Vermont’s governor says recent mass shootings have not altered his stance on gun control. And Peter Shumlin says the events in San Bernardino, California, have only cemented his opposition to state-based restrictions on gun ownership.
“If you have a ban in one state and you don’t have one in the other, then these crazies go and get their weapons in the other,” Shumlin said Thursday. "So you need a 50-state solution."
The semi-automatic rifles used in the shooting that killed 14 and wounded 21 on Wednesday were obtained legally, despite California gun laws that are "widely regarded as among the strictest in the country," according to The New York Times.
Shumlin has opposed efforts in Vermont to mandate universal background checks for all gun sales, including those at gun shows or over the Internet. Shumlin says he supports gun control legislation. But he says only Congress has the capacity to impose meaningful reform.
Earlier this year, Vermont lawmakers approved legislation that makes it illegal under state law for certain felons to own firearms.
