The Vermont Senate Thursday afternoon gave its preliminary approval to a Burlington charter change that bans guns in businesses that serve alcohol.
The 17-12 vote was along party lines: All of the Democrats voted for it, and only Republicans voted against it.
Chittenden Sen. Tanya Vyhovsky urged her colleagues to support the bill.
"To be clear, this is not about taking people's guns away," Vyhovsky said. "This is about public safety and preventing predictable tragedies, just like we don't allow open flames at gas stations or drunk driving on our roads."
But Grand Isle Sen. Pat Brennan, who said he often carries a firearm at night when he visits Burlington, argued the proposal would make people less safe.
"I think we're creating a soft target, you know," Brennan said, "we've seen many school shootings 鈥� they're horrible, they're horrific, but this is adding another soft target to the list."
The measure is scheduled to come up for final approval in the Senate on Friday. If it passes, it will then be considered by the House.
