The Vermont Senate is expected to consider legislation Friday that would raise the legal age to purchase firearms from 16 to 21, except for members of the military and law enforcement officials.
Senate President Pro Tempore Tim Ashe (D/P-Chittenden) plans to introduce the proposal Thursday afternoon as an amendment to unrelated gun-regulation legislation. It would be considered Friday morning by the Senate Judiciary Committee and reach the Senate floor for debate and a vote later that day.
Fifteen other senators signed on as cosponsors of the amendment Thursday, suggesting that it has the votes to pass the 30-member chamber.
The proposal resembles one offered up last week by Republican Gov. Phil Scott as part of a slate of gun-control and school-safety measures. It differs from the governor’s proposal in one key respect: Scott’s would allow those under 21 who take a gun safety course to buy firearms, while Ashe’s would not.
At a press conference Thursday afternoon, Scott said he would prefer his version of the age restriction, but if one resembling Ashe’s reached his desk, “I could find a way to support that.”
Vermont law currently prohibits the sale of guns to those under age 16. Federal law prohibits the sale of handguns to those under 18 but sets no age restriction on the sale of rifles or shotguns by those who are not licensed firearms dealers.
Ashe hopes to attach his amendment to S.55, a gun-storage bill that has become a vehicle for several unrelated gun-control initiatives. The Senate attached another amendment to that legislation Thursday afternoon, mandating criminal background checks for all gun sales.
Senate Judiciary Committee chair Dick Sears (D-Bennington), who has been cool to some gun-control proposals and who opposes universal background checks, said Thursday he would be “fine” with raising the legal age to buy firearms but would “need some assurances” that the legislation wouldn’t prevent young people from hunting.
John Walters contributed reporting.
Disclosure: Tim Ashe is the domestic partner of Seven Days publisher and coeditor Paula Routly. Find our conflict-of-interest policy here: sevendaysvt.com/disclosure.
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We would not be going through all of this is Governor Phil Scott had not lied about his intentions to veto any new gun laws in the state of Vermont
I think if we are going to impose penalties on young people who are not committing crimes with guns that we must take away their rights to drive until they are 21 because the teens in the cars are the ones that are killing people not the responsible teens who own guns.
If you want to save lives take action against the teens were texting and driving and killing others don’t punish the hard-working tax-paying law-abiding gun owners in Vermont.
Phil Scott you will go down in history as the most disgusting Governor we ever had and state of Vermont.
A man is only as good as his word Phil…
Love the picture. The Wisdom of Tim Ashe should be the title of the article. Now, this comment will never pass muster with the co-editor. Really, we need to change the legislature and soon.
If someone who is 18 years old wants to fire an AR15 let them join the military. Citizens have no legitimate need of an assault rifle or copy cat weapon. In fact we should claw back/buy back all assault rifles. Only the Tin Foil Hat Fox News watching, Alex Jones believing, Rush Limbaugh worshipping try to justify owning these weapons. They are not sport rifles or hunting rifles, they are meant for only one thing and that is killing other humans.
And, as an aside . . I wonder why 7 Days is constantly showing pictures of Senator Tim Ashe . . . hmmmm.
Poor Richard Ley. You’ve blown a gasket in your old 1957 Chevy, and the reality is that the Governor isn’t that interested in you and your spent ideas any more to be bothered to stop and help. I don’t even see him waving at you right now as he rides down the highway with the rest of us sane Vermonters concerned about protecting our children.
Not my words but true. When a man or woman turns 18, that person is an adult fully-vested in all their constitutional rights. They have the complete right to speak and are assured protection against illegal search and seizure. They have the right to vote and the right to keep and bear arms. Denial of that right, based upon an arbitrary age requirement, relegates the Second Amendment to a second-class right.
As an aside. We definitely do need semi automatic guns that may, or may not, look like a legitimate assault weapon. Not specifically for hunting, but also for protection from whoever or whatever chooses to mess with our families. I am not waiting the rest of my life for the police to show up and save us. Im taking care of the threat myself. With whatever gun I chose. I chose… not you.
While calling the membership of the N.R.A. well meaning, Trump also said he told its leaders at a lunch on Sunday that its time. Were going to stop this nonsense. Its time.
Anyone else smell waffles? Just last week the opinions of these kids wanting everyone else to be responsible for their safety was gospel. Now, they aren’t mature enough to buy a firearm until they are older. Which is it, we should be listening to them about the need for gun control or controlling when they are deemed competent enough to have one? Typical politicians, any way they can twist the words to mean what they need them to mean at that moment.
How many of the politicians will be protected by people armed with guns while they work today, while our children are set out like bait, sitting ducks waiting for slaughter. All gathered together in one place, where the protection the politicians have is prohibited by the very laws they make.
Scott is going to make history alright, he’ll be the first single term governor since the 1960’s.
Northoldender
“Citizens have no legitimate need of an assault rifle”? They aren’t intended as sporting or hunting rifles. They are to be used to put an overreaching government back in it’s place when the people decide that time has come. Tick-tock.
Now go get yourself back in the sheep pen, it’s past your curfew.
Justin–honest question, have you ever had the need to fire multiple rounds in a short amount of time to protect your family? Also, when you say “whatever” what do you mean? Thanks.
Issue a learner’s permit to teens interested in guns. They must undergo training on proper use by experts and cannot be tormented by any emotional or psychological complexes that render them unstable to qualify. When they are 21 they get full access to any legal weapon.
Simply upping the age for possession to 21 is useless on it’s own.
Gun control can never and never will work. The gun didn’t pull the trigger. Sick humans are the problem.
The right of the people to have and bear arms can never be abridged!!!!!! Accept it people as it is to protect us from tyrants who crave to deal with us disarmed. Study some history with eyes open for a change and actually comprehend something about the evil existing in the human hearts of people who lust for power.
Our Founding Fathers were geniuses compared to modern day leaders in this country.
It is a serious mistake to further disadvantage young people by restricting gun ownership to military or 21 y.o…
Already weak and unfit for much physical activity, who is to defend the US population from a simple incursion into the USA? If other nations have children well trained in shooting, what chance do our kids have? We should provide courses and certification for anyone to be able to own a gun. We should be working hard to make Vermont strong again, not finish us off with complete incompetency which is what the far left want to do to us. All the false flags using guns have been orchestrated by the corrupt FBI and are designed to take away guns. The Parkland shooting is another great example as more details are coming out about the most corrupted Broward County and their sheriff Israel. Do fall for the hysteria; teach gun safety in schools, arm willing staff and teachers who are certified. Make target shooting a team sport. Make Vermont strong again.
I have to laugh at all of the posters who think that Phil Scott will be a one term governor because of his change in stance on gun control legislation. You all need to realize that the Vermont majority favors this legislation and in all likelihood, Scott will get more votes this go around. If you think otherwise, you are not really aware of the political climate in this state.