Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee Recommends “Ought Not to Pass”
Yesterday, the Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee recommended that LD814 and LD985 “ought not to pass.” These bills would effectively dismantle gun shows as well as ban the private sale of firearms inLD814, sponsored by State Representative Anna Blodgett (D-56), requires that a National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) check be performed by a federally licensed gun dealer prior to the sale or transfer of a firearm at a gun show. If passed, gun show promoters would be responsible for any failure to perform the required background check and would be subject to a fine of up to $10,000 for each occurrence. LD814 also requires gun show operators to post signs notifying attendees of the background check requirement. Gun owners selling an occasional firearm must be provided access to licensed dealers to perform the required background checks.
LD985, introduced by State Senator Nancy Sullivan (D-4) would require that a federally licensed firearms dealer facilitate all sales, transfers, and loans of firearms. This would mean that you would have to pass a background check before borrowing a gun to go hunting or target shooting. Dealers could subject these transactions to a fee that cannot exceed $10.
In fact, a federally licensed collector would be restricted from selling or transferring firearms at a gun show or by private sale under these proposals.
While this development is a solid step towards defeating LD814 and LD985, the bills still pose a threat. Please continue checking your email and www.NRAILA.org for updates.