Letter: Expand gun background checks in Maine

Letters submitted by BDN readers are verified by BDN Opinion Page staff. Send your letters to letters@bangordailynews.com

LD 2224 , proposed by Gov. Janet Mills and Maine Democrats, is a good start at common sense gun laws in Maine. It would close a loophole in the state’s background check system by including private, advertised sales — the path to gun ownership often taken by those who might be prohibited from purchasing guns from licensed sellers because of felonies, some domestic violence misdemeanors, or serious mental health conditions. Though all gun purchases from licensed sellers require a background check to screen for such problems, individuals currently can buy firearms in private, person-to-person sales, at gun shows, or, increasingly, online.

Each year, there are more than 2,000 ads on Armslist.com offering guns for sale in Maine, potentially to people prohibited from owning firearms. Background checks on these sales would not cause undue burden on responsible gun owners, as there are many licensed firearms dealers in Maine, spread over all of Maine’s counties.

The background check loophole has caused tragedies nationwide. It allowed the following carnage caused by people who were able to get guns without background checks:

Nine killed in 1999 at an Atlanta, Georgia, day-trading firm; six killed in 2003 in a Meridian, Mississippi, Lockheed Martin plant; four killed in 2011 at a Carson City, Nevada, IHOP; seven killed in 2019 in a Midland, Texas, drive-by shooting; nine killed in 2019 outside a Dayton, Ohio, bar; 23 killed in 2023 at an El Paso, Texas, Walmart.

Fifty-eight people whose lives might have been saved had their shooters been required to have background checks. These situations could easily happen in Maine. This is a loophole that must be closed. I urge you to contact your legislators to support expanded background checks in Maine.

Judy Williams
Member
The First Church in Belfast Gun Safety Work Group
Belfast