AUGUSTA, Maine — Maine lawmakers offered mixed reactions Monday in advance of new executive orders expected from President Barack Obama that would impose federal background checks for gun purchases.
While the details of Obama’s latest attempt to tighten gun control in the U.S. are not expected to be released until later this week, Republicans said Obama’s order would overreach and infringe on Americans’ constitutional rights.
“The president is not a king and to continue to do what he thinks by executive order — to continue to work around Congress — is just again an example of why two-thirds of the people in this country think we are on the wrong track,” said House Minority Leader Ken Fredette, R-Newport. “I think he’s off base. I don’t think he has the authority to do it and I think it’s not wise at all.”
Rep. Tom Winsor, R-Norway, said he didn’t believe the president was basing his decision in fact.
“If you are going to submit people to restrictions on their constitutional rights, you ought to be trying to accomplish something that’s identifiable and provable and I don’t think any of the proposals I see are going to save one life,” he said.
But Assistant House Majority Leader Sara Gideon, D-Freeport, said the executive orders the president was about to issue would be “pretty mild and not things that go very far.”
Gideon also said that a petition drive in Maine that would put a universal background check question before voters in November had collected enough signatures to qualify for the ballot. She said it was unlikely the Legislature would act on the issue in light of the pending ballot question.
“I don’t see us offering something competing,” she said.
Meanwhile, at least one of the state’s four congressional representatives criticized Obama before the orders were released.
“I believe that enacting sweeping regulations on gun owners is an irresponsible and misguided reaction to real threats from terrorists,” Maine’s 2nd District U.S. Rep Bruce Poliquin, a Republican, said in a prepared statement Monday. “We need to better enforce the laws that are in place now and develop comprehensive strategies to keep Americans safe. The president’s proposed action would not have prevented any of the horrific attacks on our soil, infringes upon law-abiding citizens’ rights and does not make us any safer.”
Communications staff for U.S. Sens. Susan Collins, a Republican, and Angus King, an independent, said the senators were awaiting the orders before making any comment on them.