It has been a busy week for Maine’s anti-gun politicians. From releasing a new bill that would implement Universal Background Checks and Red Flag laws in Maine, to Rep. Jared Golden (ME-02) pushing for a gun registry in Maine, to writing an official legislative letter pushing gun retailers to stop selling modern sporting rifles, it has been a whirlwind of a week for lawmakers looking to strip you of your Second Amendment rights. Here is everything you need to know about what happened in Augusta this week, and why you need to act immediately.
Governor Mills Releases Gun-Control Proposal.
On Wednesday, Governor Janet Mills and legislative Democrats released their sweeping gun-control bill, LD 2224, “An Act to Strengthen Public Safety by Improving Maine's Firearm Laws and Mental Health System.” This bill includes a slew of anti-gun policies including Universal Background Checks and Red Flag laws that infringe on the Constitutional rights of Mainers and do nothing to address issues surrounding the recent tragedy in Lewiston.
Universal Background Checks
If passed, LD 2224 would require a NICS background check on all “advertised sales” in Maine, regardless of the relationship between the buyer and seller. In her State of the State address, Governor Mills highlighted that she would be proposing Universal Background Checks to “close the gun show loophole” and stop Mainers from buying firearms off Facebook. First and foremost, there is no gun-show loophole. All purchases through Federal Firearms Licensees (FFLs) are required to go through background checks regardless of location or where the sale takes place. Additionally, Facebook already bans firearm sales on their website, highlighting a further misunderstanding of firearm sales by the Mills administration. Additionally, this bill puts Mainers at risk of becoming felons for the simple act of transferring a firearm to a family member, friend, or neighbor.
As Mainers already know, the Universal Background Check scheme only impacts law-abiding Mainers from selling and transferring firearms to individuals they already know are not prohibited. Criminals will ignore this law and continue to obtain firearms illegally. That is why they shot down Mike Bloomberg’s million-dollar Universal Background Check scheme in 2016, and bipartisan lawmakers vote this perennial bill down every time it comes to the floor. Despite these rejections, and the fact that the Lewiston shooter passed all background checks, anti-gun advocates are once again attempting to push this national agenda in Maine.
Red Flag Laws
In addition to proposing failed Universal Background Checks, LD 2224 also seeks to expand Maine’s current Yellow Flag law to Red Flag “Extreme Risk Protection Order” laws. These laws strip citizens of their Second Amendment rights without due process based on weak and nebulous standards. If passed, Maine’s Red Flag law could strip Mainers of their Constitutional rights for up to 30 days without a hearing and evidence based on hearsay. It does not include any penalties for erroneous accusations, allowing for an open season against gun owners in Maine.
Jared Golden’s Rebuttal? Require NFA Tax Stamp for Commonly Owned Semi-Automatic Firearms.
Janet Mills’ gun-control bill isn’t only opposed by gun-rights groups like the NRA, it is also opposed by anti-gun politicians like Rep. Jared Golden (ME-02) who believe that the proposed legislation is too extreme. That’s right, the same federal lawmaker who proposed an assault weapons ban, believes that the governor’s bill goes too far. Instead, he believes the state should implement a gun-registry and tax scheme that would require law-abiding Mainers to obtain a NFA tax-stamp before possessing commonly owned firearms. If implemented, Jared Golden would require you to pay $200 dollars, endure the most intrusive background check, and be placed on a government registry for the simple act of owning common firearms. The NRA opposes the expansion of the NFA tax-stamp and creation of illegal gun registries.
Lawmakers Call on Gun Retailers to Stop Selling “Military Style” Weapons.
It appears that proposing an extreme gun-control package was not enough to appease gun-grabbing lawmakers in Augusta. In an official letter sent to gun retailers, Kittery Trading Post and Cabela’s, over 40 lawmakers requested that these private businesses stop selling “military style” weapons. While these lawmakers provide no definition of “military style” they do clarify that they would like these long-standing businesses to stop selling semi-automatic weapons. This gross overstep by lawmakers is just the latest example of the rabid push to strip Mainers of their Second Amendment rights.
This alone wasn’t enough for these lawmakers though, and they wrote an official legislative letter to proud outdoor retailers Kittery Trading Post and Cabela's calling on them to stop selling semi-automatic firearms. This gross abuse of power must not go unchecked. Sign your name below and tell these lawmakers that you stand with Kittery Trading Post, Cabela's, and all Maine gun retailers!
As seen this week, anti-gun groups and their allies in the State House will leave no stone unturned to pass gun control in Maine. If you want to save the Second Amendment in Maine, you NEED to contact your lawmakers now and tell them to oppose any bills that will infringe on the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding gun owners.
Please stay tuned to the NRA-ILA website and your inbox for future updates on all gun-related legislation in the Pine Tree State.
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