Maine: Democrats Advance Sweeping Gun Control Package

Earlier this week, Democrats on the Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee advanced several extreme gun control initiatives, despite Maine’s reputation as the safest state in the country. Ignoring numerous calls from gun-owners, advocates, and fellow lawmakers about the implications of these extreme bills, Democratic members pushed through these initiatives with party-line votes. Both the House and the Senate will vote on these proposals in the coming weeks.

Please click the take action button below to contact your senator and representative and ask them to OPPOSE this extreme gun control agenda. In addition to emailing your state senator and representative, please consider calling and asking them to OPPOSE this sweeping gun control agenda. You can find their contact information by clicking this link.

Below are just a few of the extreme bills these members advanced this week in committee, with more dangerous anti-gun bills coming soon:

LD 22 is an overly broad bill that puts Maine out of alignment with federal law regarding the sale of antique firearms. This bill classifies antiques in the same class as all other firearms, resulting in a conflict with how these sales are processed.

LD 60 delays Second Amendment rights by imposing a three-day waiting period before an individual may receive a firearm that they lawfully purchase, with limited exemptions. There is no evidence that waiting periods reduce violent crime. Instead, this simply denies someone the ability to buy a firearm for urgent self-defense.

LD 168 requires background checks for all private sales of firearms, including those at gun shows or resulting from advertising, with very limited exceptions. It applies to a private sale between two parties – including friends, neighbors, and coworkers, regardless of where the sale takes place. All such transfers – even if the seller knows the recipient is not a prohibited person – would have to be conducted through a federal firearm licensed dealer (FFL), with extensive federal paperwork, payment of an undetermined fee, and approval from the U.S. government.

LD 1011 requires law abiding gun owners who are victims of theft, to report the stolen firearm within 72 hours of when the owner knew or “should have known” it was lost or stolen. Rather than deter fraudulent gun sales, this bill would turn victims of gun theft into criminals and make people whose guns have been lost or stolen, hesitant to assist police for fear of prosecution.

LD 1340 bans legal “rapid-fire modification devices” that are already commonly owned and in use by Mainers. These devices include, but are not limited to, bump stocks and binary triggers that are used in a wide array of legal activities, including competitive and recreational shooting. Possession of such devices would be a Class D crime.

Again, please contact lawmakers and urge them to oppose all anti-gun measures and support all measures that protect your Second Amendment rights.