MONTPELIER – In a curious moment for Vermont politics, Governor Phil Scott has accidentally vetoed a bill on an issue that he has pushed for over the past year, while signing one of the Democrats’ biggest initiatives. The governor signed H.57, which cements abortion as fully legal in the state, and which was one of the only things the Democrats managed to accomplish this session, while vetoing S.169, the handgun waiting period bill.
“Obviously we were surprised,” said House Speaker Mitzi Johnson (D-South Hero). “We really didn’t think he was going to sign the abortion safeguards, as they don’t really do anything, but it’s definitely a win for us. Why he vetoed the gun bill after pushing for it for so long is beyond me. I guess we should have scheduled a veto override session after all. Oh well. Maybe we can talk about it in January, along with everything else we were supposed to get done in 2019.”
The governor’s office described the actions as a “simple mix-up,” and noted Gov. Scott’s continued resolve to pass common-sense gun safety legislation.
“I was just so excited to veto something,” Gov. Scott said, shaking his head. “They hardly ever let me do it anymore. But why would they hand me two bills at once? It’s confusing. They all kind of look the same when they’re sitting on your desk.”
Going forward, the governor has pledged to be a “one-bill-at-a-time kinda guy,” and hopes the legislature will continue to work towards firearm safety. In the meantime, the spin doctors in Montpelier are planning to issue a press release claiming that there was no confusion, and that the governor does not believe forcing suicidal persons to wait 24-hours before purchasing a handgun would in any way save lives, and that we should instead focus on improved mental health through lower taxes for small businesses.
Image Credits: VTDigger.
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