Legislation

New bills, Part II: Semi-auto ‘assault’ firearm ban, Flood Fund proposed

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Thomas Tucker photo via UnSplash

By Guy Page

A Putney lawmaker and three other Democrats have introduced a bill that would ban possession of ‘semi-automatic assault weapons.’

Under H582, police and soldiers would be exempt. The bill defines a ‘semi-automatic assault weapon’ as a semiautomatic rifle that has the ability to accept a detachable magazine and has at least one of the following features: “a folding or telescoping stock, a pistol grip that protrudes conspicuously beneath the action of the weapon” and several other features.

The lead sponsor is Rep. Mike Mrowicki (D-Putney). Other sponsors are Rep. Daisy Berbeco (Winooski), Melanie Carpenter (D-Hyde Park), and Leslie Goldman (Bellows Falls). 

Flood control and resilience is clearly on the minds of lawmakers, including many who live in flood-ravaged central Vermont. And, they’re linking flood control with “climate mitigation, adaptation and resilience.”

H586, sponsored by Kari Dolan (D-Waitsfield) and 25 others, would create the Climate Infrastructure and Resilience Fund, including a board and staff. It would be funded by 2.5% of the state’s cash balance plus gifts from private or private sources. The Fund would “establish or authorize additional activities for the financing of climate mitigation, adaptation, and resilience projects.”

H582 and H586 are among the 100+ new bills introduced on the first day of the 2024 Legislature. Yesterday VDC published a partial list, with more today (see both batches below). The titles and purposes of other new bills will be explained as time permits. 

H.603Poultry slaughter exception to inspection. Repeals “whole bird” requirement that small farms can sell only the whole slaughtered bird to restaurants, farmers’ markets, and farm stands. Suprenant (D/P-Barnard). 
H.602Prohibits the construction or operation of any new facility that uses plastic in a regulated technology, such as energy generation, pyrolysis, or combustion. The bill also would ban any State incentive for a regulated technology that uses plastics. Satkowitz (D-Randolph). 
H.601Prohibits toxic chemicals in plastic packaging, including PFAs, polystyrene, and polycarbonate. Satkowitz.
H.600Nondiscrimination concerning a parent with a disability. Prohibits using an individual’s disability as a reason to deny or restrict the rights and responsibilities of a parent, prospective parent, foster parent, or guardian unless doing so is in the best interests of the child. Conor Casey (D-Montpelier). 
H.599Retroactively reinstating 10 V.S.A. § 6081(b). This original Act 250 subsection was repealed. It provides a ‘grandfather’ Act 250 review exemption for projects begun before 1970. Sheldon (D-Middlebury). 
H.598Holding local hearings on hospital budgets. Requires Green Mountain Care Board to hold hearings on hospital budgets in the communities where the hospitals are located. Marcotte (R-Coventry). 
H.597Collection, sale, and possession of wildlife. Authorizes Commissioner of Fish and Wildlife to regulate the sale or possession of reptiles and amphibians in the State. The bill also would amend provisions related to the sale of bear parts. Brennan (R-Colchester).
H.596Eligibility of reserve forestland for use value appraisal. Cuts in half the percentage of reserve forestland that must be composed of significant and sensitive conditions. Stebbins (D-Burlington). 
H.595Repeals Department of Fish and Wildlife requirement to reimburse farmers for damage to crops from deer or bear. Brennan.
H.594Exempts Social Security income from Vermont income tax. Charles Wilson (R-Lyndon). 
H.593Creates refundable $500 tax credit for volunteer emergency responders. Harrison (R-Chittenden). 
H.592Tax benefits for school sports officiating. Excludes from taxable income the income received for officiating school sporting events and creates a sales tax exemption for tangible personal property used by officials in school sporting events.
H.591Examination of State funding that supports public safety and correctional programs. Creates study to shift more police, prison funding to General Fund. Squirrel (D-Underhill). 
H.590Provides insurance protections and leave from employment for living donors. Noyes (D-Wolcott). 
H.589Aquatic nuisance control. Creates a state policy of using pesticides as a measure of last resort in aquatic nuisance control after other nonchemical methods have failed. Bongartz.
H.588Tightens language regarding the taking of threatened or endangered species. Brennan. 
H.587Tightens language regarding enforcement of fish and wildlife violations. Brennan. 
H.586Flood protection and climate resilience infrastructure and financing. Creates Climate Infrastructure and Resilience Fund, including a board and staff. Funded by 2.5% of state’s cash balance plus gifts from private or private sources. Dolan (D-Waitsfield). 
H.585Amending the pension system for sheriffs and certain deputy sheriffs. Offers sheriffs and qualified deputy sheriffs an opportunity to join Group G of the Vermont State Employees’ Retirement System. Mrowicki (D-Putney). 
H.584Jurisdiction in juvenile proceedings. Extends implementation date for the Raise the Age juvenile justice initiative from July 1, 2024 to the date that the Secretary of Human Services provides. Requires proceedings against persons ages 14–21 charged with serious crimes originate in criminal court. Goslant (R-Northfield). 
H.583Donor Intent Protection Act. Provides legal recourse to individual charitable donors when their giving restrictions are not followed by a recipient charitable organization according to an endowment agreement. Burditt (R-W. Rutland). 
H.582Prohibits possession of semiautomatic assault weapons. The bill defines this weapon as a semiautomatic rifle that has the ability to accept a detachable magazine and has at least one of the following features: “a folding or telescoping stock, a pistol grip that protrudes conspicuously beneath the action of the weapon” and several other features. Mrowicki (D-Putney) 
H.581Bail and violations of conditions of release. Increases amount of bail that may be imposed. Sibilia (I-Dorset). 

