Gov. Scott says he's 'changed completely' on gun issues

MONTPELIER - In a rapid shift on gun policy, Gov. Phil Scott on Thursday called on legislators to fast-track a bill that would temporarily remove guns from people deemed dangerous and consider requiring people under 21 years old to complete a gun safety course before they can buy a gun.

The announcement came as Democratic leaders renewed their commitment to advancing a variety of gun legislation.

Scott, who previously rebuffed any tightening of Vermont's gun laws, said he would consider requiring background checks in private firearms sales, though he did not commit to signing the bill.

As a lifelong gun owner, Scott said he had been reflecting on his own liability if he decided to sell a gun. The first-term Republican said he was shaken by the arrest of a man accused of planning a shooting at Fair Haven Union High School just one week earlier.

"I've evolved on this," Scott said. "Where I was a week or two ago has changed completely."

Past attempts to expand background checks have failed, and the latest attempt has stalled in the Senate Judiciary Committee. Gun-rights groups argue that the measure would place unnecessary burdens on gun sellers and buyers.

Senate President Pro Tempore Tim Ashe, D/P-Chittenden, promised that universal background checks would reach the Senate floor by the end of next week for an "up or down vote."

"Enough is enough, and we will be taking action," Ashe said.

More: Report: VT gun law adds 589 people to background check list

Scott sent a wide-ranging memo to lawmakers asking them for immediate and long-term actions that he said would bolster school safety and keep guns out of the hands of people who should not have them.

Read Gov. Scott's full memo here.

State authorities are due to conduct security assessments of all Vermont schools in the coming weeks, Scott said. He is also asking the Legislature to approve an immediate $3 million for school security upgrades, plus an additional $2 million in the coming year.

The Senate Judiciary Committee is expected to vote Friday on S. 221, which would create a family court process to remove guns from people at risk of violence or suicide for up to one year.

Scott asked the Legislature to pass S. 221 in the next week, before Town Meeting Day, and make the law take effect immediately. The governor also signaled new support for a bill that passed the House of Representatives last year that would allow police responding to domestic abuse to remove guns from suspected abusers.

The Vermont Federation of Sportsmen's Clubs, a gun-rights group affiliated with the National Rifle Association, prefers the extreme risk protection order bill but has requested some changes.

"I don’t think we’ll oppose it. In fact, as best we can, we agree with it," said Chris Bradley, the organization's president. Bradley added that he was concerned that the bill could morph into an omnibus proposal that’s “absolutely intolerable” for his group.

Scott said he was not interested in banning the sale of certain types of guns, but would consider restrictions on high-capacity magazines. He also called for a state ban on "bump stocks."

He said that arming teachers, as suggested by President Donald Trump, was not a viable solution to violence.

"There are other steps we can take that are more achievable and create a safer atmosphere," Scott said.

Gun rights have always been a sensitive policy area in Vermont, and leaders from both political parties have resisted enacting new gun legislation.

A reporter asked Scott whether the political calculus around guns had changed dramatically in the last week.

"It has for me," Scott said. "I don't know. I haven't done any polling. I haven't done anything to figure that out. But I have a huge responsibility as governor to try and keep Vermonters as safe as possible, and this is an area, regardless of the political fallout, that I think is the path forward that'll keep Vermonters safer."

Previous coverage: After Fair Haven threat, Gov. Scott wants to talk about guns

The governor's statements came as dozens of high school students from across the state came to the Statehouse to demand action on gun violence. Dressed in all-black and holding handmade signs, they filled Statehouse rooms and spoke to lawmakers.

"We are here today to let politicians know that we are angry, terrified and fed up with the crisis our country is facing," said Nadia Scoppettone, a junior at Montpelier High School.

Kiran Waqar, a senior at South Burlington High School, said her parents immigrated from Pakistan so that she could get a quality education.

"Whether it be the tragic events of Sandy Hook, or in Parkland, we’ve been forced to repeatedly discuss what it means to live in America, to live in Vermont right now," Waqar said. "It means living in place where universal background checks haven’t been instated, and a place where law enforcement can’t remove a gun from a dangerous or domestically abusive situation. It means the most terrifying part of school isn’t AP chemistry or finals, but rather our own safety."

"I will never forget the terror my 8-year-old brother experienced when he learned about the events in Fair Haven," Waqar continued. "He’s 8. He should be worrying about the newest soccer game, or his upcoming science fair project, not his safety."

House Speaker Mitzi Johnson, D-South Hero, asked Vermont students to stay involved in the debate.

"What you experience in high schools is incredibly different than my experience in high school and the experience of the other legislators that are thinking back to their high school experience," Johnson said. "None of us had to ever deal with any of this."

Contact April McCullum at 802-660-1863 or amccullum@freepressmedia.com. Follow her on Twitter at @April_McCullum.