MONTPELIER, Vt. (WCAX) – Firearms dealers across the country will soon have to run background checks on buyers at gun shows under a planned rule change by the Biden administration. but what impact will that have in Vermont?
Gun rights advocates in Vermont say the national changes are already in effect here and have been for several years. Gun control advocates, while calling it a win, say they are still pushing for additional restrictions.
“In many ways, we have miles to go,” said Conor Casey with the group Gunsense Vermont. He applauds the Biden administration’s move to close the so-called “gun-show loophole.” “Folks selling guns on the internet, in gun shows, in their own homes have really been able to circumvent this common-sense measure that says if you want to purchase a firearm, you have to undergo a background check.”
Governor Phil Scott signed a sweeping gun reform bill in 2018 requiring universal background checks and enacting red flag laws that prevent people deemed a danger to themselves or others from owning or buying a gun.
“Every transaction that happens at a gun show has a background check performed on it. For any dealer that was selling at a gun show, federal law requires them to do a background check, they’re a very heavily regulated profession,” said Chris Bradley with the Vermont Federation of Sportsmen’s Clubs.
Vermont lawmakers are currently working on a bill targeting so-called ghost guns, which can be assembled from separately purchased parts or 3D printed. They lack serial numbers, making them untraceable. S.209 mandates that the owner must take it to a licensed dealer to have a serial number put on it, undergo a background check, and wait 72 hours before transfer.
“It really negates the impact of having any background checks or any other measures there if someone is able to purchase these on the internet and assemble the parts at home. To us, it’s just a no-brainer to do,” Casey said.
But Bradley and other groups point to existing federal laws allowing someone to legally build a gun at home. He says the focus should be attacking the illegal use. “If you use a ghost gun or unserialized gun in the commission of a felony crime, then we should throw the book at you. We are not going to control criminal behavior by stepping on good citizens,” Bradley said.
The ghost gun bill passed the Senate and is now in the House Judiciary Committee.