COMMON SENSE GUN LAW: Maine approves Constitutional Carry, while NH’s Democrat governor vetoes the same

Maine has joined the Constitutional Carry states thanks to the approval of a bill by Republican Governor Paul LePage today.  The new law recognizes the right all law-abiding adults to carry a firearm without a license.

Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:

Sec. 1. 12 MRSA §11212, sub-§1, ¶B,  as amended by PL 2005, c. 477, §9, is further amended to read:

B. A person may not, while in or on a motor vehicle or in or on a trailer or other type of vehicle being hauled by a motor vehicle, have a cocked and armed crossbow or a firearm with a cartridge or shell in the chamber or in an attached magazine, clip or cylinder or a muzzle-loading firearm charged with powder, lead and a primed ignition device or mechanism, except that a person who has a valid Maine permit to carry a concealed weapon is not otherwise prohibited from possessing a firearm may have in or on a motor vehicle or trailer or other type of vehicle a loaded pistol or revolver covered by that permit.

Sec. 2. 25 MRSA §2001-A, sub-§2, ¶A-1  is enacted to read:

A-1.  A handgun carried by a person who is not otherwise prohibited from carrying a firearm;

New Hampshire’s Democrat Governor Maggie Hassan vetoed a similar bill in the Granite State on Monday.

Maine joins Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas (as of Aug 15, 2015), Kansas, Vermont and Wyoming as Constitutional Carry states.

Alaska, Arizona, Kansas, Vermont and Wyoming are considered constitutional carry states. In Wyoming’s case, permitless carry is for residents only; non-residents must have a permit to carry a concealed handgun in that state. In addition Arkansas will join the list as of August 15th, 2015.