H.230, billed as anti-suicide measure, now faces veto, override challenge
By Guy Page
The Vermont House voted 106-34 this morning to accept the Senate version of H.230, the gun control bill that requires firearms storage and a 72-hour waiting period before firearms transfers. The bill will now go to Gov. Phil Scott’s desk, where it faces a possible veto.
Scott has said he believes the waiting period is unconstitutional. If he vetoes the bill, the 106 votes Yes votes received in the House today suggest House Speaker Jill Krowinski will have no difficulty finding 100 votes to override the veto. The amended bill passed the Senate 19-9, a tighter margin for the ⅔ necessary to override.
Based on a recent U.S. Supreme Court decision, “I believe this bill is unconstitutional,” Rep. Joseph Andriano (D-Orwell) said in explanation of his No vote.
Lawmakers supporting the bill expressed hope that if enacted it will reduce Vermont’s high suicide rate. “A disproportionate number of veterans dies by suicide every day. If this law saves one life, it’s worth it,” Rep. Joseph Troiano (D-Stannard), a U.S. Army veteran, said.
The House’s most prominent gun control advocate said he’s satisfied with the Senate changes to H.230.
“Critically, the Senate did not touch the 72 hour waiting period,” House Judiciary Chair Martin Lalonde said on the floor of the House. The Senate did relax storage facilities – making failure to a store a crime only if someone is harmed – but that’s still better than current law, which has no storage requirements at all, Lalonde said.
Rep. Mark Higley (R-Lowell) requested a roll call. The vote was as follows:
YES
Arsenault of Williston *
Brady of Williston *
Dolan of Essex Junction *
Houghton of Essex Junction *
Mulvaney-Stanak of Burlington *
Notte of Rutland City *
Troiano of Stannard *
Williams of Barre City *
Andrews of Westford
Anthony of Barre City
Arrison of Weathersfield
Austin of Colchester
Bartholomew of Hartland
Berbeco of Winooski
Birong of Vergennes
Black of Essex
Bluemle of Burlington
Bongartz of Manchester
Bos-Lun of Westminster
Boyden of Cambridge
Brown of Richmond
Brumsted of Shelburne
Burke of Brattleboro
Burrows of West Windsor
Buss of Woodstock
Campbell of St. Johnsbury
Carpenter of Hyde Park
Carroll of Bennington
Casey of Montpelier
Chapin of East Montpelier
Chase of Chester
Chase of Colchester
Chesnut-Tangerman of Middletown Springs
Christie of Hartford
Cina of Burlington
Coffey of Guilford
Cole of Hartford
Conlon of Cornwall
Corcoran of Bennington
Cordes of Lincoln
Demrow of Corinth
Dodge of Essex
Dolan of Waitsfield
Durfee of Shaftsbury
Elder of Starksboro
Emmons of Springfield
Farlice-Rubio of Barnet
Goldman of Rockingham
Graning of Jericho
Headrick of Burlington
Holcombe of Norwich
Hooper of Burlington
Hooper of Randolph
Howard of Rutland City
Hyman of South Burlington
Jerome of Brandon
Kornheiser of Brattleboro
Krasnow of South Burlington
LaBounty of Lyndon
Lalley of Shelburne
LaLonde of South Burlington
LaMont of Morristown
Lanpher of Vergennes
Leavitt of Grand Isle
Lipsky of Stowe
Logan of Burlington
Long of Newfane
Masland of Thetford
McCann of Montpelier
McCarthy of St. Albans City
McGill of Bridport
Mihaly of Calais
Minier of South Burlington
Morris of Springfield
Mrowicki of Putney
Nicoll of Ludlow
Noyes of Wolcott
Nugent of South Burlington
O’Brien of Tunbridge
Ode of Burlington
Pajala of Londonderry
Patt of Worcester
Pearl of Danville
Pouech of Hinesburg
Priestley of Bradford
Rachelson of Burlington
Rice of Dorset
Roberts of Halifax
Satcowitz of Randolph
Scheu of Middlebury
Sheldon of Middlebury
Sibilia of Dover
Sims of Craftsbury
Small of Winooski
Squirrell of Underhill
Stebbins of Burlington
Stevens of Waterbury
Stone of Burlington
Surprenant of Barnard
Taylor of Colchester
Toleno of Brattleboro
Torre of Moretown
Waters Evans of Charlotte
White of Bethel
Whitman of Bennington
Wood of Waterbury
NO
Andriano of Orwell *
Donahue of Northfield *
Sammis of Castleton *
Williams of Granby *
Bartley of Fairfax
Beck of St. Johnsbury
Branagan of Georgia
Brennan of Colchester
Canfield of Fair Haven
Clifford of Rutland City
Demar of Enosburgh
Galfetti of Barre Town
Goslant of Northfield
Graham of Williamstown
Gregoire of Fairfield
Harrison of Chittenden
Higley of Lowell
Labor of Morgan
Laroche of Franklin
Maguire of Rutland City
Marcotte of Coventry
Mattos of Milton
Morgan of Milton
Morrissey of Bennington
Oliver of Sheldon
Page of Newport City
Parsons of Newbury
Peterson of Clarendon
Shaw of Pittsford
Smith of Derby
Taylor of Milton
Templeman of Brownington
Toof of St. Albans Town
Walker of Swanton
ABSENT:
Brownell of Pownal
Burditt of West Rutland
Dickinson of St. Albans Town
Garofano of Essex
Hango of Berkshire
James of Manchester
McCoy of Poultney
McFaun of Barre Town
Wilson of Lyndon
Asterisks denote a comment recorded in the House Journal, not available at this time.