A tried and true tactic used to defeat a referendum question is to employ plain old scare tactics and try to confuse voters about what a proposal actually does and doesn’t do. Question 3 on November’s ballot is simple, straight-forward and common sense. It requires a background check for all gun sales and transfers, with […]
guns
Posted inOp-Eds
Democrats, Republicans must change the narrative on guns
On June 13, the day after the greatest mass shooting in this nation’s history, I issued a deeply personal statement in my public capacity as chairman of the Maine Democratic Party. It would be a perverse exercise to attempt to quantify the relative horror of such astonishing acts of violence. But on that occasion, my […]
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Posted inNation / World, sj-web
Can Susan Collins help crack gun-rights’ grip on Congress?
WASHINGTON — How has the Orlando shooting slaughter affected the politics of gun control in Congress? A bipartisan House measure barring firearms sales to some suspected terrorists nicely captures the mix of new and familiar forces in play. The mere introduction Friday of a proposal backed by five Republicans and four Democrats highlights the post-Orlando, […]
Posted inMaine, sj-web
Bloomberg nonprofit gives $3 million to Maine gun groups
AUGUSTA — Maine gun safety advocates preparing for a big, costly fight over a background checks measure on the November ballot have received more than $3 million from a nonprofit backed by former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg. Maine voters this fall will consider an initiative requiring background checks before gun transfers and sales between […]
Posted inLewiston-Auburn
Armed standoff ends in Lewiston
LEWISTON — Police surrounded a house on Ridgewood Avenue on Thursday night when a man threatened to shoot himself and went into his garage with a gun. Police converged on the area at about 7:20 p.m. after the man’s wife reported that he was in the garage loading his weapon. After just over an hour, […]
Posted inFranklin
Lewiston man pleads guilty in Rangeley theft case
FARMINGTON — A Lewiston man pleaded guilty Thursday to stealing TVs, medical marijuana and guns from a disabled Rangeley man while he was lured to a mall in Auburn in April 2015. Steven Sharpley, 21, of Lewiston pleaded guilty in Franklin County Superior Court to a charge of felony theft and a misdemeanor charge of […]
Posted inMaine, sj-web
Shooting survivor backs gun background checks on Maine ballot
ORONO — A survivor of the Virginia Tech shooting is sharing his story in hopes of garnering support for a firearms background check proposal set to appear on the Maine ballot in November. Colin Goddard spoke at the University of Maine in Orono on Wednesday. Goddard was a senior at Virginia Tech when he was […]
Posted inLivermore Falls Advertiser, Maine
Legislative committee says yes to Section 8 guns
AUGUSTA — The Legislature’s Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee on Thursday voted 7-6 in favor of a bill that would allow tenants who live in public housing or who receive a federal Section 8 housing voucher to keep guns in their apartments. The final vote came two days after the panel split 4-4 Tuesday on […]
Posted inMaine
Bill to allow guns in Section 8 properties hits stalemate
AUGUSTA — Lawmakers on Tuesday continued their debate over the best way to balance the rights of landlords with those of tenants who are receiving public housing subsidies and want to keep firearms. A new proposal offered by Sen. Andre Cushing, R-Hampden, would allow landlords who own and live in multiunit properties with four apartments […]
Posted inLetters
Maintain our freedom to buy guns
It’s no secret that Americans have been purchasing guns at unprecedented levels. According to the ATF, January 2016 was the ninth consecutive month of record-breaking background checks. However, the background-check system is not perfect. The FBI, which processes gun sale denial appeals, recently had 7,100 appeals put on hold until manpower can be increased to […]