Office of Lt. Governor David Zuckerman
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 23rd, 2023
Contact
Lisa Gerlach
Chief of Staff, Office of the Lt. Governor
(802) 636-7047
Lisa.gerlach@vermont.gov
NEWS: Lt. Governor David Zuckerman to attend Gun Violence Prevention Policy Summit in Washington, D.C.
MONTPELIER, Vt: This Wednesday, October 24th, Vermont Lt. Governor David Zuckerman will join Democratic Lt. Governors from across the country to discuss policy solutions to the gun violence epidemic. The Lt. Governors, alongside leading gun violence prevention groups like Everytown for Gun Safety, March For Our Lives, GIFFORDS, and the American Federation of Teachers, will meet in Washington D.C. for a one-day summit to discuss best practices on how to reduce gun violence and create safer communities.
“I am honored to be attending this summit with my fellow Lt. Governors, joining organizations that represent mothers, children, teachers and others affected by gun violence, who are dedicated to finding real solutions to the gun violence epidemic in our country,” said Lt. Gov. Zuckerman. “In Vermont, we’ve felt the effects of the epidemic that has claimed the lives of far too many. Earlier this month, Honoree Fleming, a 77-year-old retired dean from Castleton University, was shot while hiking near the campus where she used to work. Gunnar Watson, a 27-year-old member of the Vermont National Guard, was shot in his home in Wheelock just days ago. These are only two of the many tragic and preventable deaths that our communities have had to deal with.
“Our state’s legislature has put in a lot of work to enact common-sense gun safety laws over the past several years. We have successfully banned high-capacity magazines, raised the minimum age to purchase a firearm to 21, implemented mandatory background checks for all gun sales, and prohibited individuals with domestic violence-related or stalking-related restraining orders from possessing a firearm. Just this year, I presided over the State Senate as we passed a suicide prevention bill that encourages secure storage of firearms and implements a 3-day waiting period between purchase and transfer of new firearms. In Vermont, over 88% of suicides involve the use of firearms, a rate far higher than the national average. The provisions in Act 45 will help to reduce that number greatly. I am proud of the work we have done, but it is clear there is more we can do to prevent tragedies like the deaths of Gunnar and Honoree.
“I look forward to learning more at this summit and bringing new ideas back to Vermont to reduce the unnecessary deaths inflicted by the use of firearms.”
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