Governor Paul LePage (R) announced today that he has signed Legislative Document 1572 into law. This law will help ensure nondiscrimination against gun owners who reside in public housing. LD 1572 will go into effect 90 days after the Maine Legislature adjourns.
LD 1572, sponsored by Senator Andre Cushing (R-Penobscot), would prevent public housing authorities from adding provisions in rental agreements to ban the lawful ownership, use, possession, bearing or transportation of firearms by tenants. Law-abiding gun owners should not be denied the right to Keep and Bear Arms, regardless of their economic status or street address.
LD 1572 was introduced after Harvey Lembo, a Maine resident who lives in an affordable housing community, filed a lawsuit against his landlord who threatened to evict him for lawfully possessing and using his firearm for self-defense purposes. Since moving to his apartment in 2009, Lembo’s home had been burglarized five times. On August 31, 2015, Lembo decided to purchase a firearm for protection, and less than 24 hours later, he used that firearm to defend himself during a home invasion. Following this incident, Lembo’s landlord forced him to decide what was more important: affordable housing or his right to self-defense.
Law-abiding gun owners should not be denied the right to Keep and Bear Arms, regardless of their economic status or street address.
Please contact the legislators who supported this critical bill and thank them for defending your Right to Keep and Bear Arms regardless of economic status and street address. Your NRA-ILA would especially like to thank the bill sponsor, Senator Andre Cushing, Governor LePage and everyone who reached out to their legislators in support of this bill.
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