United States: The first order of business for lawmakers returning to the state House on Wednesday was to honor the victims, survivors, and first responders of the bloodiest mass shooting in Maine history.
The Lewiston shooting memorial was anticipated to set the tone for a session that will include many gun safety ideas, including potential modifications to the state’s so-called yellow flag statute, which lets a judge take guns away from someone experiencing a mental health crisis.
Action on Gun Safety
“Our hearts are broken about the shootings in Lewiston,” said David Farmer, spokesperson for the group, according to the Associated Press. “There is an urgent need for action on gun safety reform. We cannot wait any longer to confront this growing problem,” he added.
Agenda Against Trump
An agenda was proposed by State Rep. John Andrews, who sits on the Veterans and Legal Affairs Committee, to impeach Secretary of State Shenna Bellows, who denied former President Donald Trump a spot on the state’s primary ballot over his role in the January 6, 2021 attack on the US.
The impeachment process was unclear in the Democratic-controlled legislature.
The first hurdle would be a House vote to proceed. There would be an impeachment vote in the House and a trial in the Senate in the unlikely event there were enough votes to proceed.
Modification of Maine Constitution
Lawmakers also expected to debate measures carried over from the previous session, including one to grant Native American tribes in the state greater sovereignty and another to modify the Maine Constitution to entrench the right to abortion, among hundreds of other old and new bills.
Lawmakers will also have to decide how to handle a supplemental budget that is projected to exceed US$100 million.