The 132nd legislative session brought an unprecedented number of firearm bills in Maine. After being handed a significant defeat in federal court over Maine's unconstitutional 72-hour waiting period law, progressive Portland politicians doubled down on their gun control agenda and submitted dozens of extreme anti-gun bills. Despite this barrage of gun-grabbing legislation, NRA members and Second Amendment advocates successfully engaged and helped defeat nearly all gun control bills and passed critical pro-gun legislation. The NRA and its members thank the large bipartisan coalition of pro-gun lawmakers who stood up to progressive pressure and ensured the rights of Mainers remained protected.
A list of bills of interest can be found below.
Passed 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. This bill has passed both chambers and is now on the "Special Appropriations Table," where it will require allocation of funding to proceed to Governor Mills' desk.
LD 1322 directs the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife to expand youth hunting seasons and outreach initiatives to increase youth participation in hunting. This bill, sponsored by Rep. Tiffany Roberts (D-South Berwick), has been signed into law by Governor Janet Mills.
LD 1174 grants federal firearm licensees (FFL) liability protections when entering into voluntary firearm hold agreements with veterans and first responders. These liability protections will increase the participation of FFLs assisting those in need during a time of crisis. This bill, sponsored by Rep. Stephen Wood (R-Greene), has been signed into law by Governor Janet Mills.
Defeated Anti-Gun Bills
LD 677 introduced by leading gun-grabbing politician Sen. Anne Carney, would have created 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.”
LD 1109 sought to outlaw standard capacity magazines in Maine. Introduced by Portland progressive Rep. Matthew Beck (D-Portland), the bill would have banned the possession, sale, manufacture, or transfer of magazines that exceed 10 rounds.
LD 1743 sought 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 have violated Maine's longstanding preemption laws and disarmed and disenfranchised law-abiding gun owners.
LD 1120 and LD 1299 sought to implement "safe storage” laws aimed at implementing a top-down government mandate telling you how to store your firearms inside and outside of the home. While the NRA supports storing firearms in a responsible manner, we do not support top-down one-size-fits-all government mandates.
LD 1364 sought to direct the State of Maine to commission a study of the impacts on and risks to wildlife, humans, and the environment of using lead-based ammunition. As seen throughout the country, commissioning these types of studies is the initial action taken by anti-hunting groups to implement their extreme long-term agenda. If passed, this bill would have begun the process of potentially banning traditional ammunition, which would decrease hunting participation due to the substantial increase in the cost of ammunition.
LD 411 would have prohibited the state from selling forfeited firearms. If passed, this bill would ban the State of Maine from selling firearms and instead direct them to be destroyed.
Passed Anti-Gun Bill
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. 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. This bill has passed both chambers and is now on the "Special Appropriations Table," where it will require allocation of funding to proceed to Governor Mills' desk. The NRA will continue to update members on the status of this bill.
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