Maine: Joint Committee Pulls 72-Hour Repeal Bill from Work Session

January 30, 2026
8:00 am

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In a rare win for Second Amendment advocates in deep-blue Maine, the Joint Standing Committee on Judiciary has yanked a controversial 72-hour waiting period bill (LD 2089) from its work session docket, effectively stalling Gov. Janet Mills' pet project for now. Signed into law by Mills in April 2024 despite fierce opposition, this measure mandates a mandatory three-day cool-off for all firearm purchases from dealers—ignoring concealed carry permit holders and framing every buyer as a potential mass shooter until proven otherwise. The pull comes amid mounting pressure from pro-2A groups like the Maine Gun Owners and the NRA, who flooded the process with testimony highlighting the law's redundancy (Maine already has universal background checks) and its blatant infringement on instant private transfers and permitless carry rights. This isn't just procedural housekeeping; it's a tactical retreat exposing cracks in the gun-grabber playbook. Waiting periods like this one—pushed nationwide post-Bruen as common sense delays—have zero empirical link to reducing suicides or crimes, as studies from the RAND Corporation and CDC confirm. In Maine, where homicides are rarer than a Democrat praising the Constitution, this bill was pure theater, designed to normalize delays that could cascade into full registries or red-flag expansions. By pulling it from the session, the committee dodges a repeal vote that might have embarrassed Mills' administration, buying time while grassroots momentum builds. Pro-2A warriors should see this as a green light: double down on lobbying, pack hearings, and support allies like Rep. Laurel Libby, who's been torching these schemes online. For the broader 2A community, Maine's saga is a microcosm of post-Bruen battles—states testing boundaries until courts slap them down, as seen in recent wins striking similar delays in California and New Mexico. This stall keeps the pressure on for full repeal in 2025, reminding us that vigilance turns vetoes into victories. Stay locked and loaded, patriots; the fight's far from over.

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This isn’t just procedural housekeeping; it’s a tactical retreat exposing cracks in the gun-grabber playbook. Waiting periods like this one—pushed nationwide post-Bruen as common sense delays—have zero empirical link to reducing suicides or crimes, as studies from the RAND Corporation and CDC confirm. In Maine, where homicides are rarer than a Democrat praising the Constitution, this bill was pure theater, designed to normalize delays that could cascade into full registries or red-flag expansions. By pulling it from the session, the committee dodges a repeal vote that might have embarrassed Mills’ administration, buying time while grassroots momentum builds. Pro-2A warriors should see this as a green light: double down on lobbying, pack hearings, and support allies like Rep. Laurel Libby, who’s been torching these schemes online.

For the broader 2A community, Maine’s saga is a microcosm of post-Bruen battles—states testing boundaries until courts slap them down, as seen in recent wins striking similar delays in California and New Mexico. This stall keeps the pressure on for full repeal in 2025, reminding us that vigilance turns vetoes into victories. Stay locked and loaded, patriots; the fight’s far from over.

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