On Wednesday, Vermont Gov. Phil Scott (R) signed into law the state's first-ever significant gun ownership restrictions, including raising the minimum age to buy firearms to 21 from 18, banning high-capacity magazines, and requiring background checks for most private gun sales.
"This is not the time to do what's easy, it's time to do what's right," Scott said. Hundreds of people gathered outside the Vermont State House, with supporters of the new legislation cheering and gun rights advocates heckling Scott. Scott, a gun owner, had urged lawmakers to strengthen the laws after police announced last month they foiled a Vermont teenager's plot to shoot up his high school.
Throughout the signing ceremony, Turnbridge resident Ben Tucker yelled at Scott. The "whole thing is wrong," he told The Associated Press. "It's just wrong in every sense of the word." Victoria Biondolillo, a University of Vermont student and Republican Party activist, disagreed. "I think it takes a lot of courage to stand up there when people are screaming at you," she said. "It brought tears to my eyes how proud I am of our state that we can work together on this."