NEWS

18 Days out from General Election we have yet to see any language for the “Red Flag” Citizen’s Initiative that the Maine Gun Safety Coaliation announced in September.

There is a title that can be found in their Ballot Question Committee, Safe Schools, Safe Communities, ethics filings.

"An Act to Protect Maine Communities by Enacting the Extreme Risk Protection Order Act"

Safe Schools, Safe Communities October Quarterly Report 2024.pdf

Click HERE to read our heavily cited testimony on why "Red Flag" Laws are bad for Maine.

Final Report of the Independent Commission to Investigate the Facts of the Tragedy in Lewiston

Maine State Police - After Action Review

Governor Mills' Press Conference Addressing the Independent Commission's Report from Friday, September 6, 2024

It has been one week since the 72-Hour Waiting Period law went into effect. We wanted to update our supporters and members on the status of the pending legal challenge with regard to this new law and our strategy to contest it.

First, we cannot thank our supporters enough for their generous donations and commitment to overturn this infringement on our rights. Even though the donations we have received have been truly remarkable, we know the challenge could be long and potentially exceed one million dollars. 

To strengthen our coalition with the Sportsman’s Alliance of Maine, Women for Gun Rights, and the Maine Professional Guide’s Association , we have reached out to our friends at the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) to seek their help.  They not only joined our efforts, but have agreed to fund the challenge through its completion.  Considering this amazing offer and the financial burden they have accepted, Gun Owners of Maine and the Sportsman’s Alliance of Maine will be donating all the money we have raised that was allocated to the legal fund to the NSSF which will be used solely for use on our legal challenge here in Maine.

The team of lawyers hired by the NSSF are some of the finest in the nation with vast experience arguing cases in front of the U.S. Supreme Court.  Their legal team has been working with us to ensure that the very best outcome is achieved, including when to file in court and using the most appropriate plaintiffs. 

It is their belief that part of this process is finding the most complete list of plaintiffs in order to bring the best possible case, and have asked us to extend a request to please make us aware of any individuals you (specifically firearms dealers) may come across who are a first-time firearm buyer who believes their life to be in danger by being forced to wait to have the ability to protect themselves. If you know of anyone who fits this description, please reply to this email and we will be in touch with you.

We ask for your continued patience and trust, and hope this information will help our members to understand any perceived delay in filing.

Further donations to this challenge can be given directly to the NSSF or can be sent to Gun Owners of Maine as we will continue to forward all legal fund donations directly to those efforts.  

Thank you again for your support as we continue to defend gun rights in Maine.

STATEMENT ON 72 HOUR WAITING PERIOD LAW IN EFFECT TODAY - 8/9/24

*All information contained herein should be considered Advisory. If you have any questions on how to comply with any law in the State of Maine, please consult an Attorney*

The 72 Hour Waiting Period for the purchase of certain firearms by certain individuals goes into effect today, August 9th, 2024.

Given the ambiguous language of the law, as found here, we understand that many people-especially FFL’s/dealers- have questions about how to comply with the law while we await the filing of the legal challenge.

The State has issued advisory language outlining its suggestions on how to comply with the unconstitutional law that was passed last legislative session, as found here.

We would encourage all of our members to familiarize themselves with the letter of the law as passed by the legislature and allowed to go into law by the Governor without her signature.

We understand that the approach of each individual firearms dealer may vary, especially given the vague nature of the chapter law and advisory put out by the Maine Department of Public Safety and the Office of the Attorney General that requests more information to be gathered than the law requires which could be construed to be the beginning of a gun registry - which as we all know - is illegal.

However, more FFL’s/firearms dealers have reached out to us looking for guidance than we can count. This includes small businesses, large businesses, and attorneys who are trying to make sense of this extremely vague law. Many are looking for solidarity among their fellow dealers, and to stand together and use the same tracking method. The state has had months to issue any type of guidance on this matter, instead choosing to issue an advisory, just days before the law goes into effect, that not only suggests an attorney be hired - which is financially difficult for some businesses to achieve- but asks for more information than the letter of the law requires.

It is the official position of Gun Owners of Maine that the letter of the law states that an “Agreement" means an agreement reached between a buyer and a seller for the purchase and the sale of a firearm and that this sample form, not only adheres to the letter of the law, but exceeds it.

If you are a dealer who would choose to use this form, please email info@gunownersofmaine.org, so that we can begin the process of forming a secure network of dealers and support you in any way we can.

If you are a dealer who encounters an individual who believes their life has been endangered by the waiting period and may be willing to share their story, please reach out to Laura directly at laura@gunownersofmaine.org to facilitate a conversation.

~ PLEASE REMEMBER ~

We would not find ourselves in this position if we used our votes to secure a Gun Rights Majority in Augusta. Please visit www.gunownersofmaine.org and review our candidate grades as you consider you will vote in the election this November.

