Trendpills
Maine voters have approved a new "red flag" law, a significant gun safety measure enacted two years after the state's deadliest mass shooting claimed 18 lives in Lewiston. The ballot initiative, known as Question 2, passed on Tuesday, empowering family members and household members to petition a court directly to temporarily confiscate firearms from individuals deemed a danger to themselves or others.
This decision marks a pivotal shift from Maine's previous "yellow flag" law, which was considered one of the weakest in the nation. Under the old system, only law enforcement could initiate the gun removal process, which also required a medical professional's assessment confirming an individual posed a significant threat. Advocates for the new law argued these steps created critical delays and barriers, which proved tragic in the case of the Lewiston shooter. His family had expressed concerns about his deteriorating mental health and access to weapons prior to the attack, but the existing framework failed to intervene effectively. The newly passed gun safety measure is designed to close that gap.
The citizen-initiated measure passed with a significant majority, with the Bangor Daily News and Decision Desk HQ reporting a margin of 60.1% in favor to 39.9% against. With its passage, Maine joins more than 20 other states that have enacted similar extreme risk protection orders. The law goes beyond the previous framework by removing law enforcement as the sole gatekeeper for initiating an order.
Supporters, including many families of the Lewiston victims and gun control advocacy groups, hailed the vote as a common-sense reform that will save lives. They contended it provides a more direct path for concerned relatives to act before a crisis escalates. Opponents, primarily gun rights organizations, argued the measure could infringe on Second Amendment rights and that the state’s “yellow flag” law was sufficient if properly implemented. They raised concerns that the new process could be misused and lacks adequate due process. The approved law, however, still requires a judge to determine whether an individual poses a danger before ordering the temporary removal of firearms, a detail supporters say provides a necessary legal check.
