| Bernard -- This past Friday our Legislature adjourned, and we had our hands full in dealing with various bills. Fish & Wildlife Issues
On the Fish & Wildlife side of things, our work was primarily focused on killing S.258 (an act relating to the management of Fish & Wildlife) as well as saving the Salisbury Fish Hatchery. I am very pleased to say that we were successful on both fronts. Regarding S.258: The Federation used our annual Legislative Mixer in March to bring sportspeople into the statehouse to not only engage the Senate Natural Resources and Energy Committee, but also to meet personally with their own Senator(s) and Representative(s) to share their thoughts. Sportspeople responded, and that response was a huge success. Initially, we had hoped to kill S.258 in the Senate, and we worked with our allies to insure that the votes would not be there to have it pass the Senate. Had the version of the bill that was initially voted out of Committee gone to the floor - S.258 would have died then and there. However: Senate leadership knew that that version would die, and so the bill was re-written - literally over a weekend and without the Committee's or any citizen input - to become a bill that could pass the Senate floor (which it did 21-8). We then continued the fight in both the House and the House Environment & Energy Committee, where the bill ended up being put on the wall. There were any number reasons why it died, but certainly our Mixer and the Press Conference put on by former Senator Rodgers, Jame Ehlers, Mike Covey of VTC and others on April 25th were pivotal. Also pivotal was the testimony of so many Vermont sportspeople who turned out when we asked, and especially the testimony of former F&W Commissioner Pat Berry (which we arranged). Governor's Scott's clear statements that he would veto the bill if it ever made it to his desk also helped immeasurably. Having this bill die on the wall could not have happened without the engagement of so many sportsmen and women who invested their most valuable resource - their time - to help fight this and we thank you. Second Amendment / Article 16 Issues
The primary focus for this past session involved S.209 (an act relating to un-serialized firearms and un-serialized firearm frames and receivers, I.E. "Ghost Guns") however there were numerous other concerns such as H.525 (an act to allow municipalities to ban firearms possession in certain places). Regarding S.209: This bill requires that anyone who may have built their own firearm, or be in the process of building their own firearm, to have the key component of that firearm (the frame or the receiver) be marked with a unique serial number; but the real underlying reason was to try force owners to go through a background check. Bearing in mind that by Federal law and ATF regulations it is legal for a law-abiding citizen to build their own firearm with no requirement that it be serialized, and then considering who exactly will attempt to abide by this law (only law-abiding citizens), we opposed this bill as being wishful thinking that it would have ANY effect on un-serialized forearms showing up on crime. Additional aspects of this bill prohibited firearms in polling places; it called for a report on prosecutions of violations regarding Ghost Guns; and it called for a report on the options for prohibiting firearms in municipal buildings. At one point, S.209 contained a provision that would have extended the exemption from the 3-day waiting period for sales made at gun shows until July 1st of 2025 - but that was removed by Senate Judiciary (good thing we are suing). S.209 passed both the House and Senate. Lawsuit Update (Mag Ban and 72-Hour Waiting Period)
We are currently scheduled to be in District Court of Vermont on May 23rd for the initial Hearing on our request(s) for a Temporary Restraining Order/Preliminary Injunction on the Vermont Magazine Ban and 72-Hour Waiting Period. We remain confident that the State will not be able to defend either given the utter lack of any historical analogues that the State must provide as dictated under the Bruen decision and are looking forward to the 23rd. As for the case itself: We currently expect Discovery to occur mid-summer, with our case likely being schedule for fall. Raffles & Fund Raising
We are currently running two raffles to help raise money for our lawsuit and our operating costs: - 30 day/ 32 guns/$40 Raffle
Only 1,000 tickets were printed for this raffle, numbered from 000 to 999. Each night in June, the Vermont Lottery does it's nightly Pick 3, with the number drawn dictating that day's winner. We have spent over $22,000 purchasing the firearm prizes; you can find more information here.
Average value of each firearm package is over $700, help us and get multiple chances to win!
- Century Arms 2 Gun Raffle - $20
This raffle consists of two firearms, both made by Century Arms right here in Vermont. The first is a BFT-47, which is a variant of an AK-47 with beautiful wood. The second is a CANIK METE MC9, which is a compact 9mm carry pistol complete with holster and extra mags. You can find more info here; only 500 tickets were printed and these have been selling fast. It is the Federation's duty and honor to represent our clubs, individuals members, FFLs and sponsors in regards to F&W and 2A issues. If you like what we do, please consider supporting us. Vermont Federation of Sportsmen's Clubs
https://www.vtfsc.com/ | 
