Maine Senate Kills Bill to Broaden Background Checks

By: José Niño

On June 27, 2023, the Maine Senate voted to scrap a bill to expand background checks on firearm purchases. This bill was sponsored by Democratic House Speaker Rachel Talbot Ross, which would have expanded background checks to encompass private gun sales, gun show specials, and transfers. Individuals caught in violation of this law would be subject to a fine of up to $1,000.

Universal background checks were previously rejected by Maine voters in 2016, when they voted against the Question 3 ballot initiative by a 52% to 48% margin.

Curiously, this bill faced significant bipartisan opposition in both chambers of the Maine State Legislature. For example, in the Maine State House, where Democrats hold an 81-68 advantage over Republicans, the bill was passed by a razor-thin 69-68 vote on June 26. The next day the Maine Senate killed the universal background check bill by a 21-13 vote.

Dudley Brown, the president of the National Association for Gun Rights, offered his perspective on Maine’s decision to capsize universal background check legislation:

“Gun owners dodged a bullet here. This bill, which included Universal Gun Registration and a ban on private firearm sales, should be taken as a warning to pro-gun Mainers that the Gun Control Lobby has the Pinetree state listed as a top priority for their future operations.”

Due to the legislative efforts of former State Senator Eric Brakey, Maine approved Constitutional Carry in 2015, which grants all law-abiding Maine residents the ability to carry a firearm — their God-given right — without having to beg the government for permission. The state passed such legislation on a bipartisan basis with Brakey being able to get several Democrats to cross over the aisle and vote for said legislation.

That said, Maine is a state that still has work to do on gun rights. Per Guns & Ammo magazine’s best states for gun owners rankings, it’s ranked in a below-average 30^th place. Defeating universal background checks is a good way to prevent the state from descending into anti-gun status. However, more can be done in terms of rolling back other gun control measures that are on the books.

Like any pro-liberty endeavor worth fighting for, relentless activism will be needed for Maine to fully restore gun rights for its citizens.

José Niño is a freelance writer based in Austin, Texas. Contact him via Facebook, Twitter, or email him at [email protected]. Get his e-book, The 10 Myths of Gun Control, here.