Vermont’s Republican Governor Phil Scott has allowed a bill to become law requiring serial numbers on firearms privately made with individual parts, kits or 3D printers.
Scott allowed the bill, part of an effort to combat hard-to-trace ghost guns that are increasingly common in crimes, to become law without his signature. He said in a letter to lawmakers on Tuesday that he agrees that firearms should be serialized as a public safety measure, but that he has concerns about the “practical feasibility and impact” of the law.
“Over the past decade, as anti-police policies have increased and criminal accountability has steadily declined, violent crime has increased in Vermont,” Scott wrote. “This is why I think we should instead focus on measures that will reverse these trends, rather than on measures, like S.209, that are unlikely to have a measurable impact on violent crime.”
Supporters of the measure in the Democratic-controlled Legislature have said it is critical that Vermont keep guns out of the hands of people who are not allowed to have firearms. The U.S. Supreme Court last month agreed to hear an appeal from the Biden administration over the regulation of the hard-to-trace ghost guns.
The law in Vermont, a politically liberal state that also has a strong gun and hunting culture, includes penalties ranging from fines to jail time, depending on the offense. Someone who carries a firearm without a serial number during the commission of a violent crime faces a prison sentence of up to five years, a fine of up to $5,000, or both.
Chris Bradley, president of the Vermont Federation of Sportsmen’s Clubs, said last month that the legislation is a burden on law-abiding gun owners who must have a gun serialized and undergo a background check.
The measure also bans guns at polling places. The Secretary of State, in consultation with the Vermont League of Cities and Towns and the Vermont Municipal Clerks and Treasurers Association, must also report to the Legislature by January 15 on options for banning firearms in municipal and state buildings, including Statehouse, which some Republicans fear would lead to further gun restrictions.
Vermont is the 14th state to regulate ghost guns, according to the Vermont chapters of Moms Demand Action and Students Demand Action.