Maine’s Democratic Governor Janet Mills announced on Monday that she will allow one of the last two gun safety bills to become law without her signature following the mass shooting in Lewiston.
Governor Mills revealed that she will let a 72-hour waiting period for gun purchases become law by allowing a 10-day period to pass without signing or vetoing the bill. This law is set to take effect during the summer.
However, Governor Mills also stated that she has vetoed a bill that would ban bump stocks, devices that can modify a semiautomatic rifle to fire like a machine gun. The use of a bump stock was notable in the 2017 Las Vegas shooting, which resulted in 60 deaths and 869 injuries.
The 72-hour waiting period for gun sales faced strong opposition from Republicans who argued it could infringe on the Second Amendment rights of individuals seeking to buy firearms. Maine’s hunting guides also expressed concerns that it could affect out-of-state hunters who purchase guns while visiting the state for short trips.
Janet Mills talks about the matter (Via Bill Wilson/Shutterstock)
Governor Mills noted that she is allowing the waiting period bill to become law with reservations and plans to monitor legal challenges related to waiting periods across the country, involving Maine’s attorney general and public safety commission.
“This is a deeply emotional issue for many, with compelling arguments on both sides,” Mills stated in a released statement.
These legislative actions follow the deadliest shooting in Maine’s history, where an Army reservist killed 18 people and injured 13 others at a bowling alley and bar and grill on October 25th in Lewiston. The shooter later died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
