PORTLAND, Maine — Some Portland students want Gov. Janet Mills and the Maine Legislature to pass stricter gun laws in the wake of the Lewiston Mass shooting that killed 18 people in October.
On Monday, Casco Bay High School students sent the letter, signed by 62 students, to some of Maine's top elected officials.
"We are writing today to ask you in the strongest terms possible to take meaningful action to stem the growth of gun violence in our state," the letter read.
Students laid out four laws they want passed to reduce and prevent gun violence:
- Require background checks on ALL gun purchases
- Create an Extreme Risk Protection Order to keep guns out of the hands of people who are a danger to themselves or others
- Mandate a 72-hour waiting period for the purchase of a gun
- Ban assault-style weapons
"You always hear in the news about school shootings and it’s just a scary topic," Sophia Chouinard, a Casco Bay High School senior who led the effort to write the letter, said. "I think this gave an opportunity to everyone who wanted, to show their support to protecting ourselves from this gun violence."
Chouinard said she and her classmates want more to be done to protect students in Maine.
"There’s so much we can do as a state," she added. "We can lead the way for gun laws across the nation."
Last week, Mills formally introduced legislation to strengthen gun laws and mental health services, which includes expanding gun background checks to advertised private sales and increasing the number of centers treating those with mental health needs.
NEWS CENTER Maine reached out to the governor's office about the letter students sent. A Mills spokesperson responded:
"The Governor cares deeply about the safety, health, and welfare of Maine students. In 2021, the Governor, with support from the Legislature, created the Maine School Safety Center, which strives to make schools as safe and secure as possible, and she has also put forward legislation this session to improve public safety and Maine’s mental health system. While this legislation is too much for some and not enough for others, it represents meaningful progress and will better protect public safety while respecting Constitutional rights and Maine’s longstanding outdoor traditions. The Governor thanks the students at Casco Bay High School for sharing their thoughts, and she welcomes their voices as an important part of the conversation about public safety in Maine."