Shows Political Shift in Vermont and Growing Support for Universal Background Checks to Keep Guns out of the Wrong Hands

Montpelier, VT—Momentum is growing for passage of a Vermont Universal Background Check law aimed at keeping guns out of the hands of known criminals and people tragically deemed dangerously ill, according to a Voter Guide released today by GunSenseVT.  

Shows Political Shift in Vermont and Growing Support for Universal Background Checks to Keep Guns out of the Wrong Hands

Montpelier, VT—Momentum is growing for passage of a Vermont Universal Background Check law aimed at keeping guns out of the hands of known criminals and people tragically deemed dangerously ill, according to a Voter Guide released today by GunSenseVT.  

“It is heartening to see our state’s political leaders standing with the overwhelmingly strong public opinion in favor of common sense action to keep guns out of the wrong hands,” said Ann Braden, president of GunSenseVT.  Recent, independent polling shows nearly 9 out of 10 Vermonters support universal background checks for all gun purchases.[1] “The continued toll of senseless gun violence in our country is a call to action for our leaders to close the loopholes in the background check law that give dangerous people too easy access to guns,” she said. 

With the August 9^th primary election just around the corner, GunSenseVT’s Voter Guide highlights those lawmakers supporting commonsense gun legislation. The guide reveals GunSenseVT’s 2016 candidate survey answers, shows the votes cast in favor of the 2015 state law to keep guns out of the wrong hands, and includes that bill's sponsors as well as the sponsors of Universal Background Check bills. 

For the first time in Vermont history, the majority of the candidates running for Governor on a major party ticket support real changes to Vermont’s gun purchasing laws.   “Matt Dunne, Sue Minter and Peter Galbraith—all three of the Democratic Party Candidates—are champions for change who understand gun violence prevention and the 2^nd Amendment go hand in hand,” Braden noted.

The Voter Guide can be accessed at: http://www.gunsensevt.org/2016_gunsensevt_voter_guide

To both honor the lives recently lost to senseless gun violence and celebrate political leaders standing up for common sense change, Vermonters will gather on the Statehouse steps on Thursday, August 4^th.

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