On Thursday, April 3rd, the Joint Standing Committee on Judiciary held work sessions on several gun-related bills. The committee, led by Maine's leading anti-gun politician Senator Anne Carney (D-Cumberland), was unable to secure the votes necessary to pass favorable reports on several high-profile gun control bills. This included a majority "Ought Not to Pass" vote on LD 1109 (10-round magazine ban), and the tabling of LD 677 (machine gun redefinition) and LD 1126 (so-called "Ghost Gun bill"). While these actions are a major blow to these bills, the fight is far from over. NRA members and Second Amendment supporters are urged to contact committee members NOW and encourage them to vote "Ought Not to Pass" on both tabled anti-gun bills. To contact committee members NOW, click the TAKE ACTION button below.
LD 677 introduced by leading gun-grabbing politician Sen. Anne Carney, creates a backdoor ban on commonly owned firearm parts by redefining a “machine gun” to include any semi-automatic firearm that includes parts that can “increase the rate of fire.” This poorly written bill attempts to sneak a so-called “rapid-fire modification ban” past Mainers in a bill completely unrelated to firearm parts. This legislation is so broad it could implicate a variety of firearm parts and aftermarket triggers. Additionally, commonly performed trigger modifications used in a wide array of legal activities, including shooting sports, hunting and self-defense could make an otherwise law-abiding individual susceptible to legal liability.
LD 1126, progressive politicians' so-called "ghost gun bill," redefines firearms under Maine law to include both finished and unfinished receivers. This definition change also explicitly requires that all finished and unfinished frames, receivers, and homemade firearms must be serialized at an FFL. In addition to these new regulations, all "undetectable" firearms will be banned. This would hinder law-abiding Mainers' ability to build and repair firearms in their homes and require them to obtain expensive serialization on firearms and firearm parts. This "ghost gun" scheme does not address criminal activity in Maine. Instead, it serves a national agenda to ban homemade firearms, which have been part of our nation's history since its inception.
LD 1109 seeks to outlaw standard capacity magazines in Maine. Introduced by Portland progressive Rep. Matthew Beck (D-Portland), would ban the possession, sale, manufacture, or transfer of magazines that exceed 10 rounds. A recent National Shooting Sports Foundation study found that nearly 1 billion detachable magazines are currently in circulation for both rifles and pistols. Due to the massive volume of standard-capacity magazines in circulation, criminals will continue to have unfettered access to such magazines, while law-abiding citizens will be restricted to low-capacity carrying capabilities. This bill received a bipartisan "Ought Not to Pass" report out of committee and now heads to the floor of the House of Representatives for a vote.
Additionally, the committee held work sessions on several pro-gun bills. Unfortunately, all bills received an "Ought Not to Pass" report out of committee. These bills now head to the House of Representatives for a vote.
LD 829 removes the necessity of holding a concealed carry permit to carry firearms in Maine State Parks. The requirement to obtain such a permit is out of step with the rest of Maine, where Mainers can freely exercise their Second Amendment rights without first obtaining permission from the government. If passed, this bill would standardize Maine's carry laws, ensuring that individuals can defend themselves in the vast Maine wilderness without obtaining a concealed carry permit.
LD 424 would lower the age for concealed carry from 21 to 18. Arbitrary age limits should not block law-abiding individuals' Second Amendment rights. Individuals in this age range are recognized as adults who can vote or join military service yet are unable to exercise their constitutional rights.
LD 998 ensures employers cannot prohibit employees from storing firearms in their vehicles, with exemptions for sensitive and secure places. By arbitrarily blocking employees from storing firearms in their vehicles, employers are disarming employees throughout the day as they travel to and from work and subsequent travel throughout the day.
More Like This From Around The NRA
