The final days of the legislative session focus mostly on the biggest bills: budget and taxes. But in between, lawmakers jockey for their pet bills.
Friday, Rep. Patrick Brennan (R-Colchester) spent a fair bit of time buttonholing senators, trying to find new life for a bill that would legalize the use of gun suppressors. The devices — also known as silencers — can prevent hearing damage and make peace with shooting-range neighbors, he argued to any senator who would listen.
The measure had been on an economic development bill that the House passed, but was jettisoned in that bill’s conference committee. Brennan wasn’t giving up.
Sen. John Rodgers (D-Essex/Orleans) added the provision to a hunting bill, H.5, on the Senate floor Friday morning.
Senate Judiciary Committee chair Dick Sears (D-Bennington) objected. His committee had spent weeks agonizing over a gun-control bill and the notion of legalizing gun suppressors never came up, he said.
“I’m worried that we’re making decisions at the last minute,” Sears said. “We’ve had, since the Al Capone days, a law against silencers.”
By Friday afternoon, Sears relented after he succeeded in limiting the use of suppressors to shooting ranges. The Senate easily passed the measure.
Down the hall in the House, Brennan’s fellow Republicans were so eager to get the House on board that they offered one of their few late-session bargaining chips. They declared that if the House also approved H.5, they would go along with suspending House rules to allow passage of a renewable energy bill that Democrats strongly support. The slow-moving energy bill was at risk of not making it through if legislators adjourn for the year Saturday.
Rep. David Deen (D-Westminster) asked House Speaker Shap Smith (D-Morristown) if he would go along with passing H.5 as the two passed in the Statehouse hall late Friday afternoon. “I have no idea what H.5 is and I don’t care,” said Smith, who was mired in stalled tax talks with the governor.
A short time later, both the gun bill and the energy bill passed and were on their way to the governor. The two pieces of legislation were completely unrelated, except that they were both in the same place at the same time.
Got something to say?
Send a letter to the editor and we'll publish your feedback in print!
REALLY ! – With all the troubles that the current legislature is pretending to be dealing with – is this something they should be wasting time considering ?
Youtube has dozens of videos on DIY gun suppressors. They are not uncommon in any way, but now they can come out in the light of day. It’s a win for people trying to be good neighbors.
Firearm suppressors are for saving the hearing of shooters and others. They don’t cover crime like the TV would like you to believe.
The gun shot with a suppressor is much louder that the TV protrudes. Many countries make having a suppressor for hunting mandatory to protect the hearing of people. Educate your self before making decisions about those that are trying to protect their people!
Ms. Paige, restoration of Rights is NEVER a waste of time. In fact, it shouldn’t take more than 5 minutes to brief the Leg and pass it. Anything more than that could well be considered dereliction of duty and obstruction of Rights.
It should have kept the hunting aspect. Obviously hunters cannot wear hearing protection, they wouldn’t hear the deer/turkeys, and being deaf would also put other people at risk in that the hunter might not hear the sounds of neighbors and the like. Thus a silencer would prevent hearing damage, and thereby reduce healthcare costs.
Likewise, we keep hearing of complaints about the noise of shooting clubs. This bill will make the non-shooting neighbors happy, and allow the club to continue to operate.
Rifle ranges and sportsman`s clubs historically were located in rural areas but like the pig farmer, people moved into the area and now the pig farmer is under question for the farming odors and the ranges for the sounds of shooting events. The adaption of sound suppression devices wether by legislative or any other means is worthy time and effort spent.. Give me a few minutes for the deference of the pig farmer~
I only hope this does not lead to the mandating of suppressors. I hope they don’t turn into just another stipulation levied on the use of legal firearms.