Maine voters will soon decide whether to adopt a red flag gun law as they cast their ballots on Question 2, a citizen-initiated measure that would make Maine the 20th state to implement such legislation.
Currently, Maine operates under a yellow flag law, which allows law enforcement to detain individuals for a mental health evaluation before seeking judicial approval to temporarily remove firearms. Question 2 would expand that authority, enabling family and household members to initiate the process, a significant shift in how firearm-related interventions could begin.
In a surprising move, Democratic Governor Janet Mills has publicly opposed Question 2, despite her party’s general alignment with gun control efforts. Mills argued that Maine’s yellow flag law already strikes a careful balance between public safety and individual rights.
We found common ground on one of the most controversial issues of our time,” Mills wrote in a recent opinion piece, defending the existing law as a collaborative solution.”
Her opposition comes amid a narrow Democratic majority in both chambers of the state legislature, where any aggressive push for expanded gun control could risk political backlash and potentially flip control to Republicans.
To become law, Question 2 requires a simple majority vote, more than 50% of ballots cast on the measure.
