(Big problem. There is also a bill in the Senate that would have the same effect. Enough of this crap already. – promoted by kestrel9000)
Hunters and gun owners beware. Now is the time to get on the phone and end the silence. These anti gun “nuts” are relentless. They have just introduced yet another bill and this one will effectively remove your ability to hunt on thousands of acres of Vermont land and no I am not being overly critical in the slightest bit.
Presently we Vermonters have been able to hunt on the various lands possessed by schools and according to this new bill, you may not possess a firearm on any land that is owned, leased, controlled, or subcontracted by a school. This is entirely disgusting. First of all, simply driving or walking through Howe Center and accidentally venturing too far over onto one of the parking spots or sidewalk will get you up to 1 year in prison, a $1000 fine or both for the first offense and up to 3 years in prison and a $5000 fine or both after the first offense as RHS leases a building down there. Now that is the least bothersome of it. Go to google maps and type in “Vermont schools” without the quotes and then tell me you don’t hunt in one of those locations with the pink balloons and that doesn’t even begin to show just how much land some of those schools actually own. On the list of sponsors for this bill are Representatives Keenan of St. Albans City, Branagan of Georgia, McCarthy of St. Albans City, Weed of Enosburgh, Connor of Fairfield, Consejo of Sheldon, Dickinson of St. Albans Town, Krowinski of Burlington, Michelsen of Hardwick, Toleno of Brattleboro and Rutland’s own Peter Fagan.
churches, and daycare facilities. So the number of places where people hunt on school owned property probably a lot smaller than the large number of pink balloons.
What schools are owning lands that are hunted? I know the schools in Addison County have little to no additional lands beyond the school grounds and rec fields. So is it just a few schools that have large holdings? Or are you talking about numerous schools that have small holdings that get you to the “thousands of acres?”
churches, and daycare facilities. So the number of places where people hunt on school owned property probably a lot smaller than the large number of pink balloons.
What schools are owning lands that are hunted? I know the schools in Addison County have little to no additional lands beyond the school grounds and rec fields. So is it just a few schools that have large holdings? Or are you talking about numerous schools that have small holdings that get you to the “thousands of acres?”
Firearms Training schools?
or perhaps . . . The Vermont State Police Academy?
I am fairly certain the language will become much more specific and limited as it evolves in committee.
Believe me; nobody should be hunting on St. Albans City School grounds!
These bills come in response to an incident which occurred last fall in which a student from another school brought multiple weapons, including several firearms on to the BFA campus. The police and State’s Attorney couldn’t do anything about it, sparking outrage from many members of the school community. Federal law already prohibits firearms and other weapons from being carried on school grounds.
I am not married to the language in the draft bill, but if it comes up for a real debate in committee it will be thoroughly vetted. It is not my intention to criminalize hunters. It is my intention to take part in a reasonable conversation about the expectations we have for school safety in the face of recent local and national events.
Rep. Mike McCarthy- Saint Albans
and important issue – thanks AsylumET. I’m opposed to these bills (surprise) which really don’t amount to much but seem to serve only to whittle away at RKBA.
Reason being is that nothing that I have seen will effect any real change or make the public safer but will infringe upon gun owners who in VT are amazingly well behaved. There is not a culture of gun violence as there is in the inner cities & drug trafficking.
Not allowing weapons in bars I could support as someone could conceivably overpower the gun owner & place others at risk. Firearms which I think are all legal for young ppl concerns me for many reasons but again it does not appear to be an actual problem in VT.
I was once willing to give up a lot but after looking into the more intricate issues involved esp how some of these measures would be enforced I saw them as being problematic.
If the primary goal to protect the public cannot be assured I cannot support the legislation.
and thank you for your basic common sense, Rep. McCarthy.
Anyone, kid or not, who is so clueless as to bring 4 guns (and two stun guns) on to school property – into the building, for gawd’s sake – needs to walk out in handcuffs and deal with some severe legal trouble.
I am a high school teacher. Students and teachers bring in their cars to the auto shop to get work done. The three high schools I’ve taught at all wrote down registration information and handed out invoices – nominal charges, but some cash for supplies and such. YOU HAND OVER THE KEYS, of course, just like you do any other shop. Of course, you are expected to keep track of your valuables, (like, say, 2 shotguns, 2 stun guns, and a rifle in your trunk, and a pistola in your glovebox) just like any other repair/maintenance place you bring your car.
Instructors often give the keys to the kids. I would say at least half the time the maintenance involves getting in the trunk (tires, brake lights, etc.), and it always involves getting in the cars and moving them around, and close proximity to the glovebox – locked or not, the kids have access to the effing keys.
And never misunderestimate the affinity of the teenage mind for jackassery. On Tuesday, as our ice escapades started in Atlanta, my students were gathering their coats and bags for the not-early-enough dismissal. One of my yahoos decided it was a good day to take his aluminum bat home. Within 60 seconds of coming into my classroom, one of his classmates grabbed the handle that was sticking out of his bag and started swinging it. The owner grabbed it back, hitting the other kid in the face with the bat, accidentally. As he pulled it back, he hit the kid behind him on the collar bone.
I can only imagine a couple of kids opening the trunk of this car and finding the weapons stash. Unfortunately, too many kids think guns are cool. The likelihood that one (or both) of them would have picked up one of the guns is higher than you think.
Teaching and managing the behavior of our students is hard enough without guns.
I am sure that you and your colleagues can modify the legislation reasonably, but there is a certain element in the gun crowd that is vocal and always aggrieved, so expect the knee-jerk pushback.