Gov. Phil Scott on Friday signed into law S.4, a long-debated bill that strengthens firearm background checks and bans guns from hospitals.
Just last month, Scott vetoed S.30, a nearly identical bill that would have closed the so-called Charleston Loophole. That loophole, known in legal terms as a “default proceed,” allows buyers to purchase a gun without passing a background check if that check takes longer than three days.
The new law gives the federal government seven business days to complete a background check before a gun sale can legally proceed in Vermont.
“As the governor has said in the past, whenever he vetoes any piece of legislation, he always tries to offer a good-faith path forward,” said Jason Maulucci, Scott’s spokesperson. “Even if he doesn’t think the underlying policy is 100% necessary, he tries to, in the spirit of compromise, provide a path forward. And that was the case in this instance.”
When Scott vetoed S.30, he disapproved of the possibility that Vermonters might have to wait indefinitely to buy a gun.
S.4 also includes all the other provisions that were part of S.30, including a ban on guns in hospitals and language that further codifies protections for domestic abuse victims. The bill would also allow out-of-state residents to bring high-capacity magazines into Vermont for shooting competitions, a practice outlawed in legislation signed by Scott in 2018.
Although the Senate voted to override the governor’s veto of S.30 earlier this month, that decision was largely symbolic, as the House lacked the votes needed to do the same.
For years, legislators have tried to close the Charleston Loophole. In 2019, Scott vetoed a bill that would have done so: S.169, a bill that sought to create a 24-hour waiting period for handgun purchases.
Asked whether the governor would consider further gun reform legislation, Maulucci suggested not.
“It was only four years ago that Vermont was one of the most lax gun-control states in the country,” he said. “He doesn’t think any new measures are necessary.”
