Maine Gov. Janet Mills has signed into law a ban on paramilitary training camps, a proposal introduced in response to a prominent neo-Nazi group that had begun building a training facility in Penobscot County last year.
The leader of the neo-Nazi group has since abandoned his training camp in Springfield, but Democrats in the Legislature passed the ban to give police and prosecutors more tools to prevent militias from setting up new operations in the future. Republicans opposed the bill, arguing that it was unnecessary.
The law makes it illegal to instruct another person in firearms or explosives if the intent is to cause "civil disorder."
The bill was enacted by the House by a single vote and a six-vote margin in the Senate.
The new law will go into effect 90 days after the adjournment of the Legislature, which is scheduled for next week.
