Overview

• Governor Janet Mills of Maine has proposed significant gun-safety measures following the mass shooting in Lewiston that claimed 18 lives, including expanded background checks for private gun sales and modifications to the state's yellow flag law.
• The proposals aim to close loopholes in private gun sales and enhance law enforcement's ability to remove weapons from mentally unstable individuals deemed dangerous.
• Maine Republicans have expressed opposition to the expanded background checks, mischaracterizing the proposal and raising concerns about a potential firearm registry.
• Mills' plan seeks to build bipartisan support for gun-safety measures in Maine, emphasizing the need for practical, common-sense solutions to gun violence.
• Gun safety advocates support Mills' proposals, while some Republicans find common ground in the expansion of mental health services proposed by the governor.