The Vermont Senate this afternoon passed a bill that sets new restrictions on gun ownership. The battle lines are being drawn ahead of House debate.
Senate bill 141 would allow law enforcement officials to prosecute felons in possession of a firearm after a previous conviction for certain classes of violent crimes.
It also includes provisions for reporting people determined by a court to be mentally ill and a danger to themselves or others to the federal background check information center.
During the floor discussion Thursday, Senate Judiciary Chair Dick Sears clarified that law would only report their names. Those 260 Vermonters, Sears added, are already prohibited under federal law from owning a firearm.
A controversial provision that would have required background checks for private gun sales except between family members was removed.
Gun Sense Vermont President Ann Braden calls it a very good bill. “It’s a meaningful change that will help keep Vermonters safe. I think it’s very respectful of Second Amendment rights of the rights based on Article 16 of the Vermont Constitution to bear arms. And it makes sure that it helps to keep guns out of the hands of people who shouldn’t have them. The support is there for this and if you look at the actual bill this is about keeping guns out of the hands of violent felons, domestic abusers, those who have been adjudicated by a court as a danger to themselves or others. It’s hard to argue against that. This is a really good bill.”
Not everyone agrees. Gun Owners of Vermont President and Legislative Director Ed Cutler says despite changes, including removing the hated gun checks on private sales, he counts numerous problems. “It’s like on the mental aspect, mental illness is a disease, it’s not a bad person or any thing like that. We would prefer to see as soon as they declare you sane you can get off the system. But there’s 260 people on the system right now that if this bill passes they lose their constitutional rights. That’s a big problem with us especially because they’re really not violent. As far as the dangerous felons in possession, our stand has always been and will always be if a person is truly dangerous they shouldn’t be walking the streets. They should be in prison.”
National Rifle Association State Liaison Darin Goens agrees with Cutler that the bill that passed the Senate is not as bad as the original proposal, but still has problems. He’s now cautiously optimistic it will remain in its current form as it heads to the House. “Nothing is set in stone. Certainly these things can change. They can change for the better. They can change for the worse. We already have seen the hand of the other side. Some of Bloomberg’s state-level minions and we know what they want to accomplish. And so we’re worried that they may revert back to their original proposal and try to put those things back on in the House. Now the Senate seems to be completely against that. So, of course, any changes the House would make would have to go back to the Senate and be worked out in a conference committee. So we’re worried about it and we’re watchful. But I don’t think the likelihood of that is probably very high.”
The Senate approved the measure on its third reading by voice vote and it now moves to the House for consideration.
