AUGUSTA, Maine — Nearly 100 Maine legislators, including Democrats and Republicans, are backing LD 652, a bill to let Maine gun owners carry concealed weapons without a permit.
State Sen. Eric Brakey, R-Auburn, is the bill’s main sponsor.
“All it does is say if you are someone who is already legally able to open carry a handgun that you can also put on a jacket without being a criminal,” Brakey said.
Other elected officials around the state call the proposal irresponsible. Portland City Councilor Ed Suslovic is one of them. He serves as the city’s Committee for Public Safety, Health and Human Services chairman.
“We have a long tradition of responsible gun ownership in Maine and frankly legislation like this runs counter to that,” Suslovic said.
This is the third time in three years that Maine lawmakers have considered the issue. In 2013, the House rejected a similar measure by one vote, and in 2014, Democrats in the House rebuffed a Republican effort to add the provision to another bill.
“I see no public safety benefit whatsoever,” Suslovic said.
“When you look at some of the areas in the country with the strictest controls on firearms you also find that those are some of the areas with the most firearm violence,” Brakey said.
Six other states, including Vermont, have passed laws similar to what Brakey is proposing, he said.
Supporters say this will make life easier for legal gun owners traveling here from other states.
“I have to make sure my handgun is unloaded and all that stuff and that’s a total pain,” New Hampshire resident Jason Stretch said.
Some Mainers say this legislation scares them even though they’re not afraid of guns.
Janean Boutin live in Benton with her husband, who is a gun owner.
“When we go through the process of obtaining a permit, it gives me that reassurance that there’s some safety measures,” she said.
The proposed legislation will be reviewed by the Legislature’s Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee before going to the House and Senate for votes. A public hearing on the bill has not yet been scheduled.