H.606 has been voted out of the House and is now on its way to Senate Judiciary.
Even though the Federation and its allies were able to make drastic changes to what started out as an insidious bill for firearm owners, the Federation remains opposed to this bill in its current form. This is primarily due to Section 3, and you should know that the Governor has publicly expressed concerns about this section as well.
Per 18 VSA 7617a, individuals who have been found by a court to be insane or incompetent to stand trial, or individuals who the court has ordered to be involuntarily committed to a hospital, are automatically reported to the National Crime Information System (NCIS). We agree with that. Our concern comes when a court does not require hospitalization; the court makes no determination of sanity or incompetence but instead releases that person into the community. In these limited situations, Vermont is reporting those people to NCIS, which will prevent them from purchasing a firearm, when, by existing Federal Law – they are not a "prohibited person."
While these people may need treatment, it's outpatient treatment, because the court did not find that these people pose a risk of harm to themselves or others (I.E. Extreme Risk). If there is no finding of risk, why are they being reported to NCIS, and why should these people lose their rights when this is inconsistent with Federal Law?
We also would like to see section 1, which amends 13 VSA 2501 (Grand Larceny), to be further amended to not allow the state charge a criminal for stealing a firearm, while at the same time also charging the victim under 13 VSA 4024 (Negligent Storage).
Stay tuned for Taking Action on H.606 in the Senate.
Oral Arguments before the 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals
Our oral arguments on the 72-Hour Waiting Period before the 2nd Circuit Court will be happening next month, so stay tuned as we will be providing a link for anyone who would like to watch and listen.
Act 181
On a completely different topic: The Federation encourages you to come to the Statehouse steps at noon for a rally against Act 181. This abomination drastically restricts what rural Vermonters can do with their own land, even when they are paying dearly for that land through out-of-control property taxes. Governor Scott foresaw the horrible outcomes of this Act and vetoed it, but the then super-majority of Ds & Ps overrode him to the detriment of rural Vermonters.
Please take the time on Tuesday, March 24, to demonstrate your opposition to the ridiculous Act which will most assuredly help to get it repealed. See you at noon on the 24th!
If you like what we do to protect your rights, you can donate to our efforts using this page, and please forward this to your like-minded friends and family.
