AUGUSTA –The legislation proposed by Senator Andre Cushing (R-Penobscot) to protect the rights of gun owners in subsidized housing today achieved final enactment in the Maine Senate.
“I am very pleased with this vote because it validates the fact that Second Amendment rights apply to all Mainers, regardless of their financial circumstances,” Senator Cushing said.
LD 1572, “An Act to Ensure Nondiscrimination Against Gun Owners in Subsidized Housing,” was introduced by Senator Cushing following a situation in Rockland where a tenant of subsidized housing was denied his Second Amendment rights after using a firearm to protect himself following a series of burglaries.
Harvey Lembo, a Rockland subsidized housing resident and former police constable, was robbed several times for his prescription medication so he bought a gun to protect himself. Wheelchair bound, Lembo heard a burglar one night and he confronted the criminal, made him sit on a coffee table, called 911, and when the intruder lunged off the table, Lembo shot him in the shoulder. As a result of this altercation, Lembo was informed he must surrender his gun or be evicted.