Explanation and sponsors of the bills below were published yesterday:

H.625Study Committee on Dam Emergency Action Planning. Moves emergency planning responsibility from municipalities to regional organizations. Lead sponsor: Mihaly (D-Calais). 
H.624Providing financial assistance to the forest economy. Pays loggers to implement water quality protection and climate adaptation practices. Sims (D-Craftsbury). 
H.623Access to public transit in rural Vermont. Provides sufficient public transit service to rural Vermonters in a manner sustainable by rural public transit providers. Carpenter (D-Hyde Park).
H.622Emergency medical services. Expands Medicaid payment for more ambulance services, pays for training, creates statewide ambulance planning infrastructure. Sims. 
H.621Health insurance coverage for diagnostic breast imaging. Requires health insurance plans to cover diagnostic breast imaging services without cost sharing. Sibilia (I-Dover). 
H.620Health insurance coverage for diagnostic tests used for screening purposes. Similar to H621. Carpenter. 
H.619Creating reciprocal rights to landlord-tenant attorney’s fees and expenses. If lease says landlord is entitled to recovering legal fees, tenant must have same coverage. Andriano (D-Orwell). 
H.618Expands definition of a mobile home park to include a community of mobile home owners who own their own lots. Arsenault (D-Williston). 
H.617Residential rental application fees. Defines “application fees,” which existing law prohibits residential landlords from charging to prospective renters. Stevens (D-Waterbury). 
H.616Bans no-cause eviction of residential tenants and defines just cause for eviction. Stevens.  
H.615Transfers safety jurisdiction over certain hydroelectric dams from Public Utilities Commission to VT Dept. of Environmental Conservation. Mihaly. 
H.614Land improvement fraud and timber trespass. Creates the crime of land improvement fraud, including forestry operations. Requires posting a surety bond or letter of credit with the Attorney General for a person who commits multiple violations of land improvement fraud. Mihaly. 
H.613Disclosure of a sexually explicit depiction without consent. Establish a private civil right action if a person creates or discloses a digitized depiction of another person in sexually explicit material without that person’s consent. Burrows (D-Windsor). 
H.612Miscellaneous cannabis amendments. Redefine some hemp products as cannabis products depending on the product’s intoxicating effect, eliminates THC caps on cannabis flower and solid and liquid concentrates, reduces cannabis production and retail fees and regulations. McCarthy (D-St. Albans). 
H.611Creates study committee for the uniform sales and use tax revenue for all municipalities. Beck (R-St. Johnsbury). 
H.610Creates personal tax credit for home modifications for safety and livability. Stone (P-Burlington). 
H.609Repeal the Motorboat Registration Fund and establish the Lake Protection and Access Pass, which owners or operators of motorboats and nonmotorized vessels would be required to annually obtain and affix to vessels in order to operate on state waters. Stebbins (P-Burlington). 
H.608Nonresidential property tax surcharge.  Allows municipalities to create a nonresidential property tax surcharge to support the rehab of blighted property and fund public safety. Howard (D-Rutland). 
H.607Business owner transparency. Helps consumers more easily determine if a business is owned and operated by a person in Vermont or by an outside entity. Pearl (D-Danville). 
H.606Professional licensure and immigration status. Enables individuals who meet the requirements for professional licenses to be granted those licenses regardless of their immigration status or lack thereof. Cole (D-White River Junction). 
H.605Prostitution. Eliminate offenses related to the location of prostitution while retaining the offenses of aiding or abetting, engaging in, or procuring or soliciting prostitution. Casey (D-Montpelier). 
