Gubs in Vermont

Rico says his friend Bob Leone sends along this about Vermont:

Vermont state representative Fred Maslack has read the Second Amendment, as well as Vermont's own Constitution, very carefully, and his strict interpretation of these documents is popping some eyeballs in New England and elsewhere. Maslack recently proposed a bill to register non-gun-owners and require them to pay a fee to the state. Vermont would thus become the first state to require a permit for the luxury of going about unarmed, and assess a fee of $500 for the privilege of not owning a gun.
Maslack read the "militia" phrase of the Second Amendment as not only the right of the individual citizen to bear arms, but as a clear mandate to do so. He believes that universal gun ownership was advocated by the Framers of the Constitution as an antidote to a "monopoly of force" by the government, as well as criminals. Vermont's constitution states explicitly that "the pe ople have a right to bear arms for the defense of themselves and the State" and those persons who are "conscientiously scrupulous of bearing arms" shall be required to "pay such equivalent". Clearly, says Maslack, Vermonters have a constitutional obligation to arm themselves, so that they are capable of responding to "any situation that may arise".
Under the bill, adults who choose not to own a firearm would be required to register their name, address, Social Security Number, and driver's license number with the state. "There is a legitimate government interest in knowing who is not prepared to defend the state should they be asked to do so," Maslack says.
Vermont already boasts a high rate of gun ownership, along with the least restrictive laws of any state; it's currently the only state that allows a citizen to carry a concealed firearm without a permit. This combination of plenty of guns and few laws regulating them has resulted in a crime rate that is the second lowest in the nation.

Rico says this'll never pass, but it'll raise the hackles on the anti-gub people, fer sure... The lowest crime rate? Turns out (not a huge surprise) to be New Hampshire, followed by Vermont and Maine, according to this site.