Maine House Republicans teamed up with the Sportsmen’s Alliance of Maine (SAM) on Tuesday to propose a counter-measure to a “Red Flag” bill that finally came to light last week after a sustained effort to compel majority Democrats to adhere to the law and legislative procedure and hold a hearing about it.
“Red Flag” laws, a form of Extreme Risk Protection Orders (ERPOs), allow law enforcement to seize firearms from those said to be a risk to themselves or others. By contrast, Maine’s existing “Yellow Flag” law establishes a due process mechanism that involves mental health professionals working in concert with law enforcement before any guns are confiscated.
When a hearing was ultimately held last Thursday, Lieutenant Michael Johnson of the Maine State Police testified against the proposed “Red Flag” law stating his concerns that it would “undermine the effectiveness of the existing Yellow Flag law,” and further said he was “unsure what it would accomplish that existing law doesn’t already.”
Opponents of a “Red Flag” law for Maine stress that it would potentially endanger law enforcement, the subjects of such orders, and innocent by-standers.
Rep. Jennifer Poirier (R-Skowhegan), a member of the legislature’s Judiciary Committee, spoke at a press conference in the State Capitol early Tuesday to outline the counter-measure which would fiscally support receiving crisis centers, provide for the education of school resource officers, and create a Yellow Flag Public Safety Fund — all actions aimed at strengthening the existing law and its due process protections.
SAM Executive Director David Trahan joined Rep. Poirier and spoke in favor of the proposed counter-measure.
“This was created in collaboration with NAMI (the National Association of Mental Illness) and public safety institutions and is a homegrown solution as opposed to a nationally-imposed one,” Trahan said.
Trahan also said his group had been in contact with U.S. Senator Susan Collins’ (R-Maine) office and confirmed with the chairwoman of the Senate Appropriations Committee that their proposed measure would be eligible for federal funding.
This November’s ballot will include a referendum question asking Maine voters if they support a Red Flag law, and should a majority approve that initiative, the bill that has been the subject of intense controversy would see legislative action and likely enactment. That looming deadline is driving the push for a better solution by gun rights activists, sportsmen, and others who approve the abrogation of the Second Amendment without due process.
“We just want to give the people of Maine the last word,” Trahan said.
