In response to a recent mass shooting in Lewiston, Democratic Maine Gov. Janet Mills announced her decision to allow a waiting period for gun purchases to become law without her signature. This 72-hour waiting period will go into effect this summer. The governor also vetoed a ban on bump stocks that would have prohibited a device used in the 2017 Las Vegas shooting. This decision sparked controversy among Republicans who argued that the waiting period infringes on gun rights and could impact out-of-state hunters buying guns in Maine.
Despite allowing the waiting period bill to become law, Gov. Mills expressed concerns and mentioned that measures would be taken to monitor any constitutional challenges. The bills were introduced following the deadliest shooting in state history, which occurred in Lewiston, where an Army reservist killed 18 people and injured 13 others. The governor vetoed the bump stock proposal due to concerns about potential unintended consequences, despite acknowledging its well-meaning intentions.
Additionally, Gov. Mills signed a bill she sponsored to strengthen the state’s yellow flag law, enhance background checks for private gun sales, and make it a crime to recklessly sell a gun to someone prohibited from owning firearms. This legislation also allocates funding for violence-prevention initiatives and mental health crisis receiving centers. Lawmakers did not vote on a red flag bill, which allows family members to petition for the removal of someone’s guns during a psychiatric emergency. The state’s yellow flag law involves the police taking the lead in this process, with recent updates allowing them to request a warrant to take individuals into protective custody.
The red flag laws in more than 20 states differ from Maine’s yellow flag law, which requires police involvement but now allows them to seek a warrant for protective custody. This change eliminates the hurdle of police needing to assess an individual’s need for protective custody in person, a situation that arose with the Lewiston shooter when he refused to cooperate during a welfare check prior to the tragic incident. Despite the criticisms and controversies surrounding the gun safety bills, Gov. Mills emphasized the complexity of the issue and the need for continued monitoring and evaluation of the laws’ effectiveness.
