Vermont Business Magazine Today, the Vermont Senate passed S.30, a gun-safety bill. Senate President Pro Tempore Becca Balint issued the following statement upon passage:
“I know Vermonters want sensible gun laws that keep our families safe. S.30 will reduce gun violence, protect victims of domestic violence, and keep guns out of our hospitals.
“The bill also ensures that comprehensive background checks are completed to keep guns out of unsafe hands. This has been referred to as “closing the Charleston loophole. In 2015 in Charleston, South Carolina, a white supremacist who was legally prohibited from owning a firearm was able to purchase one because of a dangerous gap in federal law. He used that gun to murder nine worshipers in the Emanuel AME Church. Those lives were in my heart today as we closed that gap.
"With gun violence on the rise over the past year, it is clear that we need this legislation to protect Vermont families and save lives."
Roll Call, requested by Senator Ingalls, Passed -- Needed 15 of 30 to Pass -- Yeas = 21, Nays = 9
MONTPELIER, VT – Senate President Pro Tem