Sen. Leahy discusses a big week in Washington - WCAX.COM Local Vermont News, Weather and Sports-

Sen. Leahy discusses a big week in Washington

Posted: Updated:
By Kristin Kelly - bio | email
BURLINGTON, Vt. -

A big week in Washington could have big impacts here.

Gun control is taking center stage on Capitol Hill following the school shootings in Connecticut. The president announced his support for renewing the assault weapons ban.

And gun dealers here say Vermonters rushed to buy.

"People are fearful they will not be able to get one down the road," Jim Dattilio of Dattilio's Guns and Tackle told us Tuesday.

Sales of semiautomatics are soaring here and across the country.

And there was news Wednesday that Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vermont, will stay put as chair of the Judiciary Committee overseeing gun control legislation. He turned down the chance to chair the powerful Appropriations Committee a day after being sworn in as the new president pro tem of the Senate. Leahy succeeds his longtime friend and colleague, Hawaii Senator Daniel Inouye, who passed away. Inouye had also chaired the Appropriations Committee.

Senator Leahy also now has the most seniority in the Senate. He joined us from Washington Thursday night on the Channel 3 News at 6 p.m. to discuss these events. Watch the video for more.

  • Local News

  • Friday, May 24 2013 11:30 PM EDT2013-05-25 03:30:10 GMT
    A hole in the road closed one of the routes into Canada Friday.State Police say Route 5 in Derby Line is closed near Caswell Avenue because of a hole in the pavement just a couple of feet over the line
    A hole in the road closed one of the routes into Canada Friday.

  • Friday, May 24 2013 7:17 PM EDT2013-05-24 23:17:06 GMT
    It was a storm that left residents with more damage than they could have ever imagined. "The basement has about 13 inches of water," said Bob Genter of Underhill. And preparing for the aftermath of the
    Flash floods left destruction across the region. And the rain is not over. Heavy downpours left some people trapped in their neighborhoods as emergency crews work to try to clear the roads.

  • Friday, May 24 2013 7:54 PM EDT2013-05-24 23:54:18 GMT
    Vermont State Police say the following roads have been closed due to flooding:UNDERHILL: VERMONT ROUTE 15, CILLEYHILL POKER HILL ROAD NORTH UNDERHILL STATION ROAD PAIGE ROAD DAUDLIN ROAD   BROWNS TRACE,
    Roads closed due to flash floods.

  • Friday, May 24 2013 7:20 PM EDT2013-05-24 23:20:50 GMT
    As the cleanup gets underway from Thursday night's flash flooding, the focus shifts now to the broader impacts of rising rivers from around the region. All the rain so far and more to come is running into
    All the rain is running into larger streams and rivers that are moving rapidly toward flood stage.

  • Friday, May 24 2013 12:44 PM EDT2013-05-24 16:44:50 GMT
    Heavy rains have caused more flooding problems around our region, and the situation could get worse as the rain continues to fall over the holiday weekend. So far, the impact has mainly been seen in road
    Heavy rains have caused more flooding problems around our region, and the situation could get worse as the rain continues to fall over the holiday weekend.

  • Friday, May 24 2013 9:51 AM EDT2013-05-24 13:51:55 GMT
    Over the river and throught the woods isn't just the way to grandma's house, its the way a lot of people are having to travel just to make it to their front door. Dormant brooks and sleepy streams turned
    Strong rains Thursday flooded roads in Essex.

  • Friday, May 24 2013 7:25 PM EDT2013-05-24 23:25:14 GMT
    A rainy Vermont City Marathon forecast isn't slowing down runners or organizers. "Well, we're going to make some liquid sunshine out of all of this rain. That's the only choice we've got right now," said
    The countdown is on to this weekend's Vermont City Marathon and final preps are underway. Those finishing touches are coming in the rain, but organizers say the weather isn't slowing things down.

  • Friday, May 24 2013 7:35 PM EDT2013-05-24 23:35:15 GMT
    The bad weather has forced the postponement of the annual Memorial Day parade in Essex. The parade is held annually on the Saturday morning of the holiday weekend. But after all the rain and flooding damage
    The bad weather has forced the postponement of the annual Memorial Day parade in Essex.
Powered by WorldNow

News

Weather

Featured

Quick Links

WCAX-TV

PO Box 4508
Burlington, VT 05406-4508
Primary Phone: 802-652-6300
Primary email: channel3@wcax.com

All content © Copyright 2000 - 2013 WorldNow and WCAX. All Rights Reserved. For more information on this site, please read our Privacy Policy and Terms of Service.