A group of Vermont politicians is setting the stage to push anew for legislation that would mandate universal background checks on gun purchases.
They’re planning to rally August 4 on the steps of the Statehouse, said Senate Majority Leader Phil Baruth (D-Chittenden). He said that if he’s reelected this fall, he will introduce a bill next year to require universal background checks.
Democratic candidates for governor — Sue Minter, Matt Dunne and Peter Galbraith — have said they’ll attend, Baruth said. So have the three candidates seeking the Democratic nomination for lieutenant governor: Sen. David Zuckerman (P/D-Chittenden), Rep. Kesha Ram (D-Burlington) and House Speaker Shap Smith (D-Morristown), according to Baruth.
The rally is an indication that the debate over gun control — long considered off-limits in hunting-friendly Vermont — is shifting after a run of mass shootings across the country. Any legislation will likely face heavy opposition, however, and the issue is likely to come up in this year’s elections.
Last year, gun control advocates dropped plans to seek universal background checks after running into opposition.
Three years ago, Baruth withdrew legislation to ban assault-style weapons amid intense opposition. Now, he said, he thinks the state is ready to require background checks on private gun sales.
“It’s time for this very modest step,” he said.
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Apparently those legislators long to be unemployed. Baruch is already guaranteed to boot from other shenanigans.
You’d think a group of self-proclaimed Constitutionalists would know the first four words of the second amendment: “A *WELL-REGULATED* militia….”
“The rally is an indication that the debate over gun control — long considered off-limits in hunting-friendly Vermont — is shifting after a run of mass shootings across the country.”
Nothing has shifted, nothing has changed, except the ability of people to make dimwitted, arbitrary statements based on thin air. The rally is an indication that out of state money is in the pockets of Vermont’s politicians again and that those politicians apparently don’t have the capacity to understand that they never stood a chance in the past and they will never stand a chance in any future. Lose terribly three times but try try again… I know turtles that are smarter.
And isn’t this a wonderful diversion to divide the people & implant polarization coming up to the completely bogus elections. Time for the two party system of corporate governance to be put to the guillotine.
You all say that this violates Article 16 of the Vermont Constitution, which says that the people have the right to bear arms. How does a background check take away that right?
Would you say that a convicted murderer should have the right, once free, to own a gun as well? Because by this reading of the Constitution, that seems to be the case…
It so boggles my mind that with all the ACTUAL problems Vermont has…all the problems that REALLY DO deserve time, attention and state resources…the only thing Baruth can come up with to seem relevant is to stage and push a make-believe problem in search of a solution. A make-believe problem that is being pushed for by out-of-state sources. Sources that have historically financially contributed to his campaign.
Yeah, nice to know your tax dollars are being wisely spent, isn’t it?
This guy has one seriously whackadoodle record of trying to control you: the gun owners of this state. I’m not kidding, if this guy has his way, he WOULD get rid of Article 16 of the Vermont Constitution and therefore everyone’s firearms, one small compromise at a time. He has the track record to prove that.
And note that he doesn’t have the courage to stage this little show on a weekend when people are off work. Trying to control the message perhaps, Phillip?
Well, I double-dog dare Baruth to reschedule this thing for a weekend day. Let’s make this a party.
Phil Baruth needs to go the way of Linda Waite-Simpson…….
Any person going against their sworn oath of office and introduces legislation that goes against our constitution SHALL be charged with purgery.. We must insist our elected States attorney’s pursue these charges everytime this happens and it will end…otherwise we’ll have to battle every year. This imho is how we can stop this infringement.
Actually, the push for Universal Background Checks really fell to pieces when one of the lobbyists accidentally admitted in a hearing that he couldn’t make any compromises without first checking with his out-of-state benefactors and puppet-masters.
This is people who moved here, wasting our legislative time and process by repeatedly pushing for policies at the behest of people who do not and never will live here, putting forth proposals that have failed everywhere they have been implemented, to solve a problem that we don’t have.
when will legislators stop pushing this anti Vermont propaganda driven attempt to solve a problem we don’t have? gun owners stood for our rights when last we faced this agenda, w/it’s New York moneyed backers lies,..we will again. any politician behind these attempts will not find favor at the polls.
These Anti-Constitutional cronies need to be shown that WE are stronger! We are united! We are unwavering in our way of life in Vermont! We will NOT bend! We will NOT compromise! We will NOT be bullied so those who fail to grasp our way of life can achieve the false sense of safety that all of their attempts to alter a working way of doing things RIGHT for more than 200 years! We need to be there as representatives of the true meaning of “Shall not be infringed”! And they might want to check their oath of office. The one in which they swear to uphold the Vermont Constitution. Read Article 16, pretty clear they are violating the oath!