Gun groups sue to overturn Maine’s new 3-day waiting period to buy firearms

Associated Press

PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — Gun rights advocacy groups are challenging Maine’s 72-hour waiting period for gun purchases, arguing that it’s unconstitutional. The federal lawsuit filed Tuesday on behalf of five individuals contends that it’s unconstitutional to require someone who passed a background check to wait three days to complete a gun purchase. Maine is one of a dozen states to enact a waiting period for gun purchases. Maine’s waiting period law was one of several gun control measures the Democratic-controlled Legislature passed after an Army reservist killed 18 people and wounded 13 others in the state’s deadliest shooting in October 2023. Gun control advocates say they’re confident the Maine law will survive the legal challenge.