Current:Home > ScamsWhat are Maine's gun laws?-DB Wealth Institute B2 Reviews & Ratings
What are Maine's gun laws?
lotradecoin services View Date:2024-12-25 16:31:13
Washington — At least 18 people were killed and 13 were injured in mass shootings at a bowling alley and restaurant in Lewiston, Maine, on Wednesday, and law enforcement is continuing to search for the suspected gunman.
The shooting has led to renewed calls from President Biden for Congress to pass legislation banning semi-automatic weapons and high-capacity magazines, and enact universal background checks, though such measures are unlikely to be considered by the GOP-led House.
Still, Mr. Biden has repeatedly implored the divided Congress to act and on Thursday, he declared "this is the very least we owe every American who now bears the scars — physical and mental — of this latest attack."
In Maine, state lawmakers considered several measures this year that would have strengthened the state's gun laws, though unsuccessfully.
The Maine House approved in June a measure that would have tightened background checks for private gun sales, but the proposal failed in the state Senate. The state House this summer also passed a bill that would have banned bump stocks and other rapid-fire modification devices, but it, too, was rejected by the Maine Senate.
Legislation that would've imposed a 72-hour waiting period after a gun sale was rejected by both chambers of the Maine legislature.
A Maine law enacted in 2015 allows people who are at least 21 years old to carry a concealed handgun without a permit. Those between the ages of 18 and 20 are required to have a permit to carry concealed, according to state law.
But it remains illegal to have a gun in public places including courthouses, state parks, Acadia National Park, schools, federal buildings and the state capitol area in Augusta, and on private property where it's barred by the owner. Guns are also prohibited in "establishments licensed for on-premises consumption of liquor" if the establishment has signs posted that bar or limit firearms, which patrons are likely to see, or if a patron has a gun while intoxicated.
People who have been involuntarily committed to a hospital because they were found to be a danger to themselves or others are prohibited from having firearms without a permit under Maine law, as are those who have been convicted of a crime punishable by at least a year in prison. For gun sellers that are not licensed dealers, there is no law requiring a background check on the buyer of a firearm.
Maine allows for the purchase of certain assault-style weapons and high-capacity magazines, and does not have on the books an extreme-risk protection order law. Also known as red-flag laws, the measures allow law enforcement or family members to seek an order from a judge to temporarily restrict a person's access to guns if they're deemed to be a risk to themselves or others.
- In:
- Gun Laws
- Maine
veryGood! (7379)
Related
- Meta kills off misinformation tracking tool CrowdTangle despite pleas from researchers, journalists
- Lily Gladstone on Oscar-bound 'Killers of the Flower Moon': 'It's a moment for all of us'
- Woman, 3 children found dead in burning Indiana home had been shot, authorities say
- Police search for man suspected of trying to abduct 3 different women near University of Arizona campus
- Millions of kids are still skipping school. Could the answer be recess — and a little cash?
- Jake Paul says he 'dropped' Andre August's coach in sparring session. What really happened?
- Oprah Winfrey's revelation about using weight-loss drugs is a game-changer. Here's why.
- Vanessa Hudgens' Husband Cole Tucker Proves They're All in This Together in Birthday Tribute
- Oklahoma city approves $7M settlement for man wrongfully imprisoned for decades
- Eddie Murphy reprises role as Axel Foley in 'Beverly Hills Cop 4.' Watch the Netflix trailer.
Ranking
- Charlie Sheen’s Daughter Sami Sheen Undergoes Plastic Surgery for Droopy Nose
- Older Americans to pay less for some drug treatments as drugmakers penalized for big price jumps
- Coca-Cola recalls 2,000 Diet Coke, Sprite, Fanta Orange soda packs
- Shooting of Palestinian college students came amid spike in gun violence in Vermont
- Clint Eastwood's Son Scott Shares How Family Is Doing After Death of Christina Sandera
- Home of Tampa Bay Rays eyes name change, but team says it would threaten stadium deal
- Pandemic relief funding for the arts was 'staggering'
- Brooklyn Nine-Nine Actor Andre Braugher's Cause of Death Revealed
Recommendation
-
'Business done right': Why the WWE-TNA partnership has been a success
-
Coca-Cola recalls 2,000 Diet Coke, Sprite, Fanta Orange soda packs
-
Driving for work will pay more next year after IRS boosts 2024 mileage rate
-
Stock market today: Asian markets churn upward after the Dow ticks to another record high
-
Anchorage police shoot, kill teenage girl who had knife; 6th police shooting in 3 months
-
Alaska governor’s budget plan includes roughly $3,400 checks for residents and deficit of nearly $1B
-
Biden envoy to meet with Abbas as the US floats a possible Palestinian security role in postwar Gaza
-
Tribes are celebrating a White House deal that could save Northwest salmon