An incredibly successful, citizen initiated petition drive has won a place on next November’s ballot for a proposal that will close a dangerous legal loophole and require background checks for all gun sales in Maine.

Eighty-five thousand registered voters from every city and town in the state signed the petition demonstrating a very broad based cross-section of Maine citizen support for this sensible plan.

The next step is to spread the word about this important effort.

There is a common misconception that all gun sales already require a criminal background check. However, only licensed gun dealers are required to complete background checks, leaving unlicensed private sellers to sell guns to anyone — a stranger they meet online, at a gun show, or through Uncle Henry’s — with no questions asked.

The Maine Background Check Initiative, supported by gun owners and Mainers from across the political spectrum, is a sensible and workable idea. It is a common sense, one-step requirement that private gun sales be subject to the same background check required for transactions with licensed gun dealers with exceptions including, transfers between family members and while hunting. This simple change in the law will help keep guns out of the hands of criminals and domestic abusers and, while background checks alone won’t rid us of gun violence, they will prevent a significant number of deaths and save lives.

Fall may seem a long way from today but the success of this petition initiative must not lull us into complacency but inspire and motivate us to continue strong, person to person advocacy for the passage of background checks for all gun sales in Maine, from now until given the opportunity to vote on this proposal next November.

I hope you will join me in our efforts to make Maine a safer place for all by supporting this initiative.

Sue Kennedy,

Brunswick,

Maine Moms Demand Action for

Gun Sense