‭Governor Mills’ Statement on 72 Hour Waiting Period Bill‬

‭ ugusta,‬ ‭MAINE‬ ‭–‬ ‭Governor‬ ‭Janet‬ ‭Mills‬ ‭announced‬ ‭today‬ ‭that‬ ‭she‬‭will‬‭allow‬‭LD‬‭2238,‬‭An‬
A
‭Act‬ ‭to‬ ‭Address‬ ‭Gun‬ ‭Violence‬ ‭in‬ ‭Maine‬ ‭by‬ ‭Requiring‬ ‭a‬ ‭Waiting‬ ‭Period‬ ‭for‬ ‭Certain‬ ‭Firearm‬
‭Purchases, to become law without her signature.‬

‭The Governor issued the following statement on her decision:‬

‭“I‬ ‭have‬ ‭spent‬ ‭the‬ ‭past‬ ‭ten‬ ‭days‬ ‭–‬ ‭the‬ ‭maximum‬ ‭allowed‬ ‭under‬ ‭the‬ ‭Maine‬ ‭Constitution‬ ‭–‬
c‭ onsidering‬‭LD‬‭2238,‬‭reviewing‬‭testimony‬‭both‬‭for‬‭and‬‭against,‬‭and‬‭speaking‬‭to‬‭proponents‬‭and‬
‭opponents‬‭alike.‬‭I‬‭have‬‭thought‬‭long‬‭and‬‭hard‬‭about‬‭the‬‭potential‬‭impacts‬‭of‬‭this‬‭bill,‬‭and‬‭I‬‭am‬
‭deeply‬‭conflicted.‬‭I‬‭recognize‬‭that‬‭there‬‭are‬‭people‬‭of‬‭good‬‭faith‬‭on‬‭both‬‭sides,‬‭with‬‭strongly‬‭and‬
‭sincerely‬‭held‬‭beliefs.‬‭This‬‭is‬‭an‬‭emotional‬‭issue‬‭for‬‭many,‬‭and‬‭there‬‭are‬‭compelling‬‭arguments‬
‭for and against. This is not an easy issue.‬

‭“On‬‭the‬‭one‬‭hand,‬‭opponents‬‭argue‬‭that‬‭the‬‭measure‬‭implements‬‭an‬‭arbitrary‬‭standard;‬‭that‬‭it‬
‭ laces‬‭an‬‭undue‬‭burden‬‭on‬‭law-abiding‬‭citizens,‬‭including‬‭potentially‬‭limiting‬‭the‬‭obtaining‬‭of‬‭a‬
p
‭weapon‬ ‭for‬ ‭self-protection‬ ‭in‬ ‭exigent‬ ‭circumstances;‬ ‭that‬ ‭it‬ ‭is‬ ‭Constitutionally-suspect‬ ‭and‬ ‭is‬
‭being‬ ‭challenged‬ ‭in‬ ‭the‬ ‭courts‬ ‭in‬ ‭other‬ ‭states,‬ ‭including‬ ‭Vermont;‬ ‭and‬ ‭that‬ ‭it‬ ‭would‬‭not‬‭have‬
‭prevented the tragedy in Lewiston. There are merits to these arguments.‬

“‭ Proponents,‬ ‭on‬ ‭the‬ ‭other‬ ‭hand,‬ ‭argue‬‭that‬‭this‬‭measure‬‭is‬‭a‬‭much-needed‬‭suicide‬‭prevention‬

‭tool,‬ ‭allowing‬ ‭for‬ ‭a‬ ‭cooling-off‬ ‭period‬ ‭to‬ ‭reconsider‬ ‭and‬ ‭to‬ ‭potentially‬ ‭let‬ ‭impulsive‬ ‭feelings‬
‭subside.‬ ‭They‬ ‭cite‬ ‭information‬‭from‬‭the‬‭Maine‬‭Center‬‭for‬‭Disease‬‭Control‬‭and‬‭Prevention‬‭that‬
‭Maine‬ ‭has‬ ‭a‬ ‭high‬ ‭rate‬ ‭of‬ ‭suicide‬ ‭deaths‬ ‭compared‬ ‭to‬ ‭other‬ ‭states‬ ‭and‬ ‭that‬ ‭more‬ ‭than‬ ‭half‬ ‭of‬
‭those‬‭were‬‭caused‬‭by‬‭a‬‭firearm.‬‭Further,‬‭they‬‭point‬‭out‬‭that,‬‭for‬‭the‬‭most‬‭recent‬‭year‬‭for‬‭which‬
‭we‬ ‭have‬ ‭statistics,‬ ‭89‬ ‭percent‬ ‭of‬ ‭all‬ ‭deaths‬ ‭by‬‭guns‬‭were‬‭suicides.‬‭This‬‭argument‬‭also‬‭has‬‭real‬
‭merit.‬

