Fresh off defeating Gun Sense Vermont’s “universal” background check legislation (S.31), three other anti-gun bills were neutralized in Montpelier this week. On Tuesday, the House Government Operations Committee voted down the Burlington Charter change bills on a 7 to 1 vote, with a few members absent. On an 11-member committee, the bills being pushed by Burlington Mayor Miro Weinberger, a card-carrying member of Michael Bloomberg’s Mayors Against Illegal Guns, could only garner one “aye” vote. House Bill 90, House Bill 91, and House Bill 92 would have attacked state preemption, the Sportsmen’s Bill of Rights, created a confusing patchwork of gun laws in Vermont, and allowed anti-gun municipal governments to further infringe on the Second Amendment.
Despite these victories, more anti-gun bills remain in the hopper, and NRA members need to remain vigilant until the final gavel. NRA members and Second Amendment supporters have answered the call this year, and your efforts have been the key to defeating this long slate of anti-gun bills. With only a few more weeks remaining before the 2015 session adjourns, several critical pieces of legislation still need to be defeated. On Wednesday, May 6, the House Fish, Wildlife and Water Resources Committee will have a hearing on House Bill 460, legislation to ban traditional lead ammunition for hunting. Please contact members of the committee and politely ask them to oppose H.460. In addition to this bill, the committee has two other anti-gun bills which have had testimony but have not yet received a vote. House Bill 296 would give regulatory authority of shooting ranges to municipalities and would all but nullify state range protections. House Bill 297 is a bill being pushed by HSUS and bans the possession of ivory.
Please contact members of the House Fish, Wildlife and Water Resources Committee and ask them to oppose these bills. You can leave members a message by contacting the Sargent-at-Arms at 802-828-2228, Monday through Friday.
House Fish, Wildlife and Water Resources Committee:
Representative David L. Deen (D-136), Chair
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Representative James McCullough (D-56), Vice-Chair
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Representative Steve Beyor (R-104)
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Representative Robert Krebs (D-26)
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Representative Paul Lefebvre (R-27)
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Representative Amy Sheldon (D-92)
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Representative Thomas Terenzini (R-101)
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Representative Kathryn Webb (D-132)
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Representative Janssen Willhoit (R-9)
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