AUGUSTA — A proposal to allow municipalities to prohibit guns at public meetings and in polling places has been defeated in the Legislature.
The House voted 85-61 to reject a bill that would have allowed towns, counties and school boards in Maine to adopt their own policies banning “the carrying of dangerous weapons at its public proceedings and voting places.” The Senate had rejected the bill on a 21-14 vote Tuesday.
Supporters of the bill, L.D. 1470, said it was consistent with Maine’s long-held tradition of “local control” without imposing a mandate on municipalities. They also pointed out that some voters are already prohibited from bringing guns into polling places if ballots are cast in schools or other buildings where firearms are banned.
But opponents portrayed the bill as another attempt to strip away citizens’ rights to bear arms.
Send questions/comments to the editors.
-
Sports
Greatness defined, as Brady makes 10th Super Bowl
-
Business
Pandemic problems overwhelm global supply lines
-
Business
Average U.S. price of gas up 10 cents a gallon to $2.45
-
Politics
Democratic, GOP lawmakers lobby White House for a more targeted relief bill
-
News
Former Westbrook legislator elected to lead Maine Democratic Party
Success. Please wait for the page to reload. If the page does not reload within 5 seconds, please refresh the page.
Enter your email and password to access comments.
Hi {SUB NAME}, to comment on stories you must . This profile is in addition to your subscription and website login.
Already have one? .
Invalid username/password.
Please check your email to confirm and complete your registration.
Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login to participate in the conversation. Here’s why.
Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.