Assault weapons should be illegal in Maine

Thursday, May 5, 2005

Now that the federal government has allowed its ban on assault weapons to lapse, it is up to the states to enact and enforce such a prohibition.

A bill before the Maine Legislature would do exactly that.

The bill would make it illegal in Maine to own, transfer or manufacture assault weapons or .50-caliber rifles and ammunition.

The prohibition on assault weapons in Maine makes sense and should become law, while the bill's other restrictions related to .50-caliber rifles and ammunition should be removed.

A more streamlined bill would address the most serious concerns and be more likely to win support at the Statehouse and throughout Maine.

Sponsored by Sen. Ethan K. Strimling, D-Portland, the bill would replace the expired federal ban on the manufacture and sale of 19 types of assault weapons, which are designed to fire a spray of bullets.

Strimling's bill targets several rifles, including the AK-47, the Uzi, the Beretta AR-70, the Colt AR-15 and other rifles.

It defines assault weapons as having some or all of the following attributes: flash suppressers, fixed magazines that can hold more than 10 rounds of ammunition, detachable magazines, a folding stock and pistol grips.

The gun industry, the National Rifle Association and other firearms advocates say the 10-year ban on assault weapons, which President Bush and Congress allowed to expire last September, was a misguided law that had no effect on criminals yet penalized law-abiding citizens.

In Maine, the pro-gun lobby and some lawmakers now say Strimling's bill presents a solution to a problem that does not exist.

While all of that is a convenient way to dismiss the importance of assault-weapon bans, it ignores the risks and threats associated with the firearms, according to The Maine Chiefs of Police Association, Maine Citizens Against Handgun Violence and other groups that supported the federal ban and are now endorsing Strimling's bill.

Nationally, the 236,000-member National Association of Police Organizations and the 10,000-member International Brotherhood of Police Officers also backed the federal ban and objected when Bush and Congress allowed it to end.

Strimling's bill faces strong opposition from the NRA, gunmakers, dealers and sportsmen's groups. Some lawmakers might have trouble ignoring them when voting on the bill.

We hope enough of them see the benefits in a state law that seeks to prevent problems -- or tragedies -- before they happen.