By Guy Page
The Vermont Senate on Tuesday passed H.230, a gun control bill featuring a 72-hour waiting period for firearms transfers and required gun storage.
The roll call vote was 19-9. Because the Senate softened the storage provisions — making non-storage a crime only if someone is harmed by an unstored gun — the bill must return to the House for reconciliation. A conference committee is deemed likely.
Gov. Scott appreciates the improved storage language, but still has difficulty with the waiting period, Press Secretary Jason Maulucci said Tuesday. Gov. Scott has vetoed waiting period bills in previous sessions.
Sen. Terry Williams (R-Rutland), who voted against the bill, said the waiting period and storage requirements violate the Second Amendment. Supporters say the bill seeks to reduce gun violence and prevent deaths by suicide. It also expands eligible petitioners for Extreme Risk Protection Orders to family or household members and creating a 72-hour waiting period for firearm transfers.
“Vermonters want sensible gun violence prevention laws,” said Senator Sears, chair of the Senate Committee on Judiciary. “H.230 will help reduce community violence, prevent suicides and save lives.”
Supporters say data show that unsecured guns pose safety risks – in particular to youth – and that waiting periods are associated with reduced rates of both homicide and suicide by firearm.
“Right now Vermont is the only state in New England without a law to prevent youth access to firearms — H.230 brings us in line with that regional consensus,” Senate Pro Tem Phil Baruth said.
“As a social worker who works primarily with teens and young adults, I know just how big and transitory their emotions can be,” said Senator Vyhovsky, member of the Senate Committee on Judiciary. “And due to brain development, this population is particularly compulsive when under duress. And as a gun owner myself, nothing in this bill strikes me as overly cumbersome but rather simple common-sense safety measures.”
Guy Page is publisher of the Vermont Daily Chronicle. Reprinted with permission.
Never has any law designed to restrict the rights of good people had any impact on the behaviors of those with injurious intent, yet politicians insist they are making their regions “safer”…and the lemmings continue to follow…
Making non-storage a crime only if someone is harmed by an unstored gun sounds like if you take the gun out of storage and you use it for self-defense, it becomes a crime.
A gun locked away from easy access is as worthless as cops 1/2 hr away when your life is in danger now… Same as a waiting period for a women who’s been threatened and now has to hope she isn’t killed until the waiting period is over. Both these INFRINGEMENTS on citizens 2nd amendment rights will be overturned by the SCOTUS and will do nothing but make other weapons the culprit in suicides. Look for more death by cars, involving more innocents, and knives, poison, bombs. If you are that mentally unstable you will find a way to off yourself.
I will not comply, in fact I will be opting out of he judicial system here in Vermont. Just this morning there was a story about 2 out of state drug dealers that were let go on conditions. They are now murderers. The liberal judge has blood on his hands. I will take care of myself, my family, friends and neighbors from anyone that wants to steal or do any other crimes around here. The police do their jobs well here but the criminals are let go with no punishments.
I hope, Bob, that your concern with the out-of-state drug dealers and the liberal judge would be the same if the drug dealers were white. Many are after all. Just sayin’.
Ditto
Great piece, Jay.
And Durbin scolding C J John Roberts about ethics.
Well Hells Bells, how about ethics in and within the White House? Are we to believe the Bidens are squeeky clean? Probably Durbin was out of breath by that time.
Hypocracy of the first order, but these people are Democrats, that gives some clue here.
So, let’s see, unassisted suicides in VT are what this legislation is supposed to curb. Yet, assisted suicides are welcomed even if you do not reside here. Oh, that’s right, there’s a charge for a$$i$ted $suicide…does anyone else get what’s happening here? Follow the $$$. This proposed legislation is blatantly in violation of both the Vermont and U.S. Constitutions and anyone that would support it is in violation of their oath of office. Too much of this is happening from the highest levels of the federal government right down to local municipalities with no repercussion or accountability. Further, it’s not just the 2A that’s under attack but rather the entire Bill of Rights. How long will we tolerate it?
How many suicides are by gun in VT? If they are so worried of deaths, Why not go after drug overdoses & Drug dealers? DRUG dealers do not demand a 72 hour waiting period! Far more by overdoses I bet? Further, if someone wants to commit suicide, a razor blade to the wrist works just fine. So regulate it’s 72 hours to buy razor blades or sharp knives.. Or, I don’t want to wait 72 hrs, I will go to NH shop, or a NH gun show. OR? I can buy 15 tabs of illegal, unregulated Fentanyl from my local drug dealer….that will kill me…and get high at the same time.
What dopes these liberals be 🙂
If this blatant fraud, completely absent of constitutional authority were in any way about “seeks to reduce gun violence and prevent deaths by suicide”, then by all rights they should have no issue at all in waiving the waiting period for anyone and everyone that already owns at least one firearm.
I’m willing to bet big money they wouldn’t even entertain such a reasonable and logical proposal, thereby showing their true colors.
Go ahead and put in a 72 hour waiting period. What difference will it make? None, of stopping serious gun crime…because honest citizens comply. Drug dealers, criminals, bad guys, or sick prople do not. I’d wager that the out of state drug dealers would be happy to sell you some Glock 9 mm’s that they import into VT, for premium prices…as well as any drugs you want. NO waiting period, all cash, NO registration of them. Or? What about going to NH if you are a VT citizen to buy there? Or what about a Gun show in NH and buy there? What if I buy a gun in VT from a neighbor or friend? No wait period. It is all “feel-good-liberal-nonsense”. Honest people will comply and wait 72 hrs — and honest people are not the ones doing gun crimes. Bad guys will get any gun they wish. They will never comply!