H.604Statewide grid resilience plan. Requires Vermont Climate Action Office, in consultation with the Department of Public Service, to study the costs and benefits of implementing a statewide grid resilience plan applicable to all Vermont electric utilities that would reduce impacts due to extreme weather and natural disasters. Sibilia. 
H.580the types of evidence permitted in weight of the evidence hearings
H.579organized retail theft, aggravated retail theft, and retail theft with the intent to resell
H.578requirements for the pay plans of certain law enforcement officers and firefighters employed by the State
H.577providing legal assistance to the Access Board
H.576studying supplemental funding for the Unemployment Insurance Program
H.575the Community Media Public Benefit Fund
H.574residential service upgrades for beneficial electrification
H.573the Rare Disease Advisory Council
H.572enacting the Physician Assistant Licensure Compact
H.571requirements for operator’s license reinstatement following a conviction of driving under the influence
H.570attorney’s fees in civil actions
H.569use of administrative use controls at contaminated sites
H.568the Municipal Planning and Resilience Grant Program
H.567the sale of dogs, cats, and wolf-hybrids by pet shops
H.566consideration of community impact at sentencing hearing
H.565technical amendments to the child support statutes
H.564entering a vehicle without legal authority or consent
H.563attempted auto theft
H.562the temporary use of automated traffic law enforcement (ATLE) systems
H.561prohibiting firearms at polling places and requiring that lost or stolen firearms be reported to a law enforcement agency
H.560making technical corrections to workers’ compensation rulemaking requirements
H.559a voluntary license to purchase firearms
H.558operating a motor vehicle without consent of the owner
H.557monitoring the homeowners insurance market in Vermont and protecting consumers
H.556requiring mobile home park flood risk disclosure
H.555enclosing the Vermont State Hospital cemetery
H.554approval of the adoption of the charter of the Town of South Hero
H.553the right of entry following a tax sale
H.552statements made by a child victim of an offense involving serious bodily injury
H.551wakesports zones on State waters
H.550expanding eligibility under the local foods grant program
H.549the siting of outdoor cannabis cultivation
H.548the landfill disposal of solid waste
H.547the repeal of the automated license plate recognition (ALPR) system statutes and the enactment of laws allowing for the use of automated law enforcement
H.546administrative and policy changes to tax laws
H.545utility property valuation
H.544regulating products containing perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances
H.543Vermont’s adoption of the Social Work Licensure Compact
H.542speed limits in State-designated centers
H.541State education property taxes and flood-related damage
H.540the siting of tiny houses
H.539amending Vermont’s disorderly conduct statutes
H.538student application of sunscreen and car seat safety
H.537access to employee restrooms for individuals living with an inflammatory bowel disease
H.536homeowners’ insurance and dog breed discrimination
H.535public health outreach programs regarding dementia risk
H.534retail theft
H.533enhancing food allergen awareness in food service establishments
H.532health insurance coverage for biomarker testing
H.531criminal penalties for burglary
H.530increasing the property tax credit housesite value exclusion
H.529publishing storage unit availability during a state of emergency
H.528the historical review and study of burial grounds
H.527requiring retail businesses to accept cash
H.526the redesign of Bridge 9 in Barre City
H.525ordinances governing the possession of firearms in a municipal building
H.524prohibiting cosmetic animal tests

