Governor Paul Le Page of Maine has signed LD868/SP313 into law. The bill reforms and streamlines the reciprocity process for Maine, removing discretion from the hands of the Chief of the State Police. The good news: Maine will now recognize permits from all states that recognize the Maine permit . . .

As the bill lays out, The Pine Tree State is Okay with: 

F.  A handgun carried by a person to whom a valid permit to carry a concealed handgun has been issued by that person’s state of residence if that person’s state of residence honors a permit to carry a concealed handgun issued under this chapter;

As constitutional carry is also expected to be enacted in the land of lobstah any day now, the, uh, main effect of this reform is to shield people with permits from other states from the requirement to inform local law officers that they are carrying a concealed weapon if the permit holder is stopped.

Not a big deal if all goes as expected, but the constitutional carry bill has yet to be passed. Many a slip between the cup and the lip, as the saying goes. About 17 other states’ permits will be accepted by Maine with the passage of the reciprocity law.

©2015 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice is included.

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38 COMMENTS

    • As in most outlandish fiction (and TV cop shows) the presence of a firearm competently wielded int he hands of a private citizen would tend to make all of those stories very short. Can’t go on for 500 pages or 40+ minutes with commercials if the supposed victim adjusts the super-villain to room temperature early in the story.

      Just once I’d like to see a story where the psychopathic serial killer stalks his victim, chooses the time and place for their elaborate and torturous murder and have the victim reach into a purse or IWB, produce a sweet little 9mm and blow the bastard away.

      • Dean R. Koontz has quite a few stories where the protagonists keep and bear arms (handguns, and they are often in California). Usually the story is more complicated than what you describe, but I have noticed that about his works. He also doesn’t make a big deal about; i.e., the characters often already had the guns and the will to use them, and then they came in handy once the evil started. As opposed to characters rushing out to get a gun after they are threatened.

        • Well Dean Coontz is a libertarian so him being fine with guns comes as no surprise. I think I did notice his characters having guns in a few odd Thomas books that I read.

      • I have been reading Kindle stories by Bob Blink, specifically “Corrector” and follow up “Back Tracker”. They are a version of Time Travel where the main character is able to change events. The author goes into great detail about the hero’s weapons and how he uses them. He appears to be quite knowledgeable on the subject. A great read.

      • I have actually burned (in a fireplace, to smoldering ashes) two books in my life. Somehow I just couldn’t bear the thought that it would be through my carelessness that someone else might even accidentally pick up something I had carelessly discarded and be negatively impacted by it. The first was the Communist Manifesto, the second was The Stand.

        What a shame that someone who has an obvious talent for writing is such a liberal fascist moron that what he writes is gibberish at best and dangerous fantasy at worst. Avoid this a$$hole and all his books and movies like the plague if you have any decency.

        • He hasn’t shown much talent since he was run over. If he had brain damage from the accident, it would help to explain why he’s such a fan of the Red Sox.

        • He wrote the Stand and after being abridged it was readable. The unabridged edition was a torrent of left wing lunacy spiced with a lot of “killer robot brained soldiers running amock”. He really got his start writing short stories that ran in trash rags in the very early ’70s including porn mags.

        • Never liked King’s stories, but I like them a lot more than I like him. If I felt compelled to get rid of one for the good of humanity, I’d shoot it. He’d hate that, and I’d love it.

          But actually, I’m not sure I could bring myself to destroy any book. Not even the Communist Manifesto, which I happen to have on my bookshelves. It’s wrongheaded and its ideas have been incredibly harmful, but it’s worth reading as an important part of 20th century literature, culture, and history; if nothing else, it can serve as a cautionary tale. I’ve actually told my kids they should read it (which is probably the best way to ensure that they never do). 🙂

        • I don’t like burning books, so I sold all my King books for $1 each at a yard sale. Anti-Christian, Anti-Gun, what’s to like?

      • According to A&E Biography, his short novel “Rage, ” about a kid who shot and murdered his high school teacher, was the inspiration for one of the earlier school shooters.

    • Stephen King, who happens to be a strong opponent of firearm rights.
      His contempt is made absolutely clear in EVERY single one of his books, despite the fact that his main characters seem to find a need for them at critical moments.

      • I’ve boycotted him except for the Dark Tower series, whose protagonist is a gunslinger, because #1; I really like the books, and #2; It is an unavoidable testament to his blatant hypocrisy.

      • I honestly did not know about his anti-gun bias, and I can’t say that he was apparent to me in his books. Especially The Dark Tower series, in which gunslinging, teaching gunslinging, carrying guns, etc. is a very important part of the plot. However, I haven’t re-read every book and story, so I could just have missed it in other works.

        I do remember in “Doctor Sleep” that someone carried a Glock 22, but it wasn’t clear from the writing if he meant the model number 22 or a .22 LR (it was that muddled).

        I do know that he actually feels strongly about how “Rage” influenced the Columbine murderers, and he made sure that it is no longer printed, so I’m sure that affected his viewpoint.

        But your right that guns ended up solving a lot of problems in his books.

        • His anti gun bias is evident in Susannahs rejection of the gun which She leaves midworld with.
          The weapon itself becomes old and possibly non functional, having served its purpose.
          She throws it away, as a symbol of rejecting the weapon and the violence associated with it
          and presumably the way of the gunslinger. Thus receiving her happy ending in alternate versions of
          Eddie, Jake, and Oy. I’ve often wondered if, in turning her back on the ka-tet, and deserting Roland,
          she sold her soul for this happy reality, or if her presence might have made a difference in Rolands final battle
          with the crimson king.

    • Progress has nothing to do with it, and is a four letter word with extra letters.

      It is not even the putting-on-of-the-brakes to some sad regression.

      My parents lived in ME, my mom used to open carry a Ruger .22 in a western rig walking/snowshoeing into town.

  4. That is a fantastic photograph to lead the story with.
    Poor Mr. King. He’s trying to keep his head from exploding.

    • “Poor Mr. King. He’s trying to keep his head from exploding.”

      My exact thought when I saw that.

      There are few people I actually despise.

      That Fvckwit is one of them.

      Get cancer, Steve…

  5. Ah the classic proggie “LA LA LA LA” pose, hard not to recognize 😉

    “removing discretion from the hands of the Chief of the State Police”
    Stuff like this and CLEO signoff seriously pee in my cornflakes, a step forward in the right direction for Maine.

  6. I hope Florida is one of the 17 states. It’d be great to visit family with the extra baggage.

  9. I finally have a reason to visit the northeast. Georgia has the same law. In a few months i will be able to carry there! Now to figure out how to get through Newjerseyorkistan…

  12. Constitutional carry will pass and essentially has already. Right now it’s stuck in the appropriations committee where it’s playing second fiddle to the budget at the moment. Once past that hurdle it goes back to the senate for enactment. The senate passed this bill twice already so that won’t be an issue, then off to the governors desk. The law will go into effect mid September.

  14. I agree about the Doctor Sleep comment. He definitely wrote “Glock .22” for the weapons used in that melodrama. I actually sent him a message on his site that he must have meant Glock 22 (.40S&W), as Glock don’t make a .22 pistol (though .22 adapters are available).

    I have read many of his books, but I am not aware of his politics as much.

    His stories require a healthy level of reader imagination, as his scenarios are per force fantastical. However, the skill and lyricism of his writing is very seductive, and I quite often read his books in one large gulp. The world would be a poorer place without Stephen King.

  15. It seems that other than needing NH, CT and RI permits, UT, NC, FL and PA will cover pretty much everywhere I can get a permit without needing to blow the President. Sadly, this doesn’t help me in ME as a MA resident. 🙁

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