Maine
Maine’s congressional leaders disagree on how to change gun laws after Texas school shooting
Members of Maine’s congressional delegation known as for motion after a gunman killed 21 folks, largely youngsters, at an elementary college in Texas late Tuesday, the worst mass taking pictures at a college in a decade.
The lethal taking pictures — which got here simply 10 days after a racist taking pictures spree left 10 folks useless in Buffalo, New York — prompted a flurry of consideration on gun management in Congress on Wednesday. It is a matter that lawmakers have largely been deadlocked on lately, and no votes appear imminent.
Maine politicians in current many years have typically been skeptical of stricter gun management measures, monitoring with public opinion right here. A common background verify failed in 2016. However any coverage with an opportunity of passage would probably want the help of Maine’s delegation within the intently divided Congress.
Rep. Chellie Pingree, a Democrat, and Sen. Angus King, an impartial, renewed calls on Wednesday for common background checks. Sen. Susan Collins, a Republican, targeted on a federal model of Maine’s “yellow flag” regulation. Rep. Jared Golden, a Democrat from the extra gun-friendly 2nd District, was essentially the most cautious and least particular, saying lawmakers ought to get on the information after which take into account “sensible insurance policies” to stop related acts sooner or later.
Collins’ workplace confirmed on Wednesday that she had been in contact with Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Connecticut, who has been a number one advocate for gun management within the Senate after a gunman killed 26 folks, together with 20 children, in a 2012 taking pictures at Sandy Hook Elementary College.
Within the aftermath of Tuesday’s taking pictures, Collins known as for a federal model of Maine’s “yellow flag” regulation, which permits regulation enforcement to confiscate weapons by means of a authorized course of if a medical skilled determines an individual poses a big risk to themselves or others. Some states have extra stringent “crimson flag” legal guidelines that don’t require medical enter.
A possible mannequin for such laws might be a invoice developed by Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Florida, and backed by King that will set up a grant system to assist states implement crimson flag legal guidelines. The invoice was first developed within the aftermath of a taking pictures in Parkland, Florida, in 2018, however was reintroduced final yr.
A spokesperson for King, who caucuses with the Democrats, additionally pointed to the impartial senator’s previous help for common background checks and shutting loopholes that enable folks to buy weapons with out passing one.
Pingree, a reliably progressive Democrat representing the first District, mentioned there was “no good cause” the background checks invoice that handed the Home final yr has not made it by means of the Senate. The invoice doesn’t appear to have 60 votes to beat the Senate filibuster, and Senate Majority Chief Chuck Schumer, D-New York, indicated on Wednesday that he’s not instantly planning to deliver it up.
However she went additional, saying Congress should “once more ban weapons of struggle on our streets.” She can be co-sponsoring laws to reinstate the ban on assault weapons that expired in 2004.
Golden was the one member of the delegation who didn’t instantly name for adjustments to gun coverage on Wednesday. In a press release, he characterised the Texas taking pictures as “heartbreaking” and “purely evil.” However he mentioned he wouldn’t be “pointing fingers” proper now, saying doing so wouldn’t result in change or assist the households affected by the taking pictures.
The congressman, who’s dealing with a troublesome reelection race within the 2nd District, was the one Democrat to oppose the background checks invoice within the Home final yr, citing partly its similarities to the 2016 referendum Maine voters rejected. He didn’t endorse or rule out different coverage discussions, resembling a yellow flag regulation, saying extra info was wanted in regards to the circumstances of the Texas taking pictures to grasp the insurance policies wanted to stop related acts.
“I shall be speaking with my colleagues and with my constituents about what might have been carried out to cease it and what sensible insurance policies might be thought-about to assist forestall one other mindless act of violence like this from occurring once more sooner or later,” Golden mentioned.