Gun restrictions legislation expected to advance in Vermont

[Judi Lynn]

Source: Associated Press

Updated 3:18 pm, Monday, March 26, 2018

MONTPELIER, Vt. (AP) — Vermont legislation that would make it easier to take guns from suicidal people and perpetrators of domestic violence could reach Republican Gov. Phil Scott's desk this week, and a spokeswoman says he would sign it.

Democratic Sen. Richard Sears said Monday he expects the Legislature to pass the legislation by the end of the week and send it to the governor. House Judiciary Committee Chairman Maxine Grad, also a Democrat, says she expects the legislation to pass, but she's not sure it will reach the governor this week.

Separate legislation that would raise the legal age for gun purchases, expand background checks and ban high-capacity devices is expected to receive final approval in the Vermont House on Tuesday. That legislation will need to be reconciled with a Senate version.

Read more: https://www.chron.com/news/us/article/Vermont-governor-could-see-gun-bills-by-week-s-end-12781732.php

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(Short article, no more at link.)

[brush]

1. Isn't there a prominent senator from a small, New England state against this?

[karynnj]

4. no, he isn't

By the way, he and Peter Welch were at the March in Montpelier. At the end, he came up and congratulationed the students who had given speeches.

[lamp_shade]

2. One State at a time.

[humbled_opinion]

3. Just a observation

but without a State Gun Registry how will they know if a suicidal or domestic violence person owns a gun ? I get that the law will ban a person with those caveats in a data base from buying a gun but what about guns already owned?

Why is there no calls for gun registry, OMG we make people register their cars have insurance and a license why shouldn't weapons that can kill people be just as accountable ?

and why no direct ban on assault weapons like CA and CT have, I actually thought VT was a more Progressive state.

[melm00se]

6. Because

a Supreme Court decision (Haynes v. U.S.), effectively, took the teeth out of gun registries.

Hayes, a convicted felon, was arrested, tried and convicted for possession of an unregistered short barreled shotgun.

He filed an appeal on 5th Amendment grounds. His argument was: because he was a convicted felon and thus prohibited from owning a firearm, requiring him to register was essentially requiring him to make an open admission to the government that he was in violation of the law, which was thus a violation of his right not to incriminate himself.(Source)

the Court ruled 7-1 in his favor.

While the laws were tweaked (to cover only people who could legally own firearms) to address this flaw, it would not be applied to people who are legally proscribed from owning a firearm (I could find no reliable number of illegally owned firearms).

[sl8]

5. More from WCAX:

From http://www.wcax.com/content/news/Vt-house-poised-for-final-gun-vote-Tuesday-477912263.html
(Video at link)

Vt. House set to approve gun bill; Senate approval uncertain

By Neal Goswami | Posted: Mon 8:18 AM, Mar 26, 2018 | Updated: Mon 6:38 PM, Mar 26, 2018

MONTPELIER, Vt. (WCAX) Vermont lawmakers are on the cusp of adopting major changes to state gun laws. The House seeks final approval Tuesday. But that won't be enough to get the bill over the finish line.

The Senate passed the bill with provisions to raise the legal purchasing age to 21 and expand background checks to private sales. Friday, the House gave preliminary approval to added bans on magazines holding more than 10 rounds and bump stocks, which allows semi-automatic guns to fire more rapidly. It's unclear if the Senate will agree with those changes.

Senate President Pro Tem Tim Ashe tells WCAX News it's too early to know if the Senate will sign on to the House changes. He says the Senate will carefully review them and take testimony this week. The biggest change-- banning magazines holding more than 10 rounds. It's a House priority.

"We feel that limiting magazine capacity is important," said Rep. Maxine Grad, D-Moretown.
...

More at link.

[sl8]

7. Bill passes House

Link to tweet

Bob Kinzel
@VPRKinzel
After 6 hours of debate the Vermont House has given its final approval to gun control legislation by a vote of 89 to 54. The bill expands background checks, bans bump stocks and large capacity magazines and raises the age to buy a gun to 21 #VTpoli
8:25 PM · Mar 27, 2018

[sl8]

8. Gun restrictions move a step forward at the Vt. Statehouse

Interesting - the bill was amended to allow Vermont manufacturers to produce high-cap magazines.

From http://www.wcax.com/content/news/Vermont-House-begins-debate-on-gun-bill-478080883.html

Gun restrictions move a step forward at the Vt. Statehouse

By Neal Goswami | Posted: Tue 3:09 PM, Mar 27, 2018 | Updated: Tue 8:56 PM, Mar 27, 2018

MONTPELIER, Vt. (WCAX) The Vermont House approved new gun restrictions Tuesday night by a vote of 89-54.

Lawmakers spent the afternoon considering amendments that will clarify some exemptions in the bill. The bill, S.55, includes several new, significant restrictions. It raises the legal purchasing age to 21, expands background checks to private sales, bans bump stocks and magazines that hold more than 10 rounds.

The magazine capacity has drawn some of the most heated debate among opponents. Lawmakers approved an amendment Tuesday that will allow Vermont manufacturers to continue making high-capacity magazines. But the bill will prohibit the importation of them. Colchester Rep. Patrick Brennan says that means shooting competitions won't continue in Vermont, hurting the Vermont economy.

Opponents have been hoping Gov. Phil Scott would come out against the ban but he reiterated Tuesday that he supports it if Vermont businesses are protected. He says limiting capacity size will limit damage in mass shooting situations.

...

More at link.