Maine Senate rejects 72-hour waiting period for gun purchases

The Maine Senate voted 24-11 Thursday against instituting a 72-hour waiting period for gun purchases, effectively killing the legislation two days after it was narrowly rejected by the House.

The bipartisan vote comes after advocates intensified pressure for gun safety legislation, in part by citing a new poll showing that more than 72% of Mainers support reforms such as waiting periods and universal background checks.

House members voted 73-69 against the bill Tuesday but would have had an opportunity to reconsider the proposal had it won support in the Senate.

Sen. Anne Carney, D-Cape Elizabeth, urged the Senate to approve the bill despite the House setback. She said most people killed by guns in Maine die by suicide, although guns also are used in most domestic partner homicides in the state.

“Creating a buffer between someone having a suicidal crisis and access to a gun can be the difference between life and death,” Carney said.

Sen. Matt Pouliot, R-Augusta, argued against the bill, saying it doesn’t address the underlying causes of suicides and homicides.

“The challenge we’re facing in America, sadly, is one of mental health,” he said. “I just don’t think it’s the right solution to the problem.”

The vote comes two days after gun safety advocates held a news conference to call for action on the waiting period and other measures. Nacole Palmer, founder of Show Up Network for Gun Safety, said recent polling conducted by Portland-based Pan Atlantic Research showed strong support among Mainers for measures like waiting periods and universal background checks.

Palmer said the active shooter hoaxes at about a dozen Maine schools last fall and the April mass shooting that left four people dead in Bowdoin have increased support for gun safety measures.