I have been advocating for laws to reduce the gun violence in our state and I often hear folks say we don’t need new gun laws, we just need to enforce the ones on the books already. While I do think there is more our state and country can do to prevent gun deaths and injuries, I agree that enforcement of our existing community safety laws is critical. There are too many ways for people who shouldn’t have guns — domestic abusers or felons, for example — to get them.

Our law enforcement officers work hard to keep our community safe, but there is only so much they can do. The ATF — the agency in charge of ensuring gun safety — hasn’t had a permanent director in over six years. We’ve seen the consequences of a weak ATF. In the past, the ATF has failed to fully enforce rules to prevent straw purchasers from buying guns that end up being used in crimes, and the agency was blind for too long to the rising threat of ghost guns, one of the fastest growing public safety problems. With permanent leadership at the top, the ATF could better enforce the laws on the books, and protect We, The People.

That’s why I was so relieved that retired ATF special agent David Chipman was recently nominated to be the director of ATF. He has 25 years of experience at the ATF. He helped with the 1993 World Trade Center bombing and the Oklahoma City Bombing investigations. He has overseen complex firearms trafficking cases and he is a gun owner himself. There’s no one better to lead ATF right now. He will ensure the federal government better enforces our gun laws while respecting the Second Amendment.

I know how important it is for ATF to enforce gun laws on the books. I urge Sens. Collins and King to vote yes to confirm David Chipman and finally empower ATF to do its job.

Lynn Ellis,
Brunswick

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