Maine House votes to allow lawsuits against gunmakers

AUGUSTA, Maine — The Maine House of Representatives passed Thursday a proposal to let residents sue gunmakers over injuries tied to illegal firearm sales and “deceptive” marketing.

The bill from Rep. Rebecca Millett, D-Cape Elizabeth, was introduced last spring before getting carried over to this year and taking on added significance after the October 2023 mass shooting in Lewiston that left 18 dead and 13 injured in Maine’s deadliest rampage on record . The House passed it Thursday night in a 76-72 vote.

The amended measure lets Mainers sue gun manufacturers and other industry members who “knowingly” sell or market guns and firearm products in ways that promote illegal modifications or target minors and others prohibited from possessing firearms. It also prohibits manufacturers, sellers or importers from marketing products in “unconscionable or deceptive” ways.

People harmed by guns sold or marketed illegally under the bill could sue companies, and the Maine attorney general could also sue violators, who could face penalties between $10,000 to $100,000, per Millett’s proposal that initially targeted “abnormally dangerous” guns.

While Congress outlawed most lawsuits against gunmakers under 2005 legislation , Millett and gun-control advocates noted states may allow lawsuits against manufacturers who knowingly endanger the public through irresponsible methods.

Rep. Amy Kuhn, D-Falmouth, said the bill creates a “powerful incentive” for the gun industry to act responsibly, while Rep. David Haggan, R-Hampden, criticized it as a “touchdown” for gun-control proponents that would declare “firearms and not people are the dangerous ones.”

The House also passed a bill on Thursday night from Rep. Vicki Doudera, D-Camden, to study the potential creation of a process by which people who may be at risk of suicide could sign up for a do-not-sell list for guns. Other gun-control proposals introduced in the wake of the Oct. 25 mass shooting in Lewiston are awaiting votes, as the Legislature seeks to adjourn later this month.