In response to the tragic mass shooting in Lewiston last year, Maine legislators put together a bill to impose a 72-hour waiting period on some gun purchases. The bill, soon to be law, has attracted a heated rebuke from the family-owned firearm and outdoor recreation business.
Hoping for “irreversible consequences,” the Kittery Trading Post has informed the Sportsman’s Alliance of Maine that the legislation might drive them to take their business to New Hampshire a state so well-known for the motto “Live Free or Die” and the lack of tight gun control laws. In a letter released by the Sportsman’s Alliance, the Trading Post contended that the waiting period “forces law-abiding customers to make two visits over three days to complete a legal firearm sale.” They emphasized that the requirement subjects customers to undue logistical and economic burdens.
The relocation would not only move a piece of Maine heritage out of state but also potentially deal a significant economic blow. The Kittery Trading Post offered a financial impact statement that forecasted a loss of over 40,000 customers and over $400,000 in Maine sales tax receipts annually. The effects, they argue, would have a ripple effect through their sale of not only firearms, but also camping and fishing equipment, footwear, and apparel.
Maine’s bill, sponsored by lawmakers in Lewiston, is a reaction to a tragedy that resulted in 18 deaths and 13 injuries. The bill, which Gov. Janet Mills let become law without signing, does not apply to law enforcement or licensed security officers, or to federally licensed firearms dealers’ transactions with each other. Supporters claim the waiting period might prevent suicides by creating a “cooling off” period. Critics, including the influential National Rifle Association-Institute for Legislative Action, condemn the law as an infringement on Second Amendment rights and express concerns over self-defense requirements in emergency situations.
Gov. Mills, who was sensitive to controversy and possible economic impacts, has instructed Maine’s public safety commissioner and attorney general to watch for legal challenges to comparable laws in other states. She hopes the law will serve its intent to prevent suicide by gun without unfairly encroaching on Maine’s outdoor recreation sports economy and the rights of law-abiding gun owners and sellers.
