The Vermont statehouse in Montpelier is
nicknamed "The People's House". For one thing, it is where
legislators do "the people's business." Furthermore, unlike
many other statehouses around the country, the public has complete
access to both the building and their legislators when the
legislature is in session, usually January through early May. In
fact, the statehouse functions as a living museum, with free access
and free tours all year long. Those Vermonters who let their
representative know they will be visiting during the session are
often introduced to and welcomed by the assembly during the
announcements.
This accessibility is a hallmark of
democracy in Vermont and is most apparent when groups of citizens,
advocating for one issue or another, converge on the building en
masse. The place becomes a beehive of bodies and voices. Press
conferences by legislators or organizations are often held in the
Cedar Creek Room which features a huge mural of the Civil War battle
of Cedar Creek in which the First Vermont Brigade played a key role
in the Union victory.
It was such a press conference
organized by Gun Sense Vermont on January 10th that saw more than a
hundred Vermont citizens from across the state pack the room in
support of background checks for all firearms sales. Senator Phil
Baruth introduced a bill (S.6) that would extend the federal
requirement of a background check for firearm purchases from a
licensed firearms dealer in Vermont to include private and internet
purchases as well. A companion bill, which I plan to co-sponsor, is
being drafted for introduction in the House. These bills would close
the so-called "gun show loophole" which today allows a
prohibited person to obtain a gun without going through a background
check. The definition of a prohibited person includes anyone
convicted of a violent felony, anyone with a restraining order
resulting from domestic abuse, and anyone judged in a court of law to
be mentally ill and considered a danger to themselves or others.
Vermont is considered to be one of the
safest states for gun violence per capita, so why do we need
such a law? Governor Scott, as did his predecessor Governor Shumlin,
has stated that he does not see a need for any more gun laws in
Vermont. It is true that most gun owners in Vermont are responsible
individuals and would pass a background check without any problems.
However, we still read and hear about gun violence in Vermont, often
perpetrated by individuals who fall into the prohibited category.
According to the Gun Sense VT website, in the states that require
criminal background checks on unlicensed handgun sales, there are 38%
fewer women killed by guns than in the states that do not have this
requirement. In Vermont in 2013, there were more than 1,000 final
relief from abuse orders issued, and 1,457 violent crimes that
involved violence against intimate partners or family members. And of
the 13 homicides in Vermont in 2013, eight (62%) were deemed domestic
violence-related, and of these, four were committed with a firearm.
Gun trafficking is another problem
fueled by the ubiquitous opiate crisis that results in guns being
traded for drugs. I-91 has become known as the "iron pipeline"
because drug dealers and criminals find it easier to buy a gun in
Vermont than in southern New England or New York, states which have
stronger gun laws. Without a federal universal background check law,
state laws are like Swiss cheese with Vermont being one of the holes.
New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman issued a report last
October that showed 74% of firearms used in New York crimes were
bought in states with weak gun laws, and that 489 of those were
traced back to Vermont. While this was only 1% of the total, it
illustrates that Vermont is a source. Every gun sale prevented by a
background check has the potential of saving a life. A VPR-Castleton
Polling Institute poll found that 84% of Vermonters, including more
than 70% of gun owners, approve of universal background checks.
Common sense dictates that the hole should be plugged, and I hope
that Governor Scott will eventually agree.
I encourage you to let me know your
concerns and opinions. I can be reached by phone (802-233-5238) or by
email (myantachka.dfa@gmail.com)
