Maine Legislature Votes to Eliminate Concealed Handgun Permits
Power-Hungry, Control-Freak Democrats Hyperventilating Over Their loss of Control of the Public They Seek to Subjugate
By: David Deschesne
Fort Fairfield Journal, June 10, 2015
AUGUSTA, Maine - The Maine Legislature has approved L.D. 652, “An Act To Authorize the Carrying of Concealed Handguns without a Permit.” The law, also referred to as “Constitutional Carry” would remove the requirement to obtain a permit, which is largely a money-making venture of the government, for people over 21 years old in order to carry a concealed weapon. It has always been legal to openly carry a weapon, unconcealed, in Maine.
The bill’s sponsor, Senator Eric Brakey (R-Androscoggin), also remarked on how the “commonsense proposal” strengthens the protections enshrined in the Bill of Rights. “Currently in Maine, you can carry a gun on your person, but once you put on a jacket that covers up that gun you’re carrying illegally if you don’t have a permit. It just doesn’t make sense,” Senator Brakey said. “This legislation changes that, and in doing so protects our Second Amendment Rights and lessens the burdens on local governments for permitting.”
In a 21-14 vote, the Republican-controlled Senate approved L.D. 652 on May 28, followed by the Maine House of Representatives which passed it overwhelmingly with a 83-62 vote. The bill would allow members of the public “not prohibited from possessing a firearm to carry a concealed handgun without a permit.” Governor Paul LePage has indicated that he will sign the bill into law once an amendment is passed by the legislature exempting those under 21 who are on active duty in the military.
“Though citizens would no longer be required to seek a permit to carry a concealed weapon, the legislation does not remove Maine's permitting system so that citizens can enjoy reciprocity with other states. Additionally, under an amendment attached to the bill, Mainers between the ages of 18 and 21 would still be required to obtain a permit to carry unless they are an active military member or an honorably discharged veteran,” said Maine Senator Mike Willette (R-Aroostook). “The bill does not change who may carry a firearm, it does not change what kinds of firearms may be carried, nor does it change where firearms may be carried. The Maine State Police support the legislation.”
Major gun control groups, including former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s Everytown for Gun Safety and Moms Demand Action, as well as members of the Maine Chiefs of Police led an effort to derail the bill, with Portland Chief Michael Sauschuck arguing it would “ultimately [hurt] the safety of our communities.”
“When we roll into a scene, we’re looking for weapons,” Sauschuck said. “Common sense would say, why wouldn’t you have a permitting process before allowing someone to conceal a firearm in the community?”
Sauschuck's criticism is short-sighted to say the least. A person who has a concealed carry permit is one who already has agreed to obey the law and undergo the safety training to obtain the permit and has been vetted by their local police chief, or the State police. When officers “roll into a scene” the criminals they will be dealing with will, in all likelihood, be carrying a concealed weapon without first going through the permitting process. Ergo, having a state permitting system does not guarantee police access to information about whether a subject has a gun on his person, or not.
When Adolph Hitler took over Germany, he sought to abolish gun ownership and used a gun registration system, similar to the concealed/carry system we use today, to identify who owned guns. Those weapons were eventually confiscated by the NAZIs in order to eliminate any effective resistance against the tyranny they inflicted on the world around them. This tactic of gun identification and confiscation by a foreign military overtaking the U.S. was also illustrated in the 1980's movie, Red Dawn.
“Maine historically has had the lowest incidence of violent crime in The USA. Criminals are probably aware of the high rate of gun ownership and perhaps concealed carry. Researchers have linked this to declining and low crime,” said Dr. Ivan Shapiro, a certified NRA handgun safety instructor in Fort Fairfield. “However, constitutional carry of firearms is long overdue in Maine; I salute the legislature. Safe handling of firearms is of paramount importance for the safety of the person carrying and people around him or her. For this reason I encourage taking the NRA class in handgun safety and operation.”
L.D. 652 only affects local permits and does not altogether eliminate the state permitting system so that citizens can enjoy reciprocity with other states.
Maine, a “shall-issue” state, has issued over 36,000 concealed weapons permits, including permits to out-of-state residents. Maine has exceptionally low crime rates, and concomitantly a high rate of gun ownership.
It was already legal to openly carry a firearm in the state of Maine. Seven other states, including fellow New England state Vermont, currently have “Constitutional Carry” laws on their books.
