Senate Democrats prodded their House colleagues Tuesday to support a gun-safety bill that would ban guns in bars and restaurants that serve alcohol in Vermont.
Burlington voters have sought to ban guns in bars within city limits for more than a decade, but need the legislature to authorize such a change in the city’s charter. State lawmakers and Gov. Phil Scott have opposed the restriction. Scott has argued that municipalities shouldn’t be allowed to pass their own firearms regulations, suggesting that would create a confusing patchwork of laws that would be difficult to enforce.
Senate President Pro Tempore Phil Baruth (D/P-Chittenden-Central), a strong gun-control advocate, has been frustrated that Burlington’s charter change, which city voters favored by a large margin in 2025, has been passed by the Senate but not the lower chamber.
“That’s why we are here,” Baruth said. “An extremely commonsense measure cannot, for some reason, clear the House.”
So, Baruth is now proposing to ban guns in bars and restaurants that serve alcohol statewide. That would eliminate any concerns about inconsistencies, he said. He said he expects the Senate to pass a bill, S.329, this week.
The bill contains additional gun safety measures, including changes to restrict access to firearms by people who use guns in violent crimes or who have been determined to be a danger to themselves and others. It would also prohibit machine guns.
But the statewide ban is by far the most consequential proposal.
Baruth noted that 14 others states currently ban guns in bars, including deep red Idaho, Kentucky, Louisiana and Texas.
“This is not some cockamamie liberal idea,” Baruth said. He added that “there is no logical reason” people should be allowed to bring guns into places where they are getting intoxicated.
He noted that support for the ban gained urgency after a man was shot and killed outside Burlington’s Red Square bar in 2024. Patron Aaliyah Johnson, then 22, shot and killed Teville Williams, a 30-year-old Stowe man, outside the bar following a dispute. She’s been sentenced to 13-1/2 years in prison on a second-degree murder conviction.
It’s not clear why the House has been opposed to Burlington’s charter change to date. Rep. Matt Birong (D-Vergennes), chair of the House Committee on Government Operations and Military Affairs, said the bill doesn’t have the votes to clear his committee.
Baruth countered that gun-safety measures are popular with voters, and House leaders ought to take the steps necessary to ensure the issue gets a full hearing.
Time is running out for the House to take the bill up this session.
Speaker Jill Krowinski (D-Burlington) noted the bill did not make the crossover deadline. She said she’s proud of the House’s work on a similar gun safety bill, H.606, and will consider proposed changes if they pass the Senate.
“I support the Burlington charter change to ban guns in bars,” she said in a statement, “and while the votes are not there to pass it out of committee, it’s important to note that current law allows for owners of bars to ban a firearm on their premises.”
Got something to say?
Send a letter to the editor and we'll publish your feedback in print!