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Categories: Legislation

48 replies »

  1. Vermont gun stores better stock up and staff up for the upcoming shopping rush.
    These ignorant democrats dont seem to understand that the type of firearms that they are targeting have been around for over 100 years, and that semi-automatics of all kinds are the majority of guns owned by Americans…that’s “in common use”, as the legal terminology goes. There is nothing more lethal in terms of caliber, muzzle velocity, rate of fire or ease of reloading than arms that have been in common use by both military and civilians since before 1900. There was a 10-year-long ban on such firearms instituted during Clinton’s Presidency and it had no appreciable affect on reducing overall violent crime so it was allowed to sunset. Who votes for these people?

    • This nonsense will continue until the jack-booted-Baruth Thugs get the ok to beat your door in on confiscation day. A couple of weeks ago, I alluded to this being the ultimate goal, but it will not stop there either. Their goal is to totally eliminate firearms from the State of VT confines. This is madness of the first order,and I predict it will not stop until all of these lunatics are stored away in the appropriate confines for whatever is diagnosed as the appropriate malady.
      Vermont in case anyone is wondering, is the petri dish for the Bloomberg -Soros
      action scene. Baruth and his pals are the conduit for that money to flow.

  2. H582 Assault Weapon
    Check out the definitions as to what constitutes an “Assault weapon”.
    (A) a semiautomatic rifle that has the ability to accept a detachable 7 magazine and has at least one of the following features: 8 (i) a folding or telescoping stock; 9 (ii) a pistol grip that protrudes conspicuously beneath the action of 10 the weapon; 11 (iii) a thumbhole stock; 12 (iv) a second handgrip or a protruding grip that can be held by the 13 nontrigger hand; 14 (v) a bayonet mount; 15 (vi) a flash suppressor, muzzle break, muzzle compensator, or 16 threaded barrel designed to accommodate a flash suppressor, muzzle break, or 17 muzzle compensator; or 18 (vii) a grenade launcher; 19 (B) a semiautomatic pistol that has the ability to accept a detachable 20 magazine and has at least one of the following features: 21 (i) a folding or telescoping stock; BILL AS INTRODUCED H.582 2024 Page 3 of 4 VT LEG #372911 v.1 1 (ii) a thumbhole stock; 2 (iii) a second handgrip or a protruding grip that can be held by the 3 nontrigger hand; 4 (iv) capacity to accept an ammunition magazine that attaches to 5 the pistol outside the pistol grip; 6 (v) a threaded barrel capable of accepting a barrel extender, flash 7 suppressor, forward handgrip, or silencer; 8 (vi) a shroud that is attached to, or partially or completely 9 encircles, the barrel and that permits the shooter to hold the firearm with the 10 nontrigger hand without being burned; 11 (vii) a manufactured weight of 50 ounces or more when the pistol 12 is unloaded; or 13 (viii) a semiautomatic version of an automatic firearm; or 14 (C) a semiautomatic shotgun that has at least one of the following 15 features: 16 (i) a folding or telescoping stock; 17 (ii) a thumbhole stock; 18 (iii) a second handgrip or a protruding grip that can be held by the 19 nontrigger hand; 20 (iv) a fixed magazine capacity in excess of seven rounds; or 21 (v) the ability to accept a detachable magazine.
    A thumbhole, pistol grip, folding or telescoping stock ? What magical capabilities do these people think a stock design emparts on a firearm ? None ! They just look mean. Like the image of black synthetic stocks used to conjure up. I guess they got over that ? With every new iteration of the ever evolving goal of eliminating the 2nd Amendment goes through, these people reveal just how little they in fact know about the object of their fears.
    I was on duty one day on the complex in Montpelier, and the Capitol Police had brought in a few of their own personal firearms, and a duty weapon (an AR type rifle) to engage the legislators in a Q&A to educate them. I stopped by to talk with them, thank them for their efforts and observe for a couple of minutes. I just happened to be there when a Representitive from Chittenden Co. came in and was looking the display over and stated “I don’t like that one!” The firearm she had a problem with was a Remington Mdoel 870 pump action shotgun, with a black synthetic stock. A lot of these people do not have a clue what is and is not an assault weapon. To them it’s all about the look. And these are the people that make decisions every day that affect our quality of life when they would not recognize said quality of life if it bit them in the ___ !

  3. 2nd amendment means nothing to them…Hopefully someone or some thing as in org. with deep pockets will take them all the way to the U.S. Supremes if necessary…While they’re at it, they can get rid of the large mag. ban as well, as I believe a state took it to the supreme court and got it knocked down based on the 2nd..

    • H.582, a continuation of ridiculous bills. Unfortunately we (at the hands and votes of the citizens who vote party lines instead of finding out what their agenda is about) have an overwhelming supply of Representatives and Senators who do not know what the Constitution says, or understand what it says. My suggestion is we all send the supporters of the bill a pocket Size Constitution. Perhaps put a book marker on the page the 2nd Amendment is written. You could even write a comment on the page and ask, ” do you know what ‘SHALL NOT IN FRINGE’ means”? Montpeculier or Moronville which ever name you prefer for the home of Vermont Legislation, needs to hear from everyone on your feeling of rewriting the 2nd Amendment, part of The Bill of Rights. Every city and most towns have a Representative. Let’s not forget your Senators, because if the House passes H.582 it then goes to your Senators. Let dismantle this legislative piece of garbage NOW !

