f-2eed-4ef6-8489-f4c60a2f748d.html Louisiana - https://www.thecentersquare.com/louisiana/article_6fdd8c24-6dde-4c9e-a364-58a5db65bba1.html North Carolina - https://www.thecentersquare.com/north_carolina/article_64e2cb70-5d6e-4d87-95cd-5ef22433dc40.html The States delivers taxpayer-focused reporting from around America, powered by The Center Square. ____________ 👉 Read more: https://www.thecentersquare.com 📩 Sign up for the newsletter for daily updates 00:00 Intro 00:36 Fuel Prices 12:12 Break 12:52 Georgia Session 22:33 Break 23:14 Social Media 32:19 Break 32:58 Firearms Laws 38:49 Break 39:28 Noncitizen Voters