It’s estimated that nearly half of all Maine homes have at least one firearm, and those numbers have risen since the start of the pandemic. According to FBI data on background checks, 70,244 Mainers tried to purchase firearms between March and August of 2020, an increase of 69 percent from 2019. And those are only the sales we know about: Maine law does not require background checks for transactions that take place at gun shows or through advertised sales, even though the parties may be complete strangers. Many of us in state government see the trends in gun suicide and other forms of gun violence as alarming, enough so that we have formed a legislative Gun Safety Caucus to work together on common-sense, life-saving measures. We have begun efforts to educate our colleagues and the public about policies that will address Maine’s gun-related crises, from firearm-involved suicides, to the recent spate of children shot and injured by unsecured firearms, to the ongoing tragedy of domestic violence firearm-involved homicides.
Opinion: Maine gun numbers tell a stark story. New caucus committed to changing them.
Gun deaths in Maine increased 45 percent from 2010 to 2019, vastly higher than the national average.
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Vicki Doudera of Camden represents District 94 in the Maine House of Representatives.