    • Send them this: The 2nd Amendment was enumerated in our Bill of Rights by the Constitutional Convention of 1787 to give “We the People” the means to protect the Constitution and the Bill of Rights from those who would take them from us. You can’t take away someone’s right to free speech, freedom of assembly or freedom of religion without first taking away their ability to resist. THE 2nd AMENDMENT DOES NOT GRANT US THE RIGHT TO KEEP AND BEAR ARMS. THE 2nd AMENDMENT TELLS THE GOVERNMENT IT CANNOT INFRINGE ON OUR RIGHT TO KEEP AND BEAR ARMS – PERIOD! THEREFORE, ALL GUN CONTROL UNDER THE CONSTITUTION IS ILLEGAL! Government does not give us our rights. Our rights are not given to us by the Constitution. Our rights are given to us by God and are inherent to us as human beings and by the Laws of Nature. These rights that we are born with are affirmed to us by the Constitution and the Bill of Rights, the first ten amendments of the Constitution and specify what the government can and cannot do to us as citizens of the United States. Government’s only power is the power which is enumerated to it by the Constitution. The federal government, a state, county or town cannot pass a law contrary to the Constitution. Article 6 the Supremacy Clause makes the Constitution the supreme law of the land. Under our Constitution the government is not delegated the authority to legislate, enforce, or adjudicate laws pertaining to the exercise of our rights under the Constitution. The government is not delegated the authority by our Constitution to require the government’s permission to exercise any right affirmed to us under the Constitution. The government is not delegated the authority by our Constitution to compel us to waive our guaranteed 4th Amendment right to be secure from unwarranted interrogation, search, or seizure in the absence of probable cause of criminal conduct. Or compel us to waive our guaranteed 5th Amendment right to due process as a precondition to being allowed (or denied) the exercise of our right to keep and bear arms. This violation of our 4th and 5th Amendment rights happens every time that we are interrogated under penalty of perjury without probable cause that a crime has been committed when we fill out B.A.T.F.E form 4473 to purchase a firearm. The government is not delegated the authority by our Constitution to compel us to waive our 10th Amendment right to a federal government exercising only those powers delegated to it by the United States Constitution, and State governments are prohibited the exercise of any power prohibited to the States by the United States Constitution.
      The government is not delegated the authority under the 14th Amendment to make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States. Government is not delegated by our Constitution the authority to license firearm dealers or operate or fund the most powerful anti-rights government agency on the planet called the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. Since no Amendment in the Bill of Rights has been repealed thru Article V or by a National Convention of States, the only legal way to change the Constitution, all existing gun control laws presently violate five Amendments of the Bill of Rights and goes against the settled law of two Supreme Court decisions, Heller vs the District of Columbia 2008 and McDonald vs Chicago 2010. Both decisions affirm that the people’s right to keep and bear arms is an individual right and that citizens are allowed firearms in common use, those small arms or those that operate like them and are issued to our National Guard which comprises of citizen soldiers. In the Second Militia Act of 1792 Congress specified the arms militia members were to have. It was incumbent on militia members to report to training and duty with their own arms and ammo. So, one of the primary purposes of the 2nd Amendment was to ensure that the militia would not be disarmed by taking away guns from the people who constituted the militia.

      The purpose of compelled background checks as a precondition to allowing or denying the transfer of a firearm is to deceive firearm owners and prospective owners into unknowingly waiving their rights guaranteed by the 2nd, 4th, 5th, 10th and 14th Amendments so they will have no rights left to claim when the government decides to register and confiscate our firearms. We have a right to keep and bear arms, not a privilege to keep and bear arms. Our rights are beyond the reach of the government and no citizen has to ask government permission to exercise a right. Government has no authority delegated to it by the Constitution to deceive its citizens into waiving their rights or acquiescing to the loss of their rights by subterfuge, scam, fraud, or force. DO NOT VOLUNTARILY GIVE UP YOUR RIGHTS!

      WE DO NOT HAVE TO OBEY UNCONSTITUTIONAL LAWS
      Supreme Court Decision – Norton v Shelby County 1886

      6 Am Jur 2d, Sec 177 late 2d, Sec 256:
      The general misconception is that any statute passed by legislators bearing the appearance of law constitutes the law of the land. The US. Constitution is the supreme law of the land, and any statute, to be valid, must be In agreement. It is impossible for both the Constitution and a law violating it to be valid; one must prevail. This is succinctly stated as follows:
      The General rule is that an unconstitutional statute, though having the form and name of law is in reality no law, but is wholly void, and ineffective for any purpose; since unconstitutionality dates from the time of it’s enactment and not merely from the date of the decision so branding it. An unconstitutional law, in legal contemplation, is as inoperative as if it had never been passed. Such a statute leaves the question that it purports to settle just as it would be had the statute not been enacted. Since an unconstitutional law is void, the general principles follow that it imposes no duties, confers no rights, creates no office, bestows no power or authority on anyone, affords no protection, and justifies no acts performed under it..… A void act cannot be legally consistent with a valid one. An unconstitutional law cannot operate to supersede any existing valid law. Indeed, insofar as a statute runs counter to the fundamental law of the lend, it is superseded thereby. No one Is bound to obey an unconstitutional law and no courts are bound to enforce it. The Supreme Court’s decision is as follows; “An unconstitutional act is not law; it confers no rights; it imposes no duties; affords no protection; it creates no office; it in legal contemplation, as inoperative as though it has never been passed”. Norton vs Shelby County 1886 – 118 US 425 p.442.

