On Thursday, May 22nd, the Joint Standing Committee on Judiciary held work sessions and votes on four gun-related bills. Thanks to the continued advocacy of NRA members, anti-gun bill LD 1743, which allows municipalities in Maine to implement their own gun-free zones, received bipartisan opposition. Additionally, LD 1867, which seeks to protect firearm purchasers' privacy, received bipartisan support. Both of these bills now head to the floor of the Senate and House of Representatives for votes.
NRA members and Second Amendment advocates are urged to contact lawmakers NOW and encourage them to OPPOSE all anti-gun measures and SUPPORT all pro-gun bills. To contact lawmakers, click the TAKE ACTION button below.
Anti-Gun Bill
LD 1743 seeks to implement roving gun-free zones throughout Maine by allowing municipalities to ban firearms within their municipal buildings, municipal meetings, and voting places. If passed, this law would violate Maine's longstanding preemption laws and disarm and disenfranchise law-abiding gun owners. These bans could apply to all municipally owned properties, meetings, and polling places, including ballot drop boxes. Passing this bill would create a confusing patchwork of firearm laws throughout Maine, entrapping otherwise law-abiding gun owners. A partisan majority of the committee voted "Ought to Pass," while a bipartisan coalition voted "Ought Not to Pass." This bill now heads to the House of Representatives for a floor vote.
Pro-Gun Bills
LD 1867 prohibits the assigning of a specific merchant category code to the sale of firearms, ammunition, or firearm accessories, and provides a civil penalty for violations. Introduced by leading pro-gun lawmaker Senator Matt Harrington (R-York), this critical legislation protects gun owners' privacy. In addition, it ensures that bad actors cannot use credit and debit card transactions to create a gun registry or block cardholders from making gun-related purchases. A partisan majority of the committee voted "Ought not to Pass," while a bipartisan coalition voted "Ought to Pass." This bill now heads to the Senate floor for a vote.
LD 208 and LD 1230 seek to repeal Maine's 72-hour waiting period law. Maine's current waiting period law, which was passed by only one vote through the exploitation of an obscure Senate rule, has been mired in controversy. After going into law without Governor Mills' signature, state-level gun rights groups Gun Owners of Maine and the Sportsman's Alliance of Maine challenged the law in federal court. Citing constitutional concerns, a preliminary injunction was ordered, and subsequent appeals by the State have been unsuccessful. These bills were tabled as anti-gun politicians requested a carryover of one bill and the unanimous "ought not to pass" of the other. Pro-gun lawmakers refused to vote against the repeal of Maine's unconstitutional waiting period law, and the Chairs tabled both bills. These bills will have another work session in the coming weeks.
Please stay tuned to the NRA-ILA website and your inbox for updates as this legislative session progresses.
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