Gun Access Legislation Vote in Maine
PORTLAND, Maine — Two years after the deadliest mass shooting in the state’s history, Maine voters are deciding whether to make it simpler for families to petition the courts to limit access to firearms for individuals deemed potentially dangerous.
On Tuesday, residents will face a statewide ballot question asking if they support further development of the state’s yellow flag law, which enables law enforcement to initiate procedures to remove firearms from individuals.
Approval of this measure would align Maine with over 20 states that have implemented red flag laws allowing families to take similar actions.
The push for stricter red flag laws intensified after an Army reservist opened fire at a bowling alley in Lewiston in October 2023, leading to the deaths of 18 people.
An independent commission appointed by the Governor of Maine later indicated numerous missed opportunities for intervention by both military and civilian authorities.
In the wake of the tragedy, law enforcement officials emphasized challenges in enforcing the existing yellow flag law, describing it as cumbersome and time-consuming.
Advocates for gun safety argue that the current law is insufficient and hard to enforce. The yellow flag law mandates that police take potentially dangerous individuals into protective custody for mental health evaluations.
This fall, the Campaign for Red Flag Laws released an ad featuring Arthur Bernard, the father of a victim from the Lewiston shooting, who advocated for tougher legislation, suggesting that stronger laws might have saved his son’s life. “People in a mental health crisis don’t need easy access to guns; they need help,” he stated in the ad.
The proposal faces opposition from various groups, including Republicans, hunting organizations, and some Democrats, who argue that gun ownership is common and crime rates in the state are relatively low, suggesting that state laws should reflect this reality.
Maine Governor Janet Mills (D) stands against the ballot measure, asserting that the yellow flag law was tailored specifically for Maine’s context and represents the appropriate approach. “Question 2 would create a new, disruptive process that could undermine the effectiveness of the law and endanger public safety,” she expressed in an opinion piece.
The ballot comes amid ongoing legal ramifications from the Lewiston shooting. Survivors and victims’ families are pursuing legal action against the U.S. military and the Pentagon, alleging that the military failed to prevent Reservist Robert Card from carrying out the shooting. They point to a recent Pentagon report that criticizes the military for not adequately reporting violent threats posed by service members.
This report highlighted Card, who took his own life two days following the shooting, and stressed that lapses in reporting could potentially heighten risks of similar incidents occurring in the future.
Victim attorneys point out that Card was experiencing a known mental health decline leading to his hospitalization and incidents involving paranoia, delusions, and violent thoughts.
Moreover, both Card’s family and fellow reservists noted concerning behavior in the months leading up to the incident, with one reservist expressing concern in a text message, “I believe he is going to open fire and cause a mass shooting.”
