PORTLAND, Maine — A South Portland couple, Judi and Wayne Richardson, were at the White House Tuesday for President Obama's announcement of a set of executive actions aimed at increasing the number of background checks necessary before legal gun purchases can be made as well as the increasing the reporting required of states regarding mental illness histories of prospective gun buyers.
The Richardson's daughter Darien died of complications from being shot in her Portland apartment.
"We're just happy that the President took, you know, Executive Action," Richardson says. "The President has done what Congress has failed to do.
The Richardsons are sponsors of a citizen initiative that would require background checks for almost all gun sales in Maine. They're hoping to gather enough signatures to put the measure before Maine voters next Fall.