Statement of the
VTFSC Opposing Gun Control Bill S.31.
The Vermont Federation of Sportsmen's Clubs was founded in 1875
and is an organization of many clubs with ranks full of responsible citizens.
We take firearm safety very seriously, which is why the
Federation and its member clubs invest so much in the training of
shooters/hunters, the development of safe ranges, and the training of firearm
instructors and range safety officers.
Earlier this week Senate bill S.31 was introduced. The Federation holds that this bill is unnecessary gun control legislation, it was introduced for a Vermont gun control organization, with this bill inflicting needless expense and damage to the rights of good citizens.
The Federation has long opposed laws which needlessly restrict the
responsible use and ownership of firearms by peaceful citizens. Such gun
control laws do not deter crime and only serve to slander the good character of
the vast majority of firearm owners, the vast majority of which are
responsible citizens.
The Federation does not engage in the legislative or regulatory process in a hasty manner. We believe that laws should not be enacted based upon emotion or public relations campaigns. Instead, legislation must be based upon sound public policy and comply with the state and federal constitutions. It is the Federal position that S.31 does not meet these standards and must be opposed.
This stance is based upon the fact that criminals do not
obey laws, and that Vermont is:
- · Consistently one of the very lowest crimes rates in the nation,
- · Constantly has one of the very best gun safety records, and
- · Is not a major source of guns to other states.
S.31 is a solution in search of a problem. The
Federation strenuously opposes S.31.
In rendering our opinion on S.31, the federation has continued its long standing practice of making our knowledge, expertise and decades of experience available on legislation involving firearms.
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