A spokesman for Gov. Peter Shumlin says the governor is likely to sign a bill he once opposed - a measure placing new restrictions on firearms ownership in Vermont.



Shumlin in the past has said he did see the need for new gun laws in Vermont. But last week, he said a firearms bill had been changed enough as it moved through the House and Senate that he might drop his opposition.



Now Shumlin spokesman Scott Coriell says the governor will sign the bill if it comes to him as it currently stands. The bill creates a new state crime for possession of firearms by people with a range of criminal convictions. It also calls for reporting to a federal registry when a court finds someone dangerously mentally ill.