Maine House narrowly pass bill to require background checks on private gun sales

AUGUSTA, Maine (WABI) – A bill that would require background checks on private gun sales narrowly passed in the Maine House today.

The vote was 69 to 68.

While the state currently requires a background check for commercial gun purchases from licensed dealers, supporters of this bill say it would close a loophole that allows those who are prohibited from having a gun to buy one through a private sale or at a gun show.

Opponents of the bill argue it would impose more restrictions on law abiding citizens while having no impact on public safety, violent crimes, or gun deaths.

“Our failure to do background checks contributes to gun related tragedies around this state, domestic violence deaths as well as a robust guns for drug trade exists where narcotics, opioids, fentanyl, and other illegal substances are trafficked into the state and traded for guns,” Rep. Victoria Doudera of Camden said in support of the bill.

“Madam Speaker, the people of Maine do not want universal background checks, and they definitely would not want them when coupled with universal registration. How can we be sure of this Madam Speaker? It’s because they told us in a people’s referendum when they soundly defeated universal background checks. The people told us this even when the papers and the polls at the time told us that over 80% of Maine voters wanted it,” Rep. Chad Perkins of Dover-Foxcroft said in opposition of the bill.

That citizen referendum to expand background checks was defeated by Maine voters in 2016, 52 to 48 percent.

The bill now head to the Senate.