“‭ I‬ ‭believe‬ ‭that‬ ‭effective‬ ‭suicide‬ ‭prevention‬ ‭requires‬ ‭a‬ ‭comprehensive‬ ‭approach,‬ ‭such‬ ‭as‬
‭improving‬ ‭Maine’s‬ ‭extreme‬ ‭risk‬ ‭protection‬ ‭law‬ ‭and‬ ‭expanding‬ ‭mental‬ ‭health‬ ‭services,‬
‭particularly‬‭for‬‭those‬‭in‬‭crisis‬‭–‬‭as‬‭we‬‭have‬‭done‬‭through‬‭laws‬‭I‬‭recently‬‭signed.‬‭It‬‭is‬‭clear‬‭that,‬
‭in‬ ‭the‬ ‭last‬ ‭six‬ ‭months‬ ‭especially,‬ ‭our‬ ‭existing‬ ‭extreme‬ ‭risk‬ ‭protection‬ ‭order‬ ‭has‬ ‭prevented‬
‭suicides every day and has led people to get help.‬

‭“In‬‭carefully‬‭considering‬‭all‬‭the‬‭arguments,‬‭I‬‭have‬‭decided‬‭to‬‭allow‬‭this‬‭bill‬‭to‬‭become‬‭law.‬‭I‬‭do‬
s‭ o,‬ ‭however,‬ ‭with‬ ‭some‬‭caveats‬‭and‬‭concerns‬‭and‬‭with‬‭the‬‭hope‬‭that‬‭it‬‭can‬‭be‬‭implemented‬‭to‬
‭accomplish‬ ‭its‬ ‭intended‬ ‭goal‬ ‭of‬ ‭preventing‬ ‭suicide‬ ‭by‬ ‭firearm‬ ‭without‬ ‭overburdening‬ ‭our‬
‭outdoor‬ ‭sports‬ ‭economy‬ ‭and‬ ‭the‬ ‭rights‬ ‭of‬ ‭responsible‬ ‭gun‬ ‭owners‬ ‭and‬ ‭dealers‬ ‭to‬ ‭engage‬ ‭in‬
‭lawful and constitutionally protected activities.‬

“‭ To‬ ‭address‬ ‭some‬ ‭of‬ ‭the‬‭concerns‬‭about‬‭the‬‭bill‬‭identified‬‭during‬‭the‬‭legislative‬‭process,‬‭I‬‭will‬

‭request‬ ‭that‬ ‭the‬ ‭Commissioner‬ ‭of‬ ‭Public‬ ‭Safety,‬ ‭in‬ ‭consultation‬ ‭with‬ ‭the‬ ‭Attorney‬‭General,‬‭to‬
‭undertake the following:‬
‭●‬ ‭monitor‬ ‭Constitutional‬ ‭challenges‬ ‭over‬ ‭waiting‬ ‭periods‬ ‭for‬ ‭firearm‬ ‭purchases‬
‭ ow‬‭playing‬‭out‬‭in‬‭other‬‭jurisdictions,‬‭including‬‭Vermont,‬‭to‬‭assess‬‭their‬‭impacts‬
n
‭on this law‬

‭●‬ ‭review‬ ‭and‬ ‭provide‬ ‭written‬ ‭guidance‬ ‭to‬ ‭law‬ ‭enforcement‬‭and‬‭the‬‭general‬‭public‬

c‭ oncerning‬‭how‬‭the‬‭provisions‬‭of‬‭this‬‭legislation‬‭affect:‬‭1)‬‭the‬‭temporary‬‭transfer,‬
‭including‬‭the‬‭borrowing‬‭or‬‭renting‬‭of‬‭firearms‬‭(in‬‭the‬‭context‬‭of‬‭guided‬‭hunts,‬‭for‬
‭example),‬‭and‬‭2)‬‭the‬‭ability‬‭of‬‭citizens‬‭to‬‭acquire‬‭firearms‬‭for‬‭personal‬‭protection‬
‭under‬ ‭exigent‬ ‭circumstances‬ ‭to‬ ‭provide‬ ‭clarity‬ ‭to‬ ‭impacted‬ ‭individuals,‬ ‭among‬
‭other issues that may need clarity.”‬