6 Million Spent and Lost on Maine- 11 Nov

Tighter gun control laws were just passed in California, Nevada and Washington state but Maine’s initiative lost 52-48 percent.

Former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg and his advocacy group Everytown for Gun Safety are who financed most of Maine’s six million dollar campaign.

Despite the loss, many are still working for Maine to still have tighter gun controls someday.

Judi Richardson, whose daughter was shot in a 2010 home invasion in South Portland, is someone who is fighting for tighter gun control.

The gun used in her daughter’s shooting was sold privately at a Maine gun show and could not be traced. That same gun was later used in a Portland murder.

Richardson believes that if background checks had been required, perhaps the gunman would have been arrested.

“Background checks are the one tool we know that works,” she said. “We’re trying to save lives.”

A lot of work went into trying to get the initiative passed for Maine. Although the bid was rejected, many say they are still working to get background check requirements.

The main hesitation for many Mainers was the language of the proposal that could have much broader implications such as making it illegal to loan a firearm to a friend for a hunting trip without a background check.

The original aim of the initiative was to close a loophole in the law and prevent felons, domestic abusers and those from mental illness from acquiring firearms.