A public hearing Tuesday night on legislation that would require expanded criminal background checks for gun purchasers will dominate headlines this week.
The bill, S.31, introduced by Sens. John Campbell and Philip Baruth, both Democrats, has generated a backlash from gun rights organizations, namely the Vermont Federation of Sportsmen, which represents gun clubs in the state. Previous legislative attempts to regulate guns have been met with overwhelming resistance in the Statehouse. This is the first time legislation, pushed by GunSense Vermont, a group that was founded after the Newtown, Connecticut, school shootings, has gained traction. The hearing from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. in the House Chamber is sure to be well attended by advocates on both sides.
The gun hearing will likely overshadow the poorly publicized, yet most important public event of the session: The hearing for Gov. Peter Shumlin’s proposed 2016 budget. The House and Senate Appropriations committees are taking testimony on the $63 million in reductions proposed by the governor tonight from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. via Vermont Interactive Television, which ironically gets zero-funded in the governor’s budget. The House Appropriations Committee reviewed the Agency of Human Services budget, which includes $24 million in reductions, last week. Other government agencies will see $22 million in cuts.
The Senate is scheduled to vote on the budget adjustment bill early this week. The proposal hasn’t changed significantly from the House version that passed unanimously on Jan. 29, according to sources in the Senate Pro Tem’s office.
The Senate Education Committee is working on a companion education reform bill that will mirror the House version that was introduced on Thursday. Sources expect draft legislation to be introduced this week.
S.9, the child protection bill will likely be voted out of Senate Judiciary. The legislation sets new standards for reporting abuse and neglect of children.
The House will vote on the $3 million fee bill later this week. The legislation increases fees for development reviews and restaurant health inspections among other services the state provides.
The bill does not include assessments that would help to pay for the cleanup of Lake Champlain. The House Natural Resources and Energy and Fish and Wildlife committees are considering a separate set of recommendations from the Shumlin administration to pay for water quality implementation and enforcement programs.