      “All laws which are repugnant to the Constitution are null and void”.
      Marbury vs Madison, 5 US (2 Cranch) 137, 174, 176, (1803)

      Thomas Jefferson: “Whensoever the general government assumes undelegated powers, it’s acts are authoritative, void and of no force”.
      Alexander Hamilton explains unconstitutional law in Federalist No.76; “No legislative act, therefore, contrary to the Constitution, can be valid. To deny this, would be to affirm, that the deputy is greater than his principal; the servant is above his master; that the representatives of the people are superior to the people themselves; that men acting by virtue of powers, may do not only what their powers do not authorize, but what they forbid”.

  4. More people are killed with hands and feet than with the weapons described here.

    This isn’t serious legislating.

  5. They are in control… we need to get our neighbors, our friends, our relatives who sit on the fence and don’t want to “get involved” or are too busy, to get off their collective arses and speak up.
    If you don’t. If you do nothing or just sit around complaining then you are complicit in the loss of our freedoms and rights.
    Just my humble opinion.

  7. a right is not by government permission///only a government would steal from you and get away with it//// gun ownership has nothing to do with hunting// all rights are under attack/// you will own nothing and will be happy//you are a slave in the land of the not free///enjoy

  8. H582. Per the CDC, the leading causes of death in Vermont are Heart Disease, Cancer, Accidents, Alzheimer’s Disease, Chronic Lower Respiratory Diseases, Stroke, COVID-19, Diabetes, Suicide and Hypertension. Although the CDC isn’t up to date on firearm mortality, the 2021 figure was 11.9 per 100,000. Many more than that have died or are currently dying from drug overdose!

    It’s obvious the Palestinian shootings in Burlington, VT caused a knee jerk reaction and I wonder if this led to this latest attempt to restrict gun ownership. Rep. Mrowicki seems like a nice man but his CV on the state leg. website doesn’t reveal any experience with guns. I’m guessing all the authors of this bill must be unaware of the latest FBI data that shows handguns are involved in more murders and non-negligent manslaughter. In 2020 (latest data available) handguns were involved in 59%. Rifles (called assault weapons by the uninitiated and/or ignorant) were involved in 3%, shotguns in 1%. The FBI didn’t classify others.

    Much of the equipment this bill want’s to eliminate actually makes the guns safer. Why these supposedly well intended but ignorant legislators don’t work on real problems is a mystery to me. Addressing mental health, substance abuse, joblessness and homelessness, just to name a few, would serve to alleviate the stressors that lead to violent behavior of all kinds.

    • Every year they try to take more of this particular right away… Every year they have an excuse as to why.

      It’s all BS. It’s all about Tyranny and Control, and has nothing to do with your health, wealth or safety.

      Commies, every single one of them.

    • And as long as legislators are allowed to “interpet” the Constitution it will continue to be bastardized. These disingenuous anti Constitutionalists need to face consequences for their debauchery of the written word. The Constitution is written in fairly plain English, it say what it means, and it means what it says. This bedrock belief is the basis of Constitutionalists on the Supreme Court, and in Legislature. We need more of them .

    • The latest iteration of gun control has nothing to do with the shooting of the three Palestinian students in Burlington, it is just a continuation of the goals of the looney left, the lobbyists on Court Street, and their out of state bankrollers like Every Town (Bloomberg), and the “Giffords”. As long as Martin Lalonde, Phil Baruth, Jill Krowinski, and the rest of the cast of ignorant firearm fearing legislators are in Montpelier usurping our God given, and Constitutionally guaranteed rights, our personal liberties are in danger.

    • …while at the same time supporting measures that hobble what is left of the criminal justice system. Lack of law enforcement and more restrictions on self defense is a bad combination.

  9. You can have have when you get them from my cold, dead fingers….. Semper Fi

  10. Incomprehensible. They will push us too far. It will not be pretty. Folks can only accept so much. Then they snap.
    Lord, please save us from ourselves.

  11. I think that the firearms bill above would create about 25% of Vermont’s population into criminals.

    Article 16 of the Vermont Constitution:
    That the people have a right to bear arms for the defence of themselves and the State—and as standing armies in the time of peace are dangerous to liberty, they ought not to be kept up; and that the military should be kept under strict subordination to and governed by the civil power.

    2nd Amendment to the US Constitution:
    A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.”

  13. SECOND AMENDMENT VIOLATION. It Cannot be done. The US Supreme Court has SPOKEN, Comrades!!!

    I’ll be buying, say, half a dozen more today, just on behalf of your brazen illicit unamerican unconstitutional lunacy! And what do YOU and your Commicrats propose you are going to do about it? See ya at target practice, boys. Or not.

