Bangor Daily News
House approves ‘constitutional carry’ bill with fix designed to satisfy LePage
By Mario Moretto, BDN Staff
Posted June 04, 2015
AUGUSTA, Maine — A bill to allow Mainers to carry concealed handguns without a permit appears destined for Gov. Paul LePage’s desk after the House agreed Thursday to an amendment designed to win the governor’s support.
The latest version of the bill, approved by bipartisan majorities in the House and Senate, would allow anyone older than 21, who isn’t prohibited from owning a firearm, to carry a hidden handgun. Members of the military would be afforded the same right as long as they are older than 18 years old.
The provision for servicemen and servicewomen was added by the Senate on Wednesday in an effort to appease LePage, who said he would not sign a bill that didn’t apply to all adults in the military. In a vote of 87-60 on Thursday, the House concurred with the Senate.
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Additional procedural votes remain in the Senate, but with support secured in both chambers, the bill is all but sure to end up on LePage’s desk.
If the governor signs the bill or allows it to pass into law without his signature, as expected, Maine would become the second state in New England to allow permitless carry. Vermont has never required a permit to carry a concealed gun.
The Gun Watch article is already out of date.
FYI, the Maine Senate has a Republican majority and the initial votes on this have been 21 to 14. This is well on its way to becoming law in Maine.
Developments are occurring rapidly.