In the Pursuit of Liberty,

Laura Whitcomb, President

Joshua Raines, Vice President

Richard Coshow, Treasurer

Anne Amadon, Board of Directors

Ryan Appleby, Board of Directors

Andee Reardon, Board of Directors

*All information contained herein should be considered Advisory. If you have any questions on how to comply with any law in the State of Maine, please consult an Attorney*

While we believe in the inherent right of people to legally do what they like with their firearms, we would encourage those who are looking to remove firearms from their homes to be aware that police departments across the state will take unwanted firearms at any time.

We would encourage people to look to organizations like “Hold My Guns”, whose mission is to partner with FFLs (Federal Firearms Licensees) across the United States to provide voluntary firearms storage during times of crisis or personal need, instead of destroying their firearms.

Unfortunately, the Maine Gun Safety Coalition is more interested in destroying firearms and ammunition than they are in providing actual gun safety education in our state.

It is our hope that people will be aware of their choices, especially in the cases of antique firearms and those with historical importance, and know that if they do choose to remove their firearms from their homes, destruction is not the only answer. 

Fundraising Update

It has been just under 72 hours since we officially started fundraising to combat 72-hour waiting periods in Maine.

Your response has been amazing. From donations ranging from $10 a person to $10,000, we are off to a fantastic start.

We have had more new memberships in the first 6 days of May than we did in all of April, including 8 new Life Memberships. Thank you.

We genuinely appreciate your support, and take your comments such as “Maine is counting on you” to heart. We also know that the economy makes it difficult for many people to have anything extra leftover at the end of the month, so when we receive comments of “It’s not much but it’s all I have”, we know this is something you believe in.

This is no small thing. We are truly in a battle for the heart and soul of not just our State, but our Nation.

We take this very seriously and will see it through to the end-but we need your help.

If you are able to donate, click HERE to donate online or mail to:

Gun Owners of Maine

PO Box 5011

Augusta, ME 04332

Put "legal fund" in the memo.

(Donations to the SAM Legal Fund go to the same cause- we are in this together)

To answer some questions that have come in over the last few days:

Why aren’t you including background checks in your lawsuit?

We will be pursuing a repeal of the expanded background checks, changes in the yellow flag law as well as repealing the paramilitary training bill that was passed last session in the 132^nd Legislature, which will begin in January of 2025.

Why aren’t you doing a People’s Veto?

As explained in our previous email, a People’s Veto is not only millions of dollars, it can be overturned by the next legislature. We want a lasting decision not only for Maine, but for other states as well.

Why aren’t you partnering with National Groups?

We anticipate partnering with a national entity at some point in our litigation. National partnerships often come with strings and a loss of autonomy that we need to weigh carefully as we endeavor to best represent the interests of our members and our state.

What can I do if I can’t donate money?

• Tell your friends, families, and neighbors. Share on your social media. Let’s keep this topic at the forefront of people’s minds through the election in November.
• Make sure your local FFL/Gun Shop is aware of what is going on.
• Be on the lookout for upcoming fundraisers in your community.
• Reach out to your legislators and make sure they know that you will be looking at how they voted on Gun Rights this election season. Support pro-gun rights candidates however you can.

If you have any questions at all, please don't hesitate to ask.

The Gun Owners of Maine Board of Directors

If you have any questions email info@gunownersofmaine.org 

Legislative Update

Governor Mills has Vetoed the Machine Gun Re-Definition Bill/Forfeiture of Firearms bill and allowed the 72-Hour Waiting Period to go into law without her signature. 

Thank you for your time and efforts in writing and calling the Governor, your State Representatives and State Senators regarding the gun bills that were sent to the Governor this session.

There is good news and bad news.

Governor Mills has vetoed the bill that would have altered our forfeited firearms law as well as amended the definition of a machine gun in Maine, outlawing bump stocks and common trigger alterations used by thousands of Maine gun owners. We would strongly encourage you to reach out to your legislators and ask them to sustain this veto.

It also brought to light the fact that the definition of Machine Gun in Maine Statute is out of step with the Federal definition and, as currently worded, could be construed to mean some commonly used shotgun ammunition. We will be working with legislators next year to make sure that the definition is logical and in step with Federal law.

The bad news is, Governor Mills has allowed the 72-hour Waiting period to go into law without her signature. This is no different than if she had signed the law.

Maine residents elected the Governor to make hard decisions, and she took the cowardly way out and allowed a terrible, unconstitutional bill to go into law.

This bill was defeated in 2023 and was brought back to life unethically during the emergency session by altering a few words, was passed using questionable vote-pairing in the Senate, and then will go into law without the Governor’s signature.

This doesn’t sound like a piece of legislation that the Maine people want.

We will be taking steps in the next couple of days to look into the best avenues for pursuing legal action.

Waiting periods are arbitrary impositions on law-abiding citizens that do nothing to curb the activities of criminals.

