Maine Legislation Could End Concealed-Carry Permits

Gun activists were quick on the draw today at the State House to lend support to a bill that would allow concealed weapons to be carried by citizens without any type of permit.

If the bill is passed, it would supersede a nearly 100-year-old Maine law that requires people to have a concealed-firearms permit if they wish to carry a gun that is hidden from the sight of others. As it stands, Maine law only allows people to carry guns without a permit if the weapon is in plain view.

Supporters of the bill say the current law requiring permits for concealed carry violates the rights of gun owners as outlined in both the United States and Maine constitutions. In addition, they say that the idea that gun owners must possess a permit to carry a gun inside of a jacket, but not be required to have one to carry in a belt holster is “logically inconsistent.”

However, critics of the bill wonder if changes to the current law will make it more dangerous for the day-to-day activities of local law enforcement, stating that concealed weapons can become very detrimental to a police officer, especially during a routine traffic stop.

Over the past decade, four states, including Alaska, Arizona, Wyoming and Vermont, have passed similar legislation that has become known as “constitutional carry.”