Twelve of Maine’s 16 sheriffs have signed an open letter opposing Question 3, a Bloomberg-supported ballot initiative that would drastically expand background checks for virtually all private sales, loans or transfers of firearms.
Released by Hancock County Sheriff Scott Kane, the letter warned, “This measure will do nothing to stop evil people from getting their hands on guns. In fact, all relevant data indicates that criminals acquire firearms through theft and the black market.” The letter went on to call Question 3 “unenforceable,” “confusing” and “poorly written,” and warn that it “threatens to make law-abiding gun owners into criminals for simply loaning a firearm to a friend.”
Bloomberg’s Everytown For Gun Safety is by far the largest contributor in support of Question 3. Filings with the Maine Ethics Commission show Bloomberg has given $3.5 million to the state’s gun-control lobby since 2015—funding nearly all of the effort to impose restrictions on lawful gun owners in one of America’s safest states.
