Vermont's a pretty sane and progressive place- except when it comes to guns

[cali]

trying to ban private prisons? sure. assisted suicide? probably. medical marijuana? yep. raising the minimum wage. yes.

reasonable gun control?

Not a chance. Not even with a veto proof liberal dem majority in both houses and a Progressive Guv.

MONTPELIER, Vt. -

A push to ban assault weapons in Vermont has been shelved. Sen. Phil Baruth, D-Chittenden County, introduced the bill earlier this month. It would have banned assault-style weapons and capped the number of rounds in a magazine to five.

Baruth says he was inspired to write the bill after the Connecticut school shootings. But now he says there is not enough support in the Statehouse or among Vermonters to pass it.

Baruth sent a statement to his colleagues Sunday saying he would abandon the legislation. Monday, he refused to do an interview, but released this statement:

"After much thought, I've decided to withdraw S32, a proposed ban on assault weapons. It was a difficult decision, and one I fear will disappoint those who have written expressing their support. I began thinking about the bill after the Gabby Giffords shootings in Arizona, thought more seriously about it following Aurora, and had it finally drafted in the wake of Sandy Hook. It seemed to me that with the Federal government paralyzed, it had been left to the states to address both the mental health and gun-related components of these tragedies.

But it is painfully clear to me now that little support exists in the Vermont Statehouse for this sort of bill. It's equally clear that focusing the debate on the banning of a certain class of weapons may already be overshadowing measures with greater consensus, like tightening background checks, stopping the exchange of guns for drugs, and closing gun show loopholes. Finally, as incoming Majority Leader, I owe it to my caucus to remove an issue that seems increasingly likely to complicate our shared agenda this biennium.

<snip>

http://www.wcax.com/story/20637428/gun-control-bill-shot-down-in-montpelier

[PoliticAverse]

1. Why did he begin thinking about banning assault weapons after the Giffords shooting ? n/t

[OneTenthofOnePercent]

2. Vermont is pretty much completely progressive.

Did you know that in Vermont, you don't even need a permit to carry a concealed handgun. Refreshing to see a state that gets it right. With a solid hold on good safety nets and a solid progressive legislature - they prove all the time that the issue is much more complicated than "OMg, itz teh gunzzz@@1!!!!"

[PoliticAverse]

3. "Live Free or Die" is New Hampshire. Vermont is "Freedom and Unity". n/t

[OneTenthofOnePercent]

4. Oopps. :( pwned lol. Vermont still gets it right though. :) nt

[LoveIsNow]

5. Not surprising

It's the most rural state in the country. Gun control is an urban issue, not necessarily a progressive issue.

[SayWut]

6. It was a piece of hastily decided legislation, with no purpose other than to say

'somebody had to do something'.

Firearms aren't a problem in VT, never have been.
The violent crime rate, is one of the lowest in the nation; there were all of 8 murders in 2011, of which only 4 were committed with a firearm.

What would be the point, or purpose, of instituting an assault weapons ban when the end result would only anger and alienate the electorate?