Burlington voters approve charter change to ban guns from bars

By Jackson Stoever

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    BURLINGTON, Vermont (WPTZ) — Voters in Burlington voted to overwhelmingly ban firearms from any location that sells liquor throughout the city.

The charter change was approved by more than 8,000 voters, according to the unofficial results, with about 1,200 voters choosing to say no to the proposed change.

City Council President Ben Traverse told NBC5 that he had hoped the vote would pan out this way.

“This isn’t a red state, blue state issue. States like Texas, Kentucky, Louisiana … states like New York and other blue states too recognize that guns and alcohol do not mix,” Traverse said. “I think this is something Vermont should take on as a statewide basis.”

The charter change does have exemptions, as anyone in the United States Armed Forces as well as members of the Vermont National Guard and other government officers will be exempt from the law.

The amendment still needs to be approved by the Vermont Legislature.

The city tried to push through a similar change back in 2014, but it stalled in the State House.

This time around, Burlington city leaders have been pushing for stricter laws after the city saw multiple shootings over the last few years. Most recently, there was a deadly incident in front of the nightclub Red Square, where 30-year-old Teville Williams was shot and killed.

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