Bill to curb gun sales to minors salvaged

AUGUSTA – A Lewiston lawmaker’s gun-control bill that was given up for dead Friday morning was alive again by the end of the day.

Rep. Margaret Craven sought to create a 10-day waiting period for the purchase of a rifle or a shotgun by anyone under 21. A 12-0 vote Friday morning by the Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee to kill the bill appeared to doom the proposal.

But the 13th committee member, House Chairman Stanley Gerzofsky, who wasn’t around for the 12-0 vote, decided to keep the bill alive so it can be debated on the House floor.

The Brunswick Democrat is calling for passage of an amended version of the bill saying that before a firearm is sold to anyone 18 or under, the buyer’s parents or guardian must be notified and give their written consent.