The Maine Legislature was in the process of adjourning, with unfinished business including final votes on a series of gun safety bills introduced after the state’s deadliest shooting in fall 2019. The Senate was awaiting an enactment vote on the governor’s proposals to strengthen the state’s yellow flag law, boost background checks for private gun sales, and make it a crime to recklessly sell a gun to a prohibited person. The Senate narrowly approved a 72-hour waiting period for gun purchases and a ban on bump stocks that can transform a weapon into a machine gun. Lawmakers had yet to vote on a red flag proposal to allow family members to petition a judge to remove guns from someone in a psychiatric crisis, which some critics felt was too complicated due to the current yellow flag law putting police in the lead.
Legislators faced a Wednesday deadline for completion before adjournment, with Democratic Gov. Janet Mills showing no interest in extending the session. A dustup between the governor and lawmakers over the amount of money to help communities recover from storm damage created an 11th-hour wrinkle. Lawmakers also had to approve a budget revision that could prove contentious. The shooting on October 25, which claimed 18 lives and injured 13 others, served as a backdrop for the legislative session. Republicans accused Democrats of taking advantage of the tragedy to pass contentious bills that had previously been defeated, while supporters of the legislation said constituents had urged them to take action to prevent future attacks.
The Senate gave final approval to the gun safety bills, including a waiting period and a bump stock ban, with the red flag proposal still pending. The proposed red flag law would allow family members to petition a judge to remove guns from someone in a psychiatric crisis, addressing concerns about the complexity of the existing yellow flag law that puts police in charge of the process. Although the session was approaching adjournment, an 11th-hour disagreement between the governor and lawmakers over storm recovery funding and a potentially contentious budget revision were looming.
The governor and lawmakers were working to finalize gun safety legislation in response to the deadliest shooting in Maine’s history. The legislative session was moving towards adjournment, with a deadline fast approaching for completing pending work. The proposed red flag law, aimed at allowing family members to petition a judge to remove guns from those in a psychiatric crisis, was still awaiting a vote, with concerns raised about the complexity of the existing yellow flag law. Additionally, an 11th-hour disagreement over storm recovery funding and a potentially contentious budget revision were adding to the urgency of completing legislative business before adjournment.
The Senate gave final approval to several gun safety bills, including a 72-hour waiting period for gun purchases and a ban on bump stocks. The legislation was introduced in response to the deadliest shooting in Maine’s history, which claimed 18 lives and injured 13 others. Lawmakers were facing pressure to take action from constituents who wanted measures in place to prevent future attacks. The session was coming to a close, with Governor Mills showing no interest in extending it. A last-minute disagreement over storm recovery funding and a potentially contentious budget revision added to the urgency to complete pending work before adjournment. Critics accused Democrats of exploiting the tragedy to pass contentious bills that had previously been defeated, while supporters argued that action was necessary to address public concerns about preventing future attacks.
