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It's Our State House, Not The Legislator's State Senator John Campbell has introduced S.338, a bill that would ban citizens from possessing a "weapon" in the Vermont State House. Vermont is year after year one of very safest states in the nation. The Vermont State House belongs to Vermonters, and not the people elected to office. In introducing this bill, Senator Campbell has taken the public position that Vermonters are not to be trusted with "weapons" in the building that is in reality the house of the people of Vermont. If Vermonters cannot be trusted with "weapons" in the house of the people, certainly they cannot be trusted with "weapons" elsewhere. The bill is based upon a caste system of the legislators being of a higher order, above the citizens the legislators serve. This bill reflects Senator Campbell's terrible misunderstanding of the longstanding relationship between Vermont's citizens and the elected officials granted the privilege of public service. The bill, S.338, is shown below. BILL AS INTRODUCED 2007-2008 S.338 Introduced by Senator Campbell of Windsor District Referred to Committee on Date: Subject: Crimes; weapons; state house Statement of purpose: This bill proposes to restrict the possession of weapons in the state house to those that are authorized officially. AN ACT RELATING TO RESTRICTING WEAPONS IN THE STATE HOUSE It is hereby enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Vermont: Sec. 1. 13 V.S.A. § 4016 is amended to read: § 4016. WEAPONS IN COURT AND THE STATE HOUSE (a) As used in this section: (1) "Courthouse" means a building or any portion of a building designated by the supreme court of Vermont as a courthouse. (2) "Dangerous or deadly weapon" means any firearm, or other weapon, device, instrument, material, or substance, whether animate or inanimate, which in the manner it is used or is intended to be used is known to be capable of producing death or serious bodily injury. (3) "Firearm" means any weapon, whether loaded or unloaded, which will expel a projectile by the action of an explosive and includes any weapon commonly referred to as a pistol, revolver, rifle, gun, machine gun, or shotgun. (4) "Law enforcement officer" means a person certified by the Vermont criminal justice training council as having satisfactorily completed the approved training programs required to meet the minimum training standards applicable to that person pursuant to 20 V.S.A. § 2358. (5) "Secured building" means a building with controlled points of public access, metal screening devices at each point of public access, and locked compartments, accessible only to security personnel, for storage of checked firearms. (6) “State house” means the state capitol building in Montpelier. (b) A person who, while within a courthouse and without authorization from the court, or within the state house and without official authorization: (1) carries or has in his or her possession a firearm; or (2) knowingly carries or has in his or her possession a dangerous or deadly weapon, other than a firearm, shall be imprisoned not more than one year or fined not more than $500.00, or both. (c) Notice of the provisions of subsection (b) of this section shall be posted conspicuously at each every public entrance to each courthouse and the state house. (d) No dangerous or deadly weapon shall be allowed in a courthouse that has been certified by the court administrator to be a secured building.