AUGUSTA, Maine — On Monday, the topic of gun safety sparked some intense discussion at the Maine State Capitol in Augusta. Mainers both for and against tighter gun restrictions turned out to voice their opinions on what the National Rifle Association Institute for Legislature Action deemed "Anti-Gun Bill Day" in Maine.
In the late morning, gun rights activists gathered on the first floor of the state house to rally against three new bills with public hearings that took place Monday afternoon:
- LD 22, "An Act to Impede the Transfer of Firearms to Prohibited Person," which would prevent giving or selling a gun to someone who isn't allowed to own a firearm.
- LD 60, "An Act to Require a 72-hour Waiting Period After the Sale of a Firearm," which would impose a three-day waiting period before someone can receive a gun they buy.
- LD 168, "An Act Regarding Criminal Background Checks for the Sale, Transfer or Exchange of Firearms," which would require background checks for the private sales of firearms.
"People who are out there committing crimes, illegally purchasing weapons are going to do so anyways," Sheriff Scott Nichols of Franklin County said during the rally about why he's opposed to these bills.
Nichols said some of these bills may be "created in good faith", but he thinks they would impede on the rights of law-abiding citizens.
"It seems there’s a perception out there that our civil rights are being slowly eroded, and we don’t want that to happen," Nichols said.
Laura Parker, the president of Gun Owners of Maine, said one of her primary concerns with the 72-hour waiting period bill is hurting small businesses and stopping guns from getting into the hands of people who may really need them.
"If you do have somebody who is seeking to purchase a firearm in order to defend themselves, you're putting them back on their heels, and they’re not able to do that in a timely fashion," Parker said.
According to the Gun Violence Archive, there have been more than 130 mass shootings (defined as an incident in which four or more people are shot) nationwide since the beginning of this year. It's why grassroots organization Moms Demand Action showed up in Augusta on Monday to speak out in favor of these bills.
"We’re here to support what I consider very benign bills that close loopholes. These are not bills infringing on anyone’s rights," Kathy McFadden with Moms Demand Action said.
She said their primary goal is preventing people from inflicting self-harm or harm upon other people with guns.
"We're tired of having the excuse of the Second Amendment put over the lives of second graders," McFadden said.
Senator Anne Carney, D-Cape Elizabeth, is the sponsor of LD 22. She said she wants to see less gun violence in general by reducing the number of officer-involved shootings in our state. She said to do that, Maine needs to make sure guns don't get into the hands of people who aren't supposed to have them in the first place, which is sometimes what initiates these incidents.
“In 25 percent of [officer-involved shootings], the person who has a firearm is already prohibited under Maine law from having a firearm," Carney said.
A work session will be happening for these bills in the coming weeks.