This just in from Senate Majority Leader Philip Baruth (D-Chittenden): He’s abandoning an attempt to ban assault weapons and high-capacity magazines in Vermont.

In a statement emailed to Seven Days Sunday evening, Baruth says he’s planning to withdraw a gun control bill he introduced in the Senate just last Tuesday. 

The move comes a day after roughly 250 gun rights activists rallied at the Statehouse in opposition to Baruth’s bill and other measures to restrict access to firearms.

In a three-paragraph statement, Baruth wrote that it’s “painfully clear to me now that little support exists in the Vermont Statehouse for this sort of bill” and that he feared the legislation “may already be overshadowing measures with greater consensus.”

Paul Heintz was part of the Seven Days news team from 2012 to 2020. He served as political editor and wrote the "Fair Game" political column before becoming a staff writer.

13 replies on “Baruth to Withdraw Bill Banning Assault Weapons”

  2. Vote out Baruth and fellow Reps who do not respect our Civil RIGHTS!!!!
    His bill would have banned my Great Grandfathers model 1894 30-30 Winchester, it holds 6 cartridges.

  3. [the legislature]” shall have no power to add to, alter, abolish, or infringe any part of this constitution.”
    Article 16 “That the people have a right to bear arms for the defence [sic] of themselves and the State”
    Baruth’s bill was DOA. He withdrew it because someone finally told him that. See the VT constitution specifies not only the right to bear arms but specifically for defense of themselves as well as the state i.e. for military purposes. Ergo banning a military style assault weapon would violate article 16 which isn’t allowed to be altered or infinged upon.

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