AUGUSTA, Maine – The Maine Legislature passed sweeping gun safety legislation including background checks on private gun sales, waiting periods for gun purchases and criminalizing gun sales to prohibited persons before closing Thursday morning, nearly six months after the deadliest shooting in state history.
Democratic Gov. Janet Mills and the Democratic-led Legislature have pushed for a series of proposals on guns and mental health in the wake of the shooting that claimed 18 lives and injured 13 others, despite the state’s strong hunting tradition and support for gun owners .
“Maine has made significant strides 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.
The governor’s bill, approved Thursday, would strengthen the state’s yellow flag law, increase background checks for private gun sales and make it a crime to recklessly sell a gun to someone who is prohibited from possessing firearms. The project also funds violence prevention initiatives and opens a mental health crisis center in Lewiston.
The Maine Senate also narrowly gave final approval Wednesday to a 72-hour waiting period for gun purchases and a ban on stocks that can turn a gun 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 take away guns from someone in a psychiatric crisis. The current state “yellow flag” law differs by putting police in the lead in the process, which critics consider too complicated.
Lawmakers pushed through the night and morning as they grappled with the adjournment date, which was Wednesday. But it didn’t happen without some 11th hour drama. Lawmakers had to pass a controversial supplemental budget before casting their final votes and did not end the session until after dawn.
The Oct. 25 shooting by an Army reservist in Lewiston, Maine’s second-largest city, served as a tragic backdrop to the legislative session.
Police were warned by family members that the shooter was delirious and had access to weapons. He was hospitalized for two weeks while training at his unit last summer. And his best friend, a fellow reservist, warned that the man would “attack and commit a mass shooting.” The shooter killed himself after the attack.
Republicans accused Democrats of using the tragedy to play with people’s emotions and pass controversial bills.
“My big concern here is that we are moving forward with gun legislation that has always been on the agenda. Now we are using the tragedy in Lewiston to force passage when there is nothing new here,” said Republican Senator Lisa Keim. “It’s the same old ideas that have been rejected year after year.
But Democrats said constituents begged them to do something to prevent future attacks. They said it would be an abdication of their responsibility to ignore their pleas.
“For the good of communities, individuals and families who are now suffering immeasurable pain, for the good of our state, doing nothing is not an option,” said the governor at the end of January, when she presented her proposals in her State of the State speech. Those present responded with a standing ovation.
This story originally appeared on ABCNews.go.com read the full story
