By Guy Page
Rep. Pat Brennan (R-Colchester), a leading gun rights advocate in the Vermont House of Representatives, has introduced a bill overturning the current ban on the possession of switchblade knives.
H13 would “remove criminal penalties for the possession, sale, or offering for sale the weapon commonly known as a switchblade knife.” At present, possession of these weapons carries a penalty of not more than 90 days in jail and/or a $100 fine. The bill does not seek to overturn the ban on zip guns, which are included in the same statute as the switchblade.
Bills introduced today also would:
| H.15 | Designate golf courses as protected green space areas where development is limited, and also appropriate funds to the Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation for the purchase of golf courses for use as State parks. Introduced by Rep. Woodman Page, R-Newport City. |
| H.14 | Increase juror’s compensation from $30 to $50 per day. Introduced by Rep. Sara Coffey, D-Guilford. |
| H.12 | Reduce the case backlog in the Criminal Division of the Superior Court by permitting the court to dismiss nonviolent misdemeanor cases if the defendant has not violated the defendant’s conditions of release for a period of time equivalent to the maximum sentence imposed for the underlying crime, and fine-only misdemeanor cases if more than one year has elapsed since the defendant was arraigned. The court’s authority to dismiss these cases would apply retroactively to cases already filed. Introduced by House Judiciary Reps. Martin LaLonde, Tom Burditt, and Kevin Christie. |