Maine: Senate Advances Extreme Gun Control Agenda
Dear [Lawmaker],
As you are likely aware, this week you will be voting on a slew of gun control bills. These bills have nothing to do with the Lewiston shooting, and instead only serve a national gun control agenda that seeks to disarm law abiding citizens. As a lawmaker who represents a rural district in Maine, I strongly urge you to vote against these bills: LD 2238 delays Second Amendment rights by imposing a three-day waiting period before an individual may receive a firearm that they lawfully purchase, with limited exemptions. There is no evidence that waiting periods reduce violent crime. If passed, LD 2238 would deny the right of self-defense to abuse victims or any individual facing an imminent threat. Additionally, waiting periods would destroy Maine’s hunting tourism industry because guides would be unable to provide hunters with firearms and local firearm dealers would be unable to sell and transfer firearms in a timely manner. LD 1696 creates a “course of action” against firearm manufacturers and retailers whose firearms are used in criminal activity. This “course of action” attempts to evade the federal Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act (PLCAA), which protects manufacturers from being held responsible for third-party misuse. Just like it is unreasonable for an auto retailer to be held liable when a driver harms someone with their vehicle, it is unreasonable for firearm manufacturers and retailers to be held liable when their products are used in a crime. LD 2283 implements an extreme Red Flag law in Maine in place of Maine's current Yellow Flag law. The independent commission found that Maine's yellow flag law should have stopped Robert Card if properly enforced. Instead of replacing it with an extreme California and Massachusetts style law, we should focus on finding ways to improve the existing law. LD 2086 seeks to redefine semi-automatic weapons to "machine guns." This vague and broad definition risk instituting massive bans on commonly owned firearms in Maine. Instead of creating a new definition, Maine should match the federal definition to ensure there is no confusion. LD 2224 seeks to expand Yellow Flag laws and implement the first steps toward Universal Background Checks in Maine. If passed, this bill would require all “advertised” sales to be subject to background checks regardless of the relationship between the buyer and the seller, in an effort to close the so-called “gun show loophole” and to stop Mainers from selling firearms on Facebook. First and foremost, there is no gun-show loophole, all purchases through Federal Firearms Licensees (FFLs) are required to go through background checks regardless of location or where the sale takes place. Additionally, Facebook already bans firearm sales on their website. Finally, this bill puts Mainers at risk of becoming felons for the simple act of transferring a firearm to a family member, friend, or neighbor. In addition to proposing failed Universal Background Checks, LD 2224 also seeks to expand Maine’s current Yellow Flag law to Red Flag “Extreme Risk Protection Order” laws. These laws strip citizens of their Second Amendment rights without due process based on weak and nebulous standards. If passed, Maine’s Red Flag law could strip Mainers of their Constitutional rights without a hearing and based on hearsay for up to 30 days. It does not include any penalties for erroneous accusations, allowing for an open season against gun owners in Maine. Please stand with your constituents, not Bloomberg's extreme Portland-based political apparatus. Save Maine jobs, hunting heritage, and Second Amendment by voting NO on these bills. Thank you for your service to our great state.
Sincerely,
______
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