Supporters call on lawmakers to go even further at public hearing on gun bills

Now a medical student at the University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine, Austin Vaughan said he always dreamed of being a pediatrician and helping save children’s lives.

“But the truth is that no amount of healing I do throughout my career will save more lives than the steps this committee can take starting today,” he told the Legislature’s Judiciary Committee Tuesday afternoon.

Vaughan was one of dozens of doctors, teachers, parents and faith leaders who testified at a joint public hearing on two bills from a suite of gun-safety legislation put forth by legislative Democrats in response to the Oct. 25 mass shooting in Lewiston. 

Currently, Maine law requires for firearms used in homicides and murders to be destroyed. LD 2086 seeks to extend that to all forfeited firearms. The bill’s sponsor, Sen. Anne Carney (D-Cumberland) also explained to the committee that the amended version of the bill updates the definition of “machine gun” to align with the federal definition. 

Lewiston survivors say system that led to the state’s worst mass shooting ‘needs to be fixed’

The other bill heard by the committee was LD 2119, which would allow a person to voluntarily waive their right to purchase a firearm to help prevent suicides. Bill sponsor Rep. Vicki Doudera (D-Camden) said the bill also allows a person to reinstate their rights any time after seven days. Although the bill includes a $100 fee if someone attempts to purchase after waiving their rights, Doudera said the bill isn’t intended to be punitive.

“This is about preventing bad things, not about punishing,” she said. 

While the proposal would be handled by the courts, Julie Finn from the State of Maine Judicial Branch said there are concerns about that provision. Testifying neither for nor against the bill, Finn said it wasn’t clear if the voluntary waiver of rights would fall within the mission of the judicial branch, because it only involves one party. 

The bill would also allow gun owners to temporarily store their weapons at a gun shop or other similar entity under an agreement that limits the liability on the business. Doudera said gun shop owners she spoke to said many of them already do this, but wanted that extra protection. 

A person may want to temporarily store their weapons outside their home for any number of reasons, she explained, such as grandparents who are having their grandchildren stay for an extended period of time or a soldier who will be deployed and wants to ensure their guns are safely secured while they are away.

Members of the public used the hearing as an opportunity to share personal stories about their own loved ones who died from gun violence. Lauren Jacobs, who serves on the board of the Maine Women’s Lobby, said her sister-in-law died by suicide moments after purchasing her first gun in 2022. 

When adults are struggling with their mental health, Jacobs said, it can feel like their loved ones have few tools to help. While there is no one solution, she added, LD 2119 can provide one option to help people in crisis. 

“I fully support what we are doing here,” said Arthur Barnard, whose son, Arthur Strout, was one of the 18 people killed in the Lewiston shooting. “How could I not?”

With backing of Democratic leaders, Mills officially unveils gun safety legislation

While he believes people should be able to keep their guns for hunting, Barnard said people need to be responsible for their weapons. 

Just this week, Barnard said he went for a run with Strout’s 14-year-old daughter. She wanted to hear stories about her dad. The impact on Strout’s five children has been one of the toughest parts of his death, Barnard said. 

One woman spoke of her own history with depression and attempts at suicide. 

“If given the opportunity, I would sign up to protect myself from my future self,” she said.

Some who were in favor of the bills still called for more stringent reforms. 

People like Nacole Palmer from the Maine Gun Safety Coalition are calling for a ban on assault weapons and high-capacity magazines. A pediatric hospitalist at Central Maine Medical Center, Dr. Joe Anderson said gun violence is a public health issue and similarly wants to see an assault weapons ban. 

People who spoke against the bills were largely concerned with the new definition of machine gun. Some were also concerned about the constitutionality of the reforms, expressing fears that there wasn’t a clear enough process to reinstate someone’s right to purchase a weapon after forgoing them. 

Had Carney’s bill only been about destroying all forfeited firearms, Justin Davis, Maine state director for the National Rifle Association, said he probably wouldn’t have gone before the committee. Rather his concern is that changing the definition could provide an opening for an assault weapons ban.

Sen. Eric Brakey (R-Androscoggin) asked multiple people testifying, including Davis, what they define as an assault rifle. Davis said he has yet to see a comprehensive definition of an assault weapon, but said people are often scared about “the cosmetics” of a weapon.

The Judiciary Committee is scheduled to hear two more gun-related bills Thursday, including legislation from Gov. Janet Mills that she hopes will improve violence prevention, strengthen mental health services and keep weapons out of the hands of potentially dangerous people.