Dear Senator, Please vote NO on S.141. Multi-billionaire Michael Bloomberg is spending millions of dollars nationwide in order to get some form of gun control passed in the state of Vermont. He has advertised in every major media outlet throughout the country in order to promote false accusations to garner support for the gun control legislation currently coming up on the Senate floor. He has libeled Vermont nationwide, and has also libeled licensed firearms dealers with false accusations of sales to prohibited individuals, resulting in possible legal action against his "Everytown For Gun Safety." He and his Astroturf organization, Gun Sense Vermont, have not been honest about any part of this bill. During a Senate Judiary Committee meeting, a Gun Sense Vermont lobbyist spilled the beans that his lobbying firm, Necrason, had to get "NATIONAL EXPERTISE on this [bill] before we can APPROVE IT!" Video Here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kXRWlBnvSQc This should be the FINAL STRAW in the battle over gun control in Vermont! Gun Sense and their supporters are doing the bidding of OUT-OF-STATE organizations funded by Michael Bloomberg! A statement made by Ann Braden, president of Gun Sense Vermont, indicated they will be back again next year for more legislation including universal background checks. The current bill, S.141, consists of 3 main parts. Felons in possession, Mental Health, and the NH Gun Shop Project. Part 1. You will hear that this bill is going forward because federal prosecutors are not enforcing federal laws, so Vermont prosecutors need this new legislation. Currently, there is a Vermont statute, Title 13, Chapter 85, Section 4005 that states: “While committing a crime, [e]xcept as otherwise provided in 18 V.S.A. § 4253, a person who carries a dangerous or deadly weapon, openly or concealed, while committing a felony shall be imprisoned not more than five years or fined not more than $500.00, or both.” Part 2. There are currently 260 persons in the mental health system which have been adjudicated as a danger to themselves or others. The vast majority of them are not violent. Some of these people are anorexic, diabetics who refuse to take their insulin, or people who cannot take care of themselves. Mental illness is a curable disease and turning their names over to the NICS will not help them get better. Part 3. This section deals with researching the New Hampshire Gun Shop Project as a pro-active concept to help Vermont’s gun owners in times of stress to receive the help they need without stigmatizing them. If this is why you're voting for this bill, rest assured, the sportsmen's groups in Vermont will be implementing a similar program - with or without legislation! Presently, Michael Bloomberg’s political machine and Gun Sense Vermont are cold-calling thousands of people from around the country, soliciting them to send emails to this body asking for passage of this bill. Do you want to vote for an out-of-state billionaire or listen to the people of Vermont? I, and my family, respectfully ask that you vote “NO” on S.141 because there are already laws in effect that deal with these problems and you should never take away someone’s Constitutional rights under Article 16 of the Vermont Constitution. Respectfully yours,