28-02-2025
Proposal to ban guns in bars back on Burlington ballot
BURLINGTON, Vt. (ABC22/FOX44) – Next Tuesday, Burlington voters will answer a question that's been debated for a long time in the city: Should guns be allowed in bars?
This Town Meeting Day, item number five on the Queen City ballot will once again ask Burlingtonians to weigh in on that subject, after city council unanimously passed a resolution in November to put the decision back into the hands of voters. Ahead of the big day, some people who think firearms shouldn't be allowed in establishments that serve alcohol are making their voices heard, including Burlington Mayor Emma Mulvaney-Stanak.
At a news conference Thursday afternoon, the mayor and a handful of others talked about the proposed ban, and asked people to vote 'Yes'.
'When people say guns and alcohol do not mix, they truly do not mix,' Mulvaney-Stanak said. 'Data indicates that nearly half of all homicide offenders are under the influence of alcohol at the time of the homicide.'
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Some of those who joined the mayor for the news conference were students at the University of Vermont and Champlain College. They noted the topic of allowing guns in bars has been debated in Burlington for more than a decade, dating back to when many of them were in elementary school.
The question first appeared in front of voters on Town Meeting Day in 2014, and Burlingtonians back then approved of the ban idea. But, like all charter changes, the ban proposal needed to also be approved by the Vermont Legislature before taking place, and state lawmakers shot it down. That meant the ban never went into effect, despite the majority of Burlington voters being in favor of it.
Advocates of the ban argue that since then, deadly incidents have happened that may have otherwise been avoided. That includes a shooting at Red Square on Church Street in August 2024, where one man was killed.
'I remember hearing about the shooting and thought to myself: 'Will I be safe here?',' said Laurel Papera, a student at Champlain College who had just recently moved into her dorm when the shooting took place. 'No student should have to worry about their safety like that.'
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If the ban question were to pass again and get legislative approval this time around, it would include some exemptions. Law enforcement officers, members of the U.S. Military, and store owners and employees who are authorized to carry would still be allowed to have firearms inside businesses that have liquor licenses.
But like many charter change proposals, this one hasn't come without pushback. Some folks have voiced displeasure with the notion on social media, arguing everyone has the right to bear arms everywhere per The Second Amendment, and per Vermont being a 'constitutional carry' state. Others have also said that in scenarios where criminals who never intended to follow the law break into bars with guns, less people would have means of protecting themselves.
Supporters of the ban acknowledged some of the critiques Thursday, firing back by saying many bar owners and gun owners support the idea too.
'Guns and alcohol do not mix … Many of the responsible gun owners that I know are also aware of that,' said Marek Broderick, a Progressive Burlington City Councilor representing Ward 8. 'So, this is not any type of targeting. I would consider this a very common sense first step in addressing gun violence in the city of Burlington.'
'This is not a partisan issue,' said Nancy Harkins, a member of the Moms Demand Action Vermont chapter. 'The overwhelming majority of Americans recognize the danger of firearms and alcohol.'
Amid the discussion in Burlington, state lawmakers are also pondering a bill that would ban firearms in bars and restaurants across the entire state. H.45 was introduced in the House last month by eight democrats and progressives, all of whom are from Burlington. Since being brought to the House floor, the bill has been on hold in the House Judiciary Committee.
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If you want to hear more of Mayor Mulvaney-Stanak's thoughts on article five as well as some other ballot items, tune into 'What Matters This Week' on Sunday. Lauren Maloney will sit down one-on-one with the mayor to talk about the proposed charter changes and more. The episode airs at 10:00 a.m. on ABC22 News, and 10:30 p.m. on FOX44 News.
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