Around New England

Pro-Gun Voter Calls Vermont’s Phil Scott ‘Governor Benedict Arnold’

March 9, 2018

Vermont Governor Phil Scott, a Republican, is supporting gun control bills in the state legislature after running as a pro-gun candidate.

The governor says the Florida mass-shooting last month and especially a recent near-miss in Fair Haven, Vermont have changed his mind.

Several legislators got an earful from voters at a town hall meeting in Milton, Vermont earlier this week, including from Lee Morgan, who according to Seven Days referred to Scott as “Governor Benedict Arnold.”

Another man recalled days when high school students in Vermont would bring their deer rifles to school, and he noted that Scott doesn’t have to worry about defending himself because he is accompanied by an armed body guard wherever he goes.

While most of the crowd opposed gun-control legislation, a high school senior supported it.

“That’s not fair to me, that because you guys want an AR-15, I’ve gotta die?” the student said, according to Seven Days.

The legislators included the House Speaker and minority leader. The legislators refused to state their positions on guns, saying the gathering was a listening session for them.

Vermont has traditionally been one of the most gun-friendly states in the nation.