By: Friedrich Seiltgen
Copyright © 2024
Vermont’s Republican Governor Phil Scott allowed S.209, the so-called “ghost guns” bill, to become law without his signature while stating that it doesn’t address the root causes of increasing crime in the state. The bill bans the possession and transfer of firearms without serial numbers.
“I believe every gun should have a serial number attached to it. That’s why I let it go. But I don’t think that is the issue. Ghost guns might be important, but I don’t think that’s what impacting what we’re seeing across the state.” ~ Governor Phil Scott
Scott apparently outs himself as a weak governor by refusing to veto a bill he knows will not work. He claims that violent crime has increased in Vermont during the past ten years due to “anti-policing policies” and a decrease in prosecutions. He also states that he does not like that the bill criminalizes possession of an item regardless of criminal intent. He then states that the focus should be on measures to reverse crime statistics instead of bills like S.209.
Anti-gunners are happy that Scott let the bill slide through without veto, and Gun Sense Vermont Executive Director Conor Casey stated that the approval of the ghost guns bill is a natural extension of gun laws passed in previous sessions, calling it a positive step. He believes that the only reason a person would want an unserialized firearm is that they are criminals who can’t pass a background check, ignoring the fact that the vast majority of firearms used are stolen.
One provision of the law requires people who make their own firearms to take them to a gunsmith to be given serial numbers.
Vermont Federation of Sportsmen’s Clubs President Chris Bradley stated that no federal or ATF rules prohibit individuals from making their own guns, adding that before 1968, there were no federal laws mandating gun serial numbers.
“There are any number of firearms in private hands and probably in criminal hands that don’t have a serial number. But I really don’t think they care much about serial numbers. What they really wanted was background checks. If I’m a felon, I’m not going to try and take an unserialized gun and have it serialized.” ~ Chris Bradley
Republican House Rep. Gina Galfetti voted “nay” on the bill, stating that it doesn’t require a gun shop to give a gun a serial number. This might make it difficult for people who already own such firearms to get them serialized. Still, Galfetti believes that gun shops aren’t going to take on the liability of serializing a firearm.
Vermont has passed several firearms bills in recent years that are difficult to enforce, said Rep. Patrick Brennan, R-Colchester, who joins other state politicians who believe the law is unenforceable and will be ineffective against criminals. He thinks this will just be another instance where law-abiding citizens are caught in a prosecutorial nightmare because they didn’t or couldn’t get the firearm serialized.
That’s all for now, folks! Please keep sending in your questions, tips, and article ideas. And as always – “Let’s Be Careful Out There.”
Friedrich Seiltgen is a retired Master Police Officer with 20 years of service with the Orlando Police Department. He conducts training in Lone Wolf Terrorism Counterstrategies, Firearms, and Active Shooter Response.
His writing has appeared in RECOIL, www.floridajolt.com, The Daily Caller, Off Grid, The Counterterrorist Magazine, American Thinker, Soldier of Fortune, Homeland Security Today, and The Journal of Counterterrorism & Homeland Security International.
Contact him at [email protected].