MONTPELIER, Vt. (AP) - The Vermont Senate gave final approval to a 24-hour waiting period for the purchase of handguns, advancing the legislation to the House.
The proposal was approved Friday on a voice vote after a 20-10 preliminary vote the day before, WCAX-TV reported . Republican Gov. Phil Scott has not indicated whether he supports the bill.
Sen. Philip Baruth, D-Chittenden County, an original sponsor, said the waiting period is a compromise that will “save lives.”
But Sen. John Rodgers, D-Essex-Orleans Counties, says the proposal would chip away at a constitutional right and “affects tens of thousands of law-abiding Vermonters.”
Sen. Dick Sears, D-Bennington, the chairman of the Judiciary Committee, crafted the bill as a compromise. Advocates wanted a longer waiting period that would apply to all types of guns. The proposal previously called for a 48-hour waiting period.
The bill also was amended to allow for high-capacity magazines currently owned by Vermonters to be transferred in a will. And aunts, uncles, nieces and nephews were added to the list of family members that high-capacity magazines can be transferred to.
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Information from: WCAX-TV, http://www.wcax.com
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