BURLINGTON, Vt. -
Today Vice President Joe Biden was named head of the search for new gun laws. While some believe changes to gun control would infringe on the second amendment right to possess a weapon, top officials say new laws need to be considered in the wake of the Sandy Hook massacre.
"That's why I've asked the Vice President to lead an effort that includes members of my cabinet and outside organizations to come up with a set of concrete proposals no later than January, proposals that I then intend to push without delay," President Barack Obama said.
And while the conversation is starting at the national level, state law-makers will likely follow suit. Whether Vermont, a heavily populated hunting state will match the new policy is unknown.
But one political expert says this tragedy will no doubt lead to change.
Millions of people all across the nation say the fact that it was children who lost their lives simply demands gun control reform.
The Sandy Hook Elementary School shooter had enough ammunition on him to kill every single child. One of the guns Adam Lanza used was a semi-automatic assault rifle.
"You cannot get away from the fact that there were eleven bullets found in one child," Political Expert Garrison Nelson said.
And because of that horrific image, the conversation around high powered assault rifles that are capable of firing multiple rounds has begun nationally. Vermont's leaders expressed their condolences to the Connecticut families, but haven't made suggestions on gun control.
"It's going to be a serious conflictual issue for Northern New England members of Congress to deal with the gun control issue because there are the kinds of gun owners who use it for hunting, as opposed to assault weapons which are basically used for killing," Nelson said.
And while a lot of people don't want any restrictions on the right to bear arms, Nelson says even hunters could get on board with a ban on assault rifles and high capacity magazines.
"There's no one who's going to want to eat a deer that's got 20 bullets in it," Nelson added.
For ten years, assault rifles were banned. That legislation expired in 2004; under the Bush Administration. Nelson says it will likely be reinstated.
"We know that the traffic of weapons will go underground with federal legislation but we have to start somewhere," he said.
The state may also look into strengthening background checks for people looking to purchase a gun.
The National Rifle Association is expected to make a statement Friday. The organization says it will make meaningful contributions to help make sure this never happens again.
