Maine Town Rejects Mandatory Gun Ownership

Handgun

BYRON, Maine (AP) — Residents of a small western Maine town have rejected a proposal that would have required a gun in every home.

About 50 registered voters in Byron on Monday voted against an article that read: “Shall the town of Byron vote to require all households to have firearms and ammunitions to protect the citizens?”

Even Anne Simmons-Edmunds, head of the select board, who initially supported the measure, says she voted it down.

The measure was proposed by her father, Bruce Simmons. He voted it down too, saying the wording was wrong. He says it should have read “recommend’ rather than “require.”

Some of the town’s roughly 140 residents say the proposal made the town a laughingstock.

Randy Richards says he’s a gun owner, but resented the proposal because it was government overreach.


Copyright 2013 The Associated Press.

Top Stories From TPM

Oklahoma GOP Sen. Tom Coburn Will Seek To Offset Tornado Aid

Secret Service Looking Into Radio Host’s Graphic Violent Comments About