Keep Fireworks Legal in Vermont
Donation protected
This fund raiser is for legal funds needed to keep fireworks legal in Vermont as intended by the legislators when they wrote VSA 20 Chapter 177 Section 3132. Green Mountain Fireworks has all permits from the town of Colchester, the State of Vermont, and the Federal Government that are possible to acquire.
Green Mountain Fireworks (GMF) inquired with the Colchester permitting authority which Colchester permits were needed to operate a fireworks retail store in the municipality. GMF applied for and received all permits listed.
GMF was inspected by the municipality and was given a certificate of occupancy and a permit for general retail use. GMF also received a permit of occupancy from the State Fire Marshal. Finally, GMF has a type 53 -Dealer of Explosives License from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF).
The Colchester Police and the Chittenden County State Attorney, have taken an understanding of VSA 20 that is hard to logically follow. In a nut shell the ATF license does not specify consumer fireworks as the ATF does not regulate consumer fireworks. VSA 20 simply states that an entity must possess and ATF license and does not specify which ATF license. They are reading VSA 20 to state that an entity must have a specific license from the ATF to sell consumer fireworks. This is illogical because VSA 20 does not specify which type of ATF permit an entiry must have and how can the state legally require an entity to obtain a permit that does not exist. If the state truly wished retail sales of consumer fireworks to be illegal they would have written it in plain language.
This case will be heard on June 25th, 2018, the final decision is likely to set precedence. If Green Mountain Fireworks loses this case it could very well mean that retail sales of consumer fireworks will be deemed illegal in Vermont.
Thank you for your donation. Every bit helps protect the rights of Vermonters to have access to retail fireworks right here in Vermont.
Green Mountain Fireworks (GMF) inquired with the Colchester permitting authority which Colchester permits were needed to operate a fireworks retail store in the municipality. GMF applied for and received all permits listed.
GMF was inspected by the municipality and was given a certificate of occupancy and a permit for general retail use. GMF also received a permit of occupancy from the State Fire Marshal. Finally, GMF has a type 53 -Dealer of Explosives License from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF).
The Colchester Police and the Chittenden County State Attorney, have taken an understanding of VSA 20 that is hard to logically follow. In a nut shell the ATF license does not specify consumer fireworks as the ATF does not regulate consumer fireworks. VSA 20 simply states that an entity must possess and ATF license and does not specify which ATF license. They are reading VSA 20 to state that an entity must have a specific license from the ATF to sell consumer fireworks. This is illogical because VSA 20 does not specify which type of ATF permit an entiry must have and how can the state legally require an entity to obtain a permit that does not exist. If the state truly wished retail sales of consumer fireworks to be illegal they would have written it in plain language.
This case will be heard on June 25th, 2018, the final decision is likely to set precedence. If Green Mountain Fireworks loses this case it could very well mean that retail sales of consumer fireworks will be deemed illegal in Vermont.
Thank you for your donation. Every bit helps protect the rights of Vermonters to have access to retail fireworks right here in Vermont.
Organizer
Matthew Lavigne
Organizer
Colchester, VT