(TheLastPatriotNews.com) – In a vital new effort to defend Second Amendment rights, gun rights groups have jumped into action to counter Maine’s newly enforced 72-hour waiting period for firearm purchases.
They claim it unjustly delays law-abiding citizens’ ability to purchase firearms despite passing background checks.
This lawsuit, sparking powerful debates, pits constitutional freedoms against supposed safety measures.
Gun rights organizations, including the Sportsman’s Alliance of Maine and Gun Owners of Maine, are vigorously challenging Maine’s new law.
The coalition has filed a lawsuit, declaring that the mandatory waiting period unlawfully extends the process for citizens who already cleared background checks.
These organizations argue the measure is inconsistent with the Second Amendment, AP News reports.
Relying on a recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling, the lawsuit emphasizes that the waiting period contradicts established legal principles.
Plaintiffs’ attorneys state, “Nothing in our nation’s historical tradition of firearm regulation supports that kind of ‘cooling-off period’ measure, which is a 20th century regulatory innovation that is flatly inconsistent with the Second Amendment’s original meaning.”
“Waiting periods have been upheld across the country as a reasonable, limited regulation that does not infringe on Second Amendment rights,” says Maine’s Attorney General Aaron Frey
Maine is now one of twelve states with waiting periods, intending to reduce impulsive firearm purchases.
However, critics argue that such delays could hinder necessary gun purchases, especially for those in immediate danger or for hunters visiting the state.
The plaintiffs include gun sellers, gunsmiths, and a domestic abuse victim, who argue that the law is detrimental to their rights and safety.
Enacted without the signature of Democrat Governor Janet Mills in August, Maine’s law followed a mass shooting in October.
The Attorney General supports the law, claiming it’s a reasonable regulation.
However, Lawrence G. Keane from the National Shooting Sports Foundation strongly criticizes it, stating, “This law is nothing more than an attempt to deny law-abiding Mainers their constitutional rights while doing nothing to stop criminals who ignore these ineffective laws.”
The law is not just challenged by gun rights advocates but also backed by supporters who argue that waiting periods have been proven to reduce gun-related deaths.
Proponents cite data suggesting these laws save lives by potentially preventing impulsive actions in crises.
Gun rights groups filed a lawsuit that seeks to overturn the 72-hour waiting period law that Maine lawmakers passed after last year's mass shooting in Lewiston. https://t.co/yxzpAhKOz3
— CBS 13 News (@WGME) November 13, 2024
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