They are an infringement on our inherent rights and are in direct defiance of both our Maine and United States Constitutions.

We raise money by raffling firearms, selling various merchandise, and offering memberships to those interested in supporting the defense of gun rights in Maine.

The passage of 72-hour Waiting periods is cause for the utilization of those resources.

We will keep you updated on our progress, and thank you for standing with us in our fight to preserve gun rights in Maine.

Laura Whitcomb will be on the George Hale Ric Tyler show on 101.3/103.9 WVOM at 6:08am on Tuesday, April 30th to discuss these events.

Updates on Legislation: What You Can Do

In the last week we have seen 72-Hour Waiting Periods, forfeiture/destruction of State Seized Firearms with a sneaky amendment to outlaw bump stocks and binary triggers among other things, as well as modifications to our current "Yellow Flag" law and what amounts to Universal Background Checks pass through the House and Senate, and await action by Governor Mills.

The best thing you can do right now is contact Governor Mills' office and ask her to veto these pieces of legislation (see below for how to do this). The House nor the Senate have the numbers to override a veto. 

Despite the fact that her bill was heavily modified in committee and passed as an amended version, the chances of Governor Mills vetoing her own bill are slim. Yes, we would like to see the expansion of background checks defeated with a veto, but it is unlikely.

The Speaker's Red Flag bill never made it to the House or Senate for a vote. We feel strongly this is because it came out of committee with four reports, there was no consensus among anti-gun legislators, and would have been a bad talking point for them as we head into November's Election. This is a huge win for the pro-rights community, and is a thorn in the side of those seeking to strip us of those rights. 

72-Hour Waiting Periods passed both the House and the Senate, falsely labeled as a "Suicide Prevention" Bill. There were some excellent floor speeches by pro-gun legislators that I would strongly recommend you take a moment to listen to if able (two that are easily found are below, if you are able to listen to the whole discussion, there are so much more-if you need help navigating this just ask!). We are frustrated daily by the lack of majority representation in Augusta, but there are legislators that have fought along side us with what amounts to nothing short of awe-inspiring. Waiting periods, aside from being completely unconstitutional, make people defenseless, harm our economy, and will decimate gun shows and small business owners in our state.

Rep. Rachel Henderson on Waiting Periods

Rep. Katrina Smith on Waiting Periods

Destruction of firearms and alterations in the definition of Machine Gun to include commonly owned semi-automatic firearms modifications is not only a waste of perfectly good firearms, it is a stepping stone to a ban on "assault" weapons. This amendment brought to light the fact that Maine's current statute surrounding the definition of a Machine Gun (as assessed by attorneys specializing in firearms) could be construed to include shotguns/buckshot/snake shot. Yes, this law has been on the books for decades, but it is out of step with federal law and frankly, "intentions" of politicians who seek to remove firearms from the hands of law-abiding citizens is not something we trust. This definition needs to be amended and we will be seeking to do so next session.

CONTACT THE GOVERNOR:

Please reach out to Governor Mills online, by phone (207-287-3531) or using a resource such as the NRA's easy to use form and encourage her to veto these bills. Don't hesitate to use all three methods! While we would never intend to tell our members how to communicate with our lawmakers, we would strongly encourage your communications to be respectful. 

Legislative Update & Next Steps

On April 16th, the House of Representatives passed both the 72-Hour Waiting Period and Machine Gun re-definition bills by one vote each. 

As of this hour, because they have both already passed through the Senate, they now need to have an enactment vote in both the House and Senate.

Below, please find links to the current status of the gun-related bills before the House and Senate, in which you can find the roll calls of how each legislator voted.

It is important to recognize that, though in the minority, there are many pro-gun rights legislators that are standing strong for our rights in the House and Senate. If your legislator is among them, please take a moment to thank them for their support. When they are available, we will send some links to some of their floor speeches, they are worth listening to. 

LD 2224: An Act to Strengthen Public Safety by Improving Maine's Firearm Laws and Mental Health System  (Expanded Yellow Flag Law and Background Checks)

Status and Roll Call

LD 2283: An Act to Enact the Crisis Intervention Order Act to Protect the Safety of the Public  (RED FLAG)  This Bill was just reported out of committee on 4/16 and has not yet had a floor vote as of this hour.

LD 2238: An Act to Address Gun Violence in Maine by Requiring a Waiting Period for Certain Firearm Purchases (72-Hour Waiting Periods)

Status and Roll Call

LD 2086: An Act to Amend the Law Governing the Disposition of Forfeited Firearms (Machine Gun Re-Definition  Amendment) 

Status and Roll Call

LD 1696: An Act to Create a Civil Cause of Action for Persons Suffering Damages Arising from the Illegal Sale or Marketing of Firearm-related Products

LD 1696 failed to pass and is dead. This is good news.