Now in Vermont you can legally commit suicide and the law allows out of staters to come to Vermont to do so. Unfortunately, that industry won’t have many repeat customers coming back to Vermont. These legislators are so concerned about people commiting suicide but allow fentanyl to pour into the state. Fentanyl deaths have tripled in the United States in five years.
https://www.usnews.com/news/top-news/articles/2023-05-03/us-fentanyl-related-deaths-more-than-tripled-over-5-years
Don’t these people read the news? These anti 2A laws are being challenged all over the country and the Bruen decision is going to make their efforts null and void.
https://www.breitbart.com/2nd-amendment/2023/05/02/scotus-justice-barrett-gives-illinois-city-until-monday-to-respond-to-challenge-to-assault-weapons-ban/
https://www.newsmax.com/newsfront/second-amendment-illinois-gun-restrictions/2023/04/28/id/1117957/
Not only that all the states that are pushing gun control are seeing guns sales go thru the roof.
https://bearingarms.com/camedwards/2023/05/01/illinois-gun-stores-swamped-after-judge-halts-enforcement-of-gun-and-magazine-ban-n70016
https://bearingarms.com/camedwards/2023/03/27/wa-state-gun-sales-heat-up-as-assault-weapons-ban-gains-ground-in-legislature-n68861
Not only that there are 27 states that now have Constitutional Carry with North Carolina soon to follow. So, what do we call the minority of anti 2A states, “unconstitutional carry”?
Phil Scott ran as a conservative but was really a wishy-washy middle of the roader that sold us out signing the magazine ban and the universal background check which was really background checks for private sales.
I am urging Governor Scott to show some spine and veto this bill. At least put up some resistance. If not, if all of this stuff goes back to this Supreme Court, the states ignoring the Bruen decision are in for a rude awakening when their magazine bans, gun bans, storage laws, age requirements and waiting periods all go out the window. As far as the Constitution and 2A is concerned, states can’t have a different set of standards for citizens that are supposed to be equals and the majority of states are trending towards the rulings of Heller, McDonald and now Bruen.
https://bearingarms.com/tomknighton/2023/05/02/why-gun-control-bruen-n70056
“If society is honest and historically accurate, the only question that has any relevance to the gun control debate is, do you trust those in government, now and in the future, to not take your life, liberty or property thru force of government? If the answer to that question is “no”, the gun control debate is over”. – KrisAnn Hall, JD
Re: ” At least put up some resistance. If not, if all of this stuff goes back to this Supreme Court, the states ignoring the Bruen decision are in for a rude awakening when their magazine bans, gun bans, storage laws, age requirements and waiting periods all go out the window.”
The abusers have a plan for the SCOTUS too. Ergo the recent attacks on justices Thomas and Gorsuch for ethical violations.
“Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) scolded Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts at a hearing Tuesday for what he called the court’s ‘oblivious’ response to the “obvious” ethical conflicts facing its members.”
Isn’t that rich? These immoral people are citing ethical conduct to disenfranchise the Supreme Court.
Unfortunately, in the final analysis, we get the lunch the majority votes for. And patriots are on the menu.
“Gentlemen may cry, ‘Peace, Peace,’ but there is no peace. The war is actually begun! The next gale that sweeps from the north will bring to our ears the clash of resounding arms! Our brethren are already in the field! Why stand we here idle? … Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God! I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty, or give me death!”
Our legislators plan to give us the opportunity to prove our resolve. They are inciting rebellion to justify marshal law. Be smart everyone.
“Unfortunately, in the final analysis, we get the lunch the majority votes for. And patriots are on the menu. ”
I have to disagree on this point. There is no act of the legislature that has the authority to abrogate our natural and God given rights nor any act of any state legislature that has any lawful force or effect where it is repugnant to the federal constitution, which very clearly addressed this issue in the Bill of Rights. Notice I didn’t refer to it as an enumerated amendment.. nor is it a list of begged permissions, it is the second article of Bill of Rights, the Rights, due and owing, We the People.
It’s time to stop waiting for yet another fraudulent “voting” cycle and start removing incompetent public officials. Maladministration is a crime just like felony treason is.
I said patriots are on their menu, Rabble Rouser. I didn’t say you had to join them for the meal.
And I didn’t say I was waiting for their invitation (i.e., another fraudulent voting cycle) either.
I did say ‘They are inciting rebellion to justify martial (SIC) law.’
More importantly, I also said, ‘Be smart’.
Isn’t it curious that Vermont legislators blame guns for the increase in suicides?
Actually, no. It’s what they do to divert attention and accountability from the policies they’ve enacted that increase societal depression in the first place. Consider the destruction of the family unit and gender dysphoria. What in the world does anyone think happens when schools and healthcare personnel intervene in a child’s mental care without telling the parents? What do they think happens when a youngster receives hormone therapy?
Gun safes? Really? This is child abuse.
Vermont legislators want the State to be the go-to source for all sorts of dystopian services – abortion, gender therapy, and assisted suicide. And they enact laws to protect themselves from legal accountability.
Hopefully, these legislators will take their own advice before they kill everyone else.