    • But Phill Baruth and Martin Lalonde are so much more worldly, and intelligent than Jefferson, Franklin, Adams, etc.

    • they are operating as a democracy,

      we have more votes, we’ll take your stuff, it’s what they want.

      They don’t believe in a constitutional republic, and they don’t act like they protect it either, because they are not. They will pass as many laws as they can that are against the people, and nobody is going to do a thing, because we’re all broke and there isn’t a political party to defend the constitution in our state.

      And while they get us all riled up about this one issue, they’ll be doing much bigger pilfering, stealing, insider deals over in the other hand to which nobody is looking.

      This has been a very effective game plan used for multiple decades in Vermont.

  14. What is it these folks don’t understand? The Supreme Court has make it perfectly clear that the Second Amendment is also very clear, both in what it says and what it means. And yet many states flat out ignore what the Supreme Court and Constitution say and continue on their merry way with, if not outright bans, trying to make citizens jump through as many tangential and monetary hoops as possible. Of course, it’s long been shown that states with the highest gun ownership have the lowest gun fatality rates, but that’s just an annoyance to the “ban guns crowd”. They proceed as normal with no consequences whatsoever.

    Use common sense. If the government is the only group with guns, what do you expect is going to happen? I’ll tell you, it ain’t gonna be pretty.

    • “And yet many states flat out ignore what the Supreme Court and Constitution say”. Because there are no consequences for them doing so. When bills are decided to be Unconstitutional by the Supreme Court, the final arbiter of all things Constitutional, rules that said bill or law exceeds or is contrary to the Constitution, there needs to be consequences substantial enough to deter it.

  15. have you noticed that fear will force you to make unwise or not needed buying habits/// make work for lawyers/// increase business for gun dealers/// more tax funds for the state/// pit groups of people against each other/// this will keep this phony debt credit system from a total train wreck//any questions

  16. guns have been around Vermont for a long time with no issue. thus i conclude it is the person who is at fault.

  17. “Going to make lots of criminals out of law abiding Vermonters.” said one of us.
    Yep. That’s been the point for some time, from around since Obama.

    • I’d go back further than Obama although he’s right at the top of the list. President Eisenhower warned about the growth of the military industrial complex, the power of money in government and all its associated implications in his 1961 farewell speech. I’d say his warning has been pretty much ignored by those in power. The second amendment must hold.

    • Buba Clinton wanted to outlaw modern sporting rifles, After the trial period (1994-2004) it was determined that it had not affected crime, and it was allowed to “sunset” .

  19. Y’all might want to read this Bill H559 and be forewarned that this state of VT will be heading there, eventually, as a mandatory thing.
    https://legislature.vermont.gov/Documents/2024/Docs/BILLS/H-0559/H-0559%20As%20Introduced.pdf

    Citizen voting, my friends on the Right, is not going to save you much longer. What are you going to do when you finally come to that realization? How much time do yooz think you have left? This year’s election?

    Well. Good luck. I don’t have a lot of confidence in your voting.

    • H559, Vintage Martin Lalonde. After reading this wish list for anti 2nd Amendment fruitcakes I have to wonder what kind of idiot would voluntarily submit this information ? (that’s a rhetorical question, not multiple choice!) Yes Sir, Thank you Sir, May I please have another Sir ? I know some will look at the requirements and say “hum, looks reasonable to me”, but information such as this is exactly what is needed before the general disarming of the public at large just as Hitler did, until the Russian were were knocking at the door of the Fuhrer Bunker. Then, every old man and Hitler Youth were given arms to protect the “Father land”.  

  20. This is exactly the point I’ve been tying to make. Why do conservatives refuse to reject a losing platform while progressives attack Vermont’s law abiding citizens? Beyond critical we overhaul the platform before campaign season.

  21. A typical 9mm handgun holds 15 rounds. Thankfully nobody would ever consider using one with multiple magazines to commit a violent crime.

    • Handguns are used in the great majority of crimes, while modern sporting rifles/carbines are used rarely. Demoprogs will pass any and all kinds of restrictions that they think they can get away with, and banning “scary looking” guns is easy to sell to the ignorant majority of the voter base…

  22. Too many of these tyrants run for legislatures and instead of bringing the concerns of their voters – they bring their personal pet peeves.

