The national director of the gun safety group Moms Demand Action rallied activists at the Maine State House on Wednesday as lawmakers continue to work on a slate of proposals in response to the mass shooting in Lewiston last fall.
Director Angela Ferrell-Zabala was brought to Maine to energize advocates as they intensify their lobbying efforts to pass bills that would expand background checks, install a three-day waiting period for firearm sales, ban bump stocks and streamline a law used to confiscate guns from people deemed harmful to themselves or others.
She said the proposals are designed to prevent more gun violence following events like the Lewiston mass shootings that resulted in the death of 18 people and a separate incident in which four other people were killed in Bowdoin.
"No family should have to endure what the families in Lewiston and Bowdoin have, and no community should have to experience that kind of fear and trauma," Ferrell-Zabala said.
The rally was attended by more than 50 activists who were preparing to convince state lawmakers to support the proposals under consideration in the Judiciary Committee.
The committee was scheduled to work on the bills Wednesday afternoon and could vote on them at any time.
The proposals were introduced by Democratic lawmakers and Gov. Janet Mills. While Democrats control the Legislature, gun control measures typically struggle in the Legislature because of Maine's rich hunting tradition and high rate of gun ownership.
