Last month, Gov. Janet Mills spoke to our state’s collective grief in her annual State of the State Address. Mainers have endured a lot over the last few months, including the tragic shooting that occurred in Lewiston on Oct. 25 and extreme weather events that have caused devastating flooding up and down our coasts.
These events have made it clear to me that the Legislature must take proactive steps and do everything we can to improve public safety and strengthen Maine’s climate resiliency.
In response to the mass casualty shooting in Lewiston, the governor has introduced legislation that will work to prevent future violence. The bill would require background checks on advertised gun sales, which would ensure that those who are prohibited from owning a gun cannot access them.
Additionally, it would bolster our state’s extreme risk protection order law, which would allow for the temporary removal of firearms from those who are a danger to themselves and others. Another component of the governor’s bill would establish crisis receiving centers across the state, beginning in Lewiston, so that those in distress can receive the care they need when they need it.
The governor described these measures as “practical” and “common sense,” and I appreciate that she consulted both Democrats and Republicans while formulating her proposal. It builds upon previous common-sense measures enacted by the Legislature in recent years, including policies requiring the Maine CDC to annually report on public health data concerning firearm fatalities and injuries and reducing child access to loaded firearms by enforcing the use of safe storage.
As a complement to Gov. Mills’ proposal, the House and Senate are introducing a suite of additional legislation that intends to balance individual rights with the need to protect public safety. The governor’s measures are a solid step in the right direction, but I am optimistic that we can achieve even more. I hope we can harness this momentum for positive change and pass more robust gun safety measures this year that will keep our communities safe.
In her speech, the governor also highlighted the critical need to invest in climate resiliency. She announced that she would like to appropriate $50 million from the state’s robust Rainy Day Fund to help towns impacted by the recent severe weather events recover and rebuild stronger for the future. The funding would help communities battle rising sea and river levels and assist with rebuilding roads and bridges to better withstand storm surges, which are expected to increase in frequency and intensity in the coming years and decades.
As a longtime proponent of climate resilience measures, I was heartened by this proposal. Gorham is not a coastal community, but we are all suffering from the effects of climate change, and any measure that can be enacted to mitigate its impact is crucial.
Only two months remain until the legislative session ends. I know it will take a sustained effort to build upon these proposals and get these measures across the finish line. I am confident that my colleagues and I are up for the task. It takes resilience to continue to move forward in the face of such tragedies, but I know that my colleagues and I are committed to enacting meaningful change. We have the responsibility to do so for all of Maine.
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Rep. Jim Boyle, D-Gorham, is serving his second term in the Maine House of Representatives and previously served two years in the Maine State Senate. He is a member of the Energy, Utilities and Technology Committee. Contact him at Jim.Boyle@legislature.maine.gov.