Vermont Business Magazine Today in Montpelier, Senate President Pro Tempore Phil Baruth, Burlington Mayor Emma Mulvaney-Stanak, Representative Barbara Rachelson, Burlington City Council Chair Ben Traverse, Laurel Papel of Students Demand Action, and Mary Sullivan of GunSense Vermont joined parents, students and gun safety advocates to call for the passage of S.131, a bill that would amend the charter of the City of Burlington to prohibit guns in bars.
"As the NRA safety course teaches, guns and alcohol don’t mix,” said Senator Baruth, President Pro Tempore of the Vermont Senate and lead sponsor of the bill. “This past year, Burlington experienced a fatal shooting outside of a bar. In this era of heightened public safety concerns we’re simply saying: let’s keep guns out of bars. It’s common sense."
This past March, Burlington Town Meeting Day voters overwhelmingly voted in favor (86.6%) of this charter change. In 2014, Burlington voters also voted to support a similar measure but the bill enabling it did not pass the Legislature.
“Local communities should have the right to decide what safety looks like in their own bars and restaurants,” said Mary Sullivan, former state representative and GunSense Vermont board member. “This proposal doesn’t take guns away from lawful owners - it simply recognizes that mixing alcohol and firearms puts everyone at greater risk.”
“Burlington voters have spoken loudly and clearly,” said Representative Barbara Rachelson. “Guns and bars do not mix. It’s time to support the will of the voters and pass this common sense legislation.”
Following Burlington’s vote on Town Meeting Day, in April, S.131 passed the Vermont Senate on a vote of 17-12-1. The bill has since resided in the House Committee on Government Operations.
“Twice in the past decade, Burlington voters have overwhelmingly asked the Legislature to give our city the tools it needs to keep our community safer from gun violence,” said Ben Traverse, Chair of the Burlington City Council. “This is not a political issue – it is a public safety issue. States across the political spectrum restrict firearms in bars because mixing guns and alcohol puts lives at risk. If Vermont is not ready to take statewide action on this issue, it should at least respect the will of local voters and allow its largest city to take this common sense step to protect residents, workers, and visitors.”
"An overwhelming 86.6 percent of Burlington voters support keeping guns out of bars, and it’s our responsibility to honor that democratic decision," said Burlington Mayor Emma Mulvaney-Stanak. "Burlington has been calling for this policy change for over 10 years, with voters expressing resounding approval in two different elections. S.131 upholds our community’s right to set commonsense public safety standards that reflect our values and priorities. The Senate has already affirmed this, and it’s time for the House to act and respect the clear mandate from our residents. I urge the House to move S.131 forward without delay."
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