[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":56,"_74":56},"mediaId",6332510,"mediaKeyId","2307001-9f6368b7f25698212e448e239ce9c2bb","parentId",2307001,"title","Sportsmen’s federation urges statewide firearms consistency, warns municipal gun bans may conflict with state law","audioSeconds",916,"startMs",1669000,"endMs",2585000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2307001-9f6368b7f25698212e448e239ce9c2bb&start=1669&end=2585","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2307001-9f6368b7f25698212e448e239ce9c2bb/thumbnail_1669000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6332510/Vermont/Sportsmens-federation-urges-statewide-firearms-consistency-warns-municipal-gun-bans-may-conflict-with-state-law","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6332510-b829d487896b78c7cbfc58875efae058/orig.mp4?Expires=1774963469&Signature=bSnFYxXM3dkUiX-FVzhT~zmrPHHeSuU5J7vXHfHQ4Z5FUsfSr3kKP4brLTtWeQ7UrRq5f~RLHMELkDWr2C-BudK34GQqIMRpaCkOWrZyYHQ-QEx7MGdGdpMI7qI42KomI5vBYYSKs4Ff73ZPu5qGxWYca3T765QcFGSHXg0vIV0FCA0M3qUoZ5pGEnVRk1sX0L3BTc7Em1Ts53jTsu14kBSCvQAhfdlUECtjqxnPNIpYiDSzt9TuzXEsmm1qN~JTgpf1gPi0owZa-oeaJWf95d1HFOfZs0i4Evj2VyvaUcCRuyQcxfqGF7BP8ZGoDCNSCxsztIWhOaIaEQVp409YHg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","","date","2025-02-13T14:34:20Z","article","Chris Bradley, representing the Vermont Federation of Sportsmen’s Clubs, testified to the House Government Operations & Military Affairs Committee on Feb. 13 that Vermont’s statutory limits on municipal firearms regulation have preserved consistent statewide rules for hunting, possession and related activity and that local ordinances expanding firearms bans risk clashing with state law and recent U.S. Supreme Court precedent.

Bradley, whose organization formed in 1875 and helped create the Vermont Department of Fish and Wildlife, urged the committee to respect 24 V.S.A. §2295, which he described as restricting municipalities to regulating only the discharge of firearms and leaving possession, storage, hunting and ammunition to state law. \"That has prevented what I would refer to as a patchwork of disparate laws as a Vermonter who is a firearms owner travels across the state,\" Bradley said.

He summarized recent U.S. Supreme Court rulings shaping Second Amendment doctrine, including District of Columbia v. Heller (recognizing an individual right to possess a firearm in the home for self-defense), McDonald v. City of Chicago (incorporating the right against the states), and Bruen (which focused analysis on the nation's historical tradition of firearms regulation). Bradley also cited the Supreme Court's Rahimi decision on separating guns from violent offenders as narrowing the scope of permissible restrictions.

Bradley told the committee the federation supports some measures, including treating stolen firearms as grand larceny and developing storage solutions when a person is in crisis, but cautioned that recent municipal measures may run afoul of state law. He pointed to a Nov. 11 Burlington City Council resolution and accompanying draft ordinance that would bar firearms in bars and similar places as an example; he argued that 24 V.S.A. §2295 limits municipalities’ authority and that sign-only bans without screening or security amount to “illusory protection.”

Bradley also described operational problems created by a recent state storage law that allowed firearms seized in certain domestic-violence-related situations to be held by the Department of Public Safety, an FFL (federal firearms licensee), or a private third party. He recounted a case in which 19 firearms were seized after an accusation that was later dropped; the firearms were stored at an FFL, which later faced difficulty returning property because of incorrect court information and ultimately began selling unclaimed firearms under a statute. That sequence, Bradley said, generated civil litigation and raised questions about due-process protections and storage procedures.

On so-called \"ghost guns\" and the state requirement to serialize certain firearms, Bradley said many FFLs are reluctant or unable to perform serialization and engraving. He said some receivers or polymer components cannot be reliably serialized and that many small dealers lack manufacturing-grade engraving equipment; he warned that the state’s serialization requirement could be difficult to implement without available service providers.

Committee members asked Bradley clarifying questions about legislative priorities. Bradley said he supports a bill by Representative Anne Donahue to treat stolen firearms as grand larceny and reiterated support for secure storage options for people in crisis, while cautioning the committee about unintended consequences from laws staff or courts must implement.

Bradley concluded by asking the committee to retain state preemption for most firearms rules while acknowledging narrowly tailored \"sensitive places\" restrictions the Supreme Court has recognized (for example, courthouses and legislatures).","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","House Government Operations-2025-02-13-9:35AM","oneSentenceSummary","Chris Bradley, representing the Vermont Federation of Sportsmen’s Clubs, told the House Government Operations & Military Affairs Committee on Feb. 13 that state statutory preemption has preserved consistent firearms rules for Vermonters and that some municipal ordinances risk conflicting with state law.","taxTitle","Government Operations & Military Affairs, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Committees, Legislative , Vermont","taxId",30955,"location","Vermont","headline","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":56,"_74":56},6332515,"Vermont lawmaker outlines Article V 'Convention of States' application, colleagues raise guardrail concerns",96,456000,552000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2307001-9f6368b7f25698212e448e239ce9c2bb&start=456&end=552","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2307001-9f6368b7f25698212e448e239ce9c2bb/thumbnail_456000.jpg","/articles/6332515/Vermont/Vermont-lawmaker-outlines-Article-V-Convention-of-States-application-colleagues-raise-guardrail-concerns","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6332515-6593260f19d3cbc4502c4aac8c63d7b4/orig.mp4?Expires=1774963469&Signature=VL-I0z~6c8ky7KUbMbt8ajAHwJr4q~FPOhNqd0RWbu8tVEj20Vc80a7RkNqkCUgcIznQXhs4TbOLa~u5F6qe0CrnUTAL9MX78OeTgN4End5WLSd74xIKGq~ZhbS8HRXsUS2iXeMgxxKTMweK3kMyJRN~WZEu03L5pot4ZhvMwK8SMky0TO43a7IskiIC58xPqSe~jlIHBGZZoUZNWmKNdRhdG1p4wCP6byy-gWmm2TNzTWB39WbdywA0t563z5ChZFbhJSoSs-wMRPVkYWd4DqBZOgPoYCRpPqZpjcp7wB1R5cFqnXhGKFSo640Z8dEY~I62NXg9K~7Q7cDiBw1c~Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Representative Mark Higley told the House Government Operations & Military Affairs Committee on Feb. 13 that he is sponsoring JRH 1, a joint resolution that would constitute an application under Article V of the U.S. Constitution asking Congress to call a convention of states to consider proposed amendments.

Higley, the lead sponsor and a representative from the Orleans area, told the committee he participated in a Convention of States simulation and stressed that Article V provides two routes to amend the Constitution: Congress may propose amendments with two-thirds support in both houses, or two-thirds of state legislatures (34) may apply to Congress to call a convention. He said the convention process limits delegates to the subjects stated in the applications and that each state would have one vote at the convention.

Committee members said the resolution raises questions about who would select delegates, how delegates would be bound to an agenda and which outside organizations are driving the effort.

\"We have the option to consider whether that's something we want to sign on to,\" Higley said, framing the resolution as a vehicle for issues members have raised to him, including term limits and federal fiscal restraint. As an example from a simulation, he described proposed term limits that would bar election to the U.S. House after nine full terms and to the U.S. Senate after three full terms, with a 24-year total service cap; he presented that example as illustrative of what can emerge at a convention rather than as text in the current resolution.

Representative Waters Evans asked about ties between the Convention of States movement and Citizens for Self-Governance and raised concern about partisan sponsorship and undisclosed donors. \"It seems like the driving force behind it is partisan, which gives me concern,\" Waters Evans said.

Representative Stowe and others pressed Higley on delegate selection and procedural guardrails. Stowe noted Article V does not specify how each state's legislature must choose delegates and asked how a one-state/one-vote rule would account for vast population differences among states. Another member called the resolution \"too vague,\" saying it lacks limits on what could be debated once a convention convened.

Higley said the movement has progressed over a decade: he listed about 19 states that have passed similar applications and said the effort is not tied to any single federal administration. He also described a fiscal-constraint proposal discussed at a simulation session that would cap federal expenditures relative to prior-year revenues or the share of GDP, and cited the U.S. national debt figure as of Feb. 10, 2025 ($36.22 trillion) as background to why some constituents seek fiscal rules.

Committee members repeatedly emphasized the difference between public comments and formal committee action. No formal committee vote on JRH 1 was recorded at the Feb. 13 meeting. The discussion closed with Higley offering to provide materials from the simulation and take follow-up questions from members.

Looking ahead, committee members signaled more questions and potential requests for background on the Convention of States movement, its funding and the legal procedures by which delegates would be selected and bound.

A list of states Higley said had submitted Article V applications during his remarks included Georgia, Alabama, Florida, Tennessee, Indiana, Arkansas, Louisiana, Arizona, North Dakota, Texas, Missouri, Utah, Mississippi, Wisconsin, Nebraska, West Virginia and South Carolina; he said 19 states had applications as of his remarks.","Representative Mark Higley described a proposed joint resolution asking Congress to call an Article V constitutional convention; colleagues questioned outside funding, partisan influence and the lack of procedural guardrails for delegates and agenda.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":56,"_74":56},6332505,"Committee approves straw poll to add Vermont Sheriffs Association president to task force membership",155,3613000,3768000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2307001-9f6368b7f25698212e448e239ce9c2bb&start=3613&end=3768","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2307001-9f6368b7f25698212e448e239ce9c2bb/thumbnail_3613000.jpg","/articles/6332505/Vermont/Committee-approves-straw-poll-to-add-Vermont-Sheriffs-Association-president-to-task-force-membership","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6332505-100cb26ea8fe4e12c3f977b3881f3f48/orig.mp4?Expires=1774963469&Signature=G-AWhNZkE~Pk-5KdtG3q4XFfxwWM~EK7pwx2E0cqFAHSbzBM9KwaCg~To-YLk0~wssFqP8eH41rykiGesVwLM-kE0En2sczRrqvg181ZeSwGfinUT29L54WGLO844sCV6jFg08TE1wPL~th8AcC-F5CWGYHPDgAocOZ1fCTC3hjl2EiaaNW~ZsD99lA8gqnuGini14G520Qdr8btynq7YYD5A63Z2KCtv51pVMAkbFiGk5UM9atNXC-CHlAn3q7H3O22EGb6mJI5sQI65Zyt9kdeQLcpijnloSo~I7FPVrTdp3-~X4kP0XvEGVMqqejl1WB~6KWT2Kmpmu8atAk9eg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Ben Novogrovsky of the Office of Legislative Council told the Government Operations & Military Affairs Committee on Feb. 13 that a committee amendment would alter a House Judiciary report by adding the president of the Vermont Sheriffs Association to the membership of a task force established by H.44. Novogrovsky said the change aligns the task force’s composition with typical membership of similar panels.

The chair moved that the committee take a straw poll on inserting the new language. Members gave a thumbs-up in an informal poll; the chair reported results consistent with committee support and said the change would be carried forward to the House floor if the committee proceeds. Committee members noted that appropriations would handle related budget and staffing aspects because the committee has subject-matter jurisdiction but not fiscal jurisdiction.

The action recorded at the Feb. 13 meeting was an informal straw poll in favor of adding the Vermont Sheriffs Association president to the task force; members did not record a formal roll-call vote for the amendment at that time.","Committee counsel presented an amendment to a House Judiciary report that would add the president of the Vermont Sheriffs Association to a task force created by H.44; the committee took a thumb poll and indicated support for the insertion.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Sportsmen’s federation urges statewide firearms consistency, warns municipal gun bans may conflict with state law

Vermont lawmaker outlines Article V 'Convention of States' application, colleagues raise guardrail concerns

Committee approves straw poll to add Vermont Sheriffs Association president to task force membership