AUGUSTA, Maine — Democratic Gov. Janet Generators on Friday signed into legislation a set of gun protection law authorized via lawmakers nearest the deadliest cluster taking pictures in atmosphere historical past, increasing background tests for personal gross sales of guns, bolstering the atmosphere’s “yellow flag” legislation, criminalizing the switch of weapons to banned society and increasing psychological condition disaster lend a hand.
The governor instructed lawmakers all over her Situation of the Situation cope with that doing not anything used to be now not an possibility nearest an Military reservist with an attack rifle killed 18 society and injured 13 others in Lewiston on Oct. 25.
The expenses drew opposition from Republicans who accused Democrats, who keep an eye on each legislative chambers, of the use of the tragedy to progress proposals, a few of which were in the past defeated. Generators mentioned Friday the proposals would reinforce society protection age respecting the atmosphere’s lengthy traditions of gun possession and out of doors heritage.
“This law represents important, meaningful progress, without trampling on anybody’s rights, and it will better protect public safety by implementing reasonable reforms and by significantly expanding mental health resources,” Mills said.
The new law signed by the governor doesn’t require universal background checks but it does require background checks for people who advertise a gun for sale on Craigslist, Facebook Marketplace or elsewhere. Sales would be required to be checked against the National Instant Criminal Background Check System, as is required for commercial sales at federally licensed firearm dealers, the governor’s office said.
The legislation includes changes to the state’s yellow flag law that allows police to assess an individual, take the person into protective custody for a mental health evaluation and hold a hearing before a judge to remove guns from someone in a psychiatric crisis.
The new law allows police to go directly to a judge for a warrant, streamlining the process. It eliminates a hurdle when a deputy was stymied by the Lewiston gunman’s refusal to answer the door for a required face-to-face meeting that’s necessary under current law. Law enforcement members have said in testimony about the shootings that the state’s existing yellow flag law was cumbersome and hard to apply.
Republicans in the state remain opposed to the bill, specifically because of the expanded background check proposal, said the Maine House of Representatives Republican leader, Rep. Billy Bob Faulkingham, on Friday.
“House Republicans have voiced ongoing support for strengthening Maine’s so-called yellow flag law and mental health services, but oppose the governor’s bill,” Faulkingham said. “The unenforceable background check provision will only create confusion among law-abiding Mainers.”
Supporters of expanded gun keep an eye on rules, who’ve advocated for the passage of the fresh requirements for months, described the approbation of the foundations as a victory. Twenty-two states now have a background take a look at legislation, mentioned John Feinblatt, president of Everytown for Gun Protection.
Advocates additionally mentioned they’re hopeful alternative fresh gun measures authorized via lawmakers in Maine will quickly develop into legislation.
“Today is a victory for the gun violence prevention movement and a demonstration of what Mainers can accomplish to keep our communities safe when we work together,” mentioned Vicki Farsaci, a volunteer with the Maine bankruptcy of Mothers Call for Motion.
The invoice signed via the governor additionally strengthens felony requirements for prosecution and consequences to discourage alternative society from promoting guns to banned patrons, making it a criminal crime. The governor’s place of business mentioned in a commentary that the fresh method “will mean that transfers of firearms to family members or trusted friends, as is common in Maine, will remain unchanged, but it will incentivize checks against the (National Instant Criminal Background Check System) for private, unadvertised sales to unknown individuals through the threat of increased risk of prosecution and prison time.”
Generators’ approvals of the gun proposals got here a month nearest a different fee she convened interviewed fellow reservists of Card who raised blackmails about Card’s increasingly more erratic habits. Card used to be discovered useless of a self-inflicted gunshot wound within the aftermath of the cluster taking pictures nearest an in depth seek.
Some of the fellow reservists interviewed on Thursday, Sean Hodgson, instructed superiors in September: “I believe he’s going to snap and do a mass shooting.”
Generators additionally proposed the origination of a fresh violence and shock prevention program requiring the Maine Heart for Problem Keep an eye on and Prevention to lend as a clearinghouse for knowledge from legislation enforcement, hospitals, colleges and alternative resources to tell society coverage choices.
Her proposal for a community of disaster facilities, in the meantime, would form upon the primary such facility already in operation in Portland and a 2nd one who’s being created in central Maine.
