On Tuesday, January 30 at 5:30pm in the House chambers, the Legislature has scheduled a public hearing on three gun bills at the Statehouse. Long-time anti-gun Senator Phil Baruth is aggressively pushing gun control and has called for a public hearing early in session. Sign-up to testify is outside of Room 1. It is essential that Vermont gun owners attend and show a strong presence at the Capitol to deter infringements of your Second Amendment rights.

Gun control groups are trying to create a huge turnout this year by busing anti-gun activists to the Capitol. If you wish to speak, you will be afforded that opportunity, and testimony is typically limited to a few minutes. However, it is much more important that you simply show up so that legislators can see their constituents are opposed to additional gun laws in Vermont. Vermont is annually one of the safest states in the country, and this legislation is nothing more than large out-of-state gun control groups trying to impose their national agenda on Vermont.

The three bills on the agenda include:

S.6 by Senator Phil Baruth which would create mandatory background checks on private firearm transfers. Current law already requires background checks for all dealer transfers, but this bill would, for example, impact those who wish to will firearms or sell firearms to family and friends. It would do nothing to block criminals from acquiring guns as the sponsors contend.

H.422 by Representative Maxine Grad would mandate the surrender of firearms of those accused of domestic violence. While we strongly support tough penalties for convicted violent abusers, this legislation does nothing to prevent domestic violence and is fraught with due process problems that only jeopardize the constitutional rights of law-abiding citizens. There is a very real possibility that those who are falsely accused, for example, could have their firearms taken with little to no recourse.

The final bill, S.221, creates extreme risk protection orders.

Please plan to attend the hearing from 5:30pm to 7:30pm and wear orange in solidarity with fellow Vermont gun owners and sportsmen.