  23. NAME AND SHAME! – CRIMINAL ACTORS! – GUN FETISH MENTAL PATIENTS!
    _______________________________________
    Representative James Harrison ** NO GOVERNMENT GUN OWNERS LISTS! No protecting 72-Hour illegality! This will cause the case to lose in court too probably if it’s passed! MAYBE if the license cannot be traced back to a person and no record is kept, but they would never do that. Persons, houses, papers, and effects! BIIIIIG CAN OF WORMS HERE!
    District
    Rutland-11
    Party
    Republican
    Seat Number
    72
    Email
    jharrison@leg.state.vt.us
    Phone
    (802) 236-3001
    Mailing Address
    75 Lazy Acres Rd., No. Chittenden, VT 05763
    _______________________________________
    Representative Martin LaLonde
    District
    Chittenden-12
    Party
    Democrat
    Seat Number
    135
    Email
    mlalonde@leg.state.vt.us
    Phone
    (802) 863-3086
    Mailing Address
    115 State St, Montpelier, VT 05603
    ________________________________________
    Representative Angela Arsenault
    District
    Chittenden-2
    Party
    Democrat
    Seat Number
    13
    Email
    aarsenault@leg.state.vt.us
    Phone
    (802) 828-2228
    Mailing Address
    115 State St., Montpelier, VT 05633
    ________________________________________
    Representative Michael Mrowicki
    District
    Windham-4
    Party
    Democrat
    Seat Number
    138
    Email
    mmrowicki@leg.state.vt.us
    Phone
    (802) 828-2228
    Mailing Address
    299 South Pine Banks Rd., Putney, VT 05346
    _________________________________________
    Representative Daisy Berbeco
    District
    Chittenden-21
    Party
    Democrat
    Seat Number
    3
    Email
    dberbeco@leg.state.vt.us
    Phone
    (802) 828-2228
    Mailing Address
    115 State St., Montpelier, VT 05633
    _________________________________________
    Representative Melanie Carpenter
    District
    Lamoille-2
    Party
    Democrat
    Seat Number
    49
    Email
    mcarpenter@leg.state.vt.us
    Phone
    (802) 828-2228
    Mailing Address
    115 State Street, Montpelier, VT 05633-5301
    __________________________________________
    Representative Leslie Goldman
    District
    Windham-3
    Party
    Democrat
    Seat Number
    81
    Email
    lgoldman@leg.state.vt.us
    Phone
    (802) 828-2228
    Mailing Address
    115 State St., Montpelier, VT 05633-5301
    ____________________________________________

    DON’T BE LAZY!!! DO SOMETHING!!!

  24. Why didn’t it allow my post? Can we name and shame the bill sponsors? Nothing will happen if we don’t make it easy for readers to contact those who sponsor what we disagree with, and in many cases are illegal bills. Everyone go click on the bills and contact the sponsors to give them your thoughts. Amazing Beruth’s name isn’t on there. They should be hearing from every single Vermonter, or potential visitor effected by this.

  26. I have absolutely given up on even trying to testify before these useful idiots. Of course covid was just the thing for them; almost total unaccountable anonymity from we the people. I made the decision last year that whatever they wanted to pass was their little power trip thing and I didn’t care. I would be a criminal, although I’ve never been charged with or convicted of a crime…they’ve gone out of their way to make me a criminal. If that’s what they want, they’ve got it, because I’m ignoring any law passed that is hostile to the constitution.

  28. “When tyranny becomes law, rebellion becomes duty” – Thomas Jefferson.

    The theater of the absurd is off to a blistering start eh? How many committees, task forces, or boards will be created and designated on top of this laundry list of proposed lawfare warfare? The only thing this body of malcontents is good at is setting up their own demise and destruction. Declared and decreed. Pay no mind to the man behind the curtain or the strings attached to the puppets. The day of retribution is at hand. The obvious panic and desperation under the Golden Dome proves it to be so. God wins and His hand is moving!

  29. Vermont’s population is around 650K, with stats showing 50% own a firearm, so where are these people, stand up and be counted, don’t let these progressive zealots take away your constitutional right ………………………

    They just don’t hate guns, they hate you !!

  30. Criminals have access to any weapons they want (obtained through illegal means) and they certainly are not worried about new laws.. so these idiot naive lawmakers want to remove these weapons from society..? We’ll who the hell do they think will turn them in? Certainly not the people who are using them for school shootings, robberies, and attacks on innocent citizens! So who’s got more firepower now?! Not us!!
    If these new laws actually passed Vermonters will have to think seriously about NON COMPLIANCE!. Illinois gun owners refused to go along with their Governors anti 2nd amendment regulations and what are they going to do?.. arrest everyone? Better start building lots more prisons!

  31. These liberal legislators pushing H582 are like a bunch of ignorant adolescents trying to devise make-believe weapons for a juvenile video game. I don’t want to play their silly games anymore. These fools need to be voted out…