Explore The NRA Universe Of Websites

APPEARS IN Legal & Legislation

Vermont: Law-Abiding Gun Owners and Hunters are Being Targeted Once Again

Thursday, February 16, 2017

Vermont: Law-Abiding Gun Owners and Hunters are Being Targeted Once Again

The Green Mountain State is once again firmly in the crosshairs of gun control extremists.  Now that the legislative session is fully underway, anti-gun groups are aggressively pushing their national agenda in Vermont.  Although “universal” background checks were firmly rejected early in the 2015 session, the gun grabbers are back pushing their scheme with a vengeance.   

In last Fall’s gubernatorial election, Sue Minter made gun control her top campaign issue and was soundly defeated (losing by a margin even greater than the polls predicted), but anti-gun advocates are undeterred and continue to push their unpopular and dangerous agenda on law-abiding Vermonters.  “Universal” background checks also met their demise in the 2016 elections in neighboring Maine, where voters in that state rejected former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s multi-million dollar campaign against lawful gun owners.

Tone deaf proponents of this failed idea are busy at the Statehouse in Montpelier.  S.6, sponsored by Senate Majority Leader Phil Baruth, was introduced shortly after the gavel fell convening session in January.  This legislation is completely unnecessary and would do nothing to improve public safety.  The Vermont House just recently introduced their version of the bill, H.151, sponsored by Reps. Michael Mrowiki and Johannah Donovan.  Under current federal law, every firearm transfer conducted by a federally licensed dealer must already clear a background check.  The bill ignores the fact that Vermont is one of the safest states in the country, and its gun laws are already a model for the rest of the country.  There is nothing “universal” about these checks because criminals do not submit to background checks.  This legislation would do nothing more than pass along more expense and bureaucratic hurdles to honest private citizens and is completely unenforceable without requiring gun registration.   

In addition to this extreme and unpopular anti-gun law, well known anti-hunting groups like HSUS are again converging in Montpelier to ban ivory.  H.220, sponsored by Reps. James McCollough and Kathyrn Webb, would ban ivory products in Vermont.  Ivory is already heavily regulated at the federal level, and the vast majority of the illegal ivory market exists in Southeast Asia.  This Vermont bill would do nothing to stop illegal poaching in Africa, but it would render valuable property held by gun owners, knife owners, musicians, antique dealers, and art dealers worthless.

Please contact your state Representative and state Senator and respectfully ask them to oppose these bad bills.

TRENDING NOW
U.S. House Passes Reconciliation Bill, Removing Suppressors from the National Firearms Act

News  

Second Amendment  

Thursday, May 22, 2025

U.S. House Passes Reconciliation Bill, Removing Suppressors from the National Firearms Act

Earlier today, the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R.1 the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which included Section 2 of the Hearing Protection Act, completely removing suppressors from the National Firearms Act (NFA).

U.K. Moves to Legally De-suppress Suppressors

News  

Monday, July 14, 2025

U.K. Moves to Legally De-suppress Suppressors

On July 4th, President Donald Trump signed into law his “One Big Beautiful Bill,” which included a provision that eliminated the tax stamp fee of $200, but did not deregulate suppressors under the National Firearms ...

Baltimore Gets Serious on Crime Control, and the Results Speak for Themselves

News  

Monday, July 14, 2025

Baltimore Gets Serious on Crime Control, and the Results Speak for Themselves

As the mid-year mark of 2025 hits, a promising report on crime trends has come out of the City of Baltimore. Surprising news at first glance until you dig deeper into the policy direction the ...

House Annual Appropriations Process Update

News  

Monday, July 14, 2025

House Annual Appropriations Process Update

As the House Appropriations Committee is putting together legislation to fund the government, NRA-ILA has worked closely with policy makers to ensure several long-standing priorities for gun owners were included in the underlying bills.

NRA and 2A Allies Announce NFA Lawsuit

Monday, July 7, 2025

NRA and 2A Allies Announce NFA Lawsuit

Following the passage of the “One Big Beautiful Bill”—which eliminates the National Firearms Act of 1934’s (NFA) excise tax on suppressors, short-barreled rifles, short-barreled shotguns, and AOWs—the National Rifle Association issued a joint statement along with the ...

Legacy Media Finally Acknowledges Politization of Public Health

News  

Monday, July 14, 2025

Legacy Media Finally Acknowledges Politization of Public Health

It appears the editors of The Atlantic are finally willing to entertain an idea that has long been obvious to gun rights supporters.

Congress Passes the “One Big Beautiful Bill,” Now Headed to President Trump

News  

Thursday, July 3, 2025

Congress Passes the “One Big Beautiful Bill,” Now Headed to President Trump

Earlier today the U.S. House of Representatives passed the “One Big Beautiful Bill.” This bill contained a provision that would, among other things, eliminate the burdensome $200 excise tax imposed by federal law on suppressors, short-barreled firearms, ...

DOJ Declines to Seek Supreme Court Review of Decision Striking Down Federal Laws Prohibiting FFLs From Selling Handguns to 18-to-20-Year-Olds

Thursday, July 10, 2025

DOJ Declines to Seek Supreme Court Review of Decision Striking Down Federal Laws Prohibiting FFLs From Selling Handguns to 18-to-20-Year-Olds

In Reese v. ATF, the Fifth Circuit held that 18 U.S.C. §§ 922(b)(1) and (c)(1)—which together forbid Federal Firearms Licensees from selling handguns to 18-to-20-year-olds—violate the Second Amendment.

NRA-ILA July 2025 Litigation Update

Thursday, July 10, 2025

NRA-ILA July 2025 Litigation Update

In the second quarter of 2025, the National Rifle Association filed two cert petitions in the U.S. Supreme Court and five amicus briefs, while continuing to litigate dozens of ongoing lawsuits across the country.

Florida: Second Amendment Sales Tax Holiday Signed by Governor

Monday, July 7, 2025

Florida: Second Amendment Sales Tax Holiday Signed by Governor

Governor Ron DeSantis recently signed the Florida Budget for Fiscal Year 2025–2026, which includes a Second Amendment sales tax holiday from September 8 through December 31, 2025. The NRA is thankful for Governor DeSantis’ strong ...

MORE TRENDING +
LESS TRENDING -

More Like This From Around The NRA

NRA ILA

Established in 1975, the Institute for Legislative Action (ILA) is the "lobbying" arm of the National Rifle Association of America. ILA is responsible for preserving the right of all law-abiding individuals in the legislative, political, and legal arenas, to purchase, possess and use firearms for legitimate purposes as guaranteed by the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.