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Senate advances bill to bar firearms in establishments that serve alcohol, adds penalties and transfer clarifications
Summary
The Senate amended and ordered third reading of S329, a wide-ranging firearms bill that adds an enhanced penalty tier for repeat offenses, clarifies prohibited categories (including people 'in need of treatment'), allows shipping time to count toward a 72‑hour waiting period, and would prohibit firearms on premises licensed to serve alcohol; the amendment passed on a roll call, Ayes 17, Nays 13.
The Senate amended and ordered third reading of S329 on a roll call after extended floor debate over whether a statewide ban on firearms in premises that serve alcohol is appropriate.
Senator from Chittenden (Speaker 4), the bill reporter, told senators the measure creates a second-tier felony for repeated violations of firearm-possession prohibitions, saying the committee intends the enhanced penalty to target a pattern of offenses: "a person would have to be convicted 3 times" to trigger the felony, punishable by up to three years in prison or a fine not to exceed $5,000.
The bill also narrows the list of offenses that strip firearm rights (removing "dispensing"…
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