US state of Maine approves sweeping gun legislation after deadly Lewiston shooting kills 18
- The bill boosts background checks for private sales of guns and make it a crime to recklessly sell a gun to someone who is prohibited from having guns
- The October 25 shooting that killed 18 people and injured 13 others in Lewiston prompted lawmakers to act to prevent future attacks
The Maine Legislature approved sweeping gun safety legislation including background checks on private gun sales, waiting periods for gun purchases and criminalising gun sales to prohibited people before adjourning Thursday morning, nearly six months after the deadliest shooting in state history.
“Maine has taken significant steps forward in preventing gun violence and protecting Maine lives,” said Nacole Palmer, executive director of the Maine Gun Safety Coalition, who praised lawmakers for listening to their constituents.
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The governor’s bill, approved early on Thursday, would strengthen the state’s yellow flag law, boost background checks for private sales of guns and make it a crime to recklessly sell a gun to someone who is prohibited from having guns. The bill also funds violence prevention initiatives and opens a mental health crisis receiving centre in Lewiston.
The Maine Senate also narrowly gave final approval on Wednesday to a 72-hour waiting period for gun purchases and a ban on bump stocks that can transform a weapon into a machine gun.
However, there was no action on a proposal to institute a “red flag” law. The bill sponsored by House Speaker Rachel Talbot Ross would have allowed family members to petition a judge to remove guns from someone who is in a psychiatric crisis. The state’s current “yellow flag” law differs by putting police in the lead of the process, which critics say is too complicated.
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Lawmakers pushed through the night and into the morning as they ran up against their adjournment date, which was on Wednesday. But it didn’t come without some 11th-hour drama. Lawmakers had to approve a contentious supplemental budget before casting their final votes, and didn’t wrap up the session until after break.
The October 25 shooting by an Army reservist in Lewiston, Maine’s second-largest city, served as a tragic backdrop for the legislative session.
Police were warned by family members that the shooter was becoming delusional and had access to weapons. He was hospitalised for two weeks while training with his unit last summer. And his best friend, a fellow reservist, warned that the man was going “to snap and do a mass shooting.” The shooter killed himself after the attack.
Republicans accused Democrats of using the tragedy to play on people’s emotions to pass contentious bills.
“My big concern here is that we’re moving forward with gun legislation that has always been on the agenda. Now we’re using the tragedy in Lewiston to force it through when there’s nothing new here,” said Republican Sen. Lisa Keim. “It’s the same old ideas that were rejected year after year. Using the tragedy to advance legislation is wrong.”
But Democrats said constituents implored them to do something to prevent future attacks. They said it would’ve been an abdication of their responsibility to ignore their pleas.
“For the sake of the communities, individuals and families now suffering immeasurable pain, for the sake of our state, doing nothing is not an option,” the governor said in late January when she outlined her proposals in her State of the State address. Those there responded with a standing ovation.
