Oct. 25, 2023, will be a day Mainers look back on for years to come. Our beloved state joined the list of Deadliest Mass Shootings in the U.S., and according to The Violence Project ranks 10th in severity. Many of us remember where we were when we learned of the mass shooting, how we felt during the long search and our reaction to the news that Lewiston’s lockdown had finally ended.
Anne Carney Joe Phelan file/Kennebec Journal
I was in my kitchen when I heard the news and immediately thought of my friend and colleague, Sen. Peggy Rotundo who serves the city of Lewiston. I worried that she might be in danger, but I also knew that she would be worried about her community and not herself. People throughout our state and across the country shared this instinct to care for others. In the days and weeks that followed, you probably reached out to friends and family in Lewiston, and had friends and family from other states reach out to you, as I did.
This deeply felt care and concern for others is reflected in the suite of bills under consideration by the Legislature, including a bill I have sponsored. We cannot undo the mass shooting in Lewiston that resulted in the loss of 18 beloved people and countless severe injuries, both physical and emotional, but we can create a safer Maine.
My colleague, Sen. Rotundo, has sponsored LD 2238, “An Act to Address Gun Violence in Maine by Requiring a Waiting Period for Certain Firearm Purchases.” This legislation will require a 72-hour waiting period between an agreement to purchase a firearm and the delivery of that firearm to the purchaser. It will reduce impulsive behaviors that can endanger oneself and others.
Enacting waiting periods in Maine could make a meaningful difference in suicide rates. According to the CDC, in 2021, we lost 277 Mainers to suicide – and more than half of those deaths involved a firearm. We also know that suicide is the second-leading cause of death for Mainers ages 10 to 24.
I have sponsored LD 2086, “An Act to Amend the Law Governing the Disposition of Forfeited Firearms,” a bill that would update Maine laws to be in line with federal laws regarding destruction of crime guns and prohibiting machine guns. Current state law requires destruction of forfeited firearms that were used in a murder or homicide. The bill will extend the requirement to ensure that all firearms used in a crime and ordered forfeited by a court are destroyed. The goal is to prevent forfeited firearms from being sold, out of concern that they will be resold and used to commit further crimes.
The amendment would also update Maine’s definition of machine gun, dating from 1975, to match a federal ban on devices that turn legal firearms into machineguns. It would put Maine law in line with a Trump-era rule adopted in response to the 2017 mass shooting at an outdoor concert in Las Vegas.
Fifteen states have adopted laws banning bump stocks and rapid-fire devices to protect the well-being of their residents. This amendment would give state law enforcement agencies jurisdiction to keep these devices out of our state and align state law with the longstanding federal policy regulating or barring automatic weapons and their equivalents.
Speaker Rachel Talbot Ross has offered LD 2237, “An Act to Strengthen Public Safety, Health and Well-being by Expanding Services and Coordinating Violence Prevention Resources.” The legislation makes several key updates to and investments in Maine’s mental health care network, and pairs beautifully with the governor’s bill, LD 2224, “An Act to Strengthen Public Safety by Improving Maine’s Firearm Laws and Mental Health System.”
Gov. Mills’ legislation also extends background check requirements and strengthens the existing protection order process in Maine.
Each piece of legislation listed above is a positive and impactful step toward creating a safer Maine. I recognize that most Mainers are responsible gun owners and take pride in the tradition of operating firearms skillfully and safely, and these bills respect Mainers’ constitutional rights as well as our traditions of hunting and outdoorsmanship. No one piece of legislation will prevent all gun violence. However, there is hope for our state to create positive change that better protects Mainers from gun violence.
Anne Carney represents Maine Senate District 29, which consists of Cape Elizabeth, South Portland and part of Scarborough. She can be reached at 207-287-1515 or Anne.Carney@legislature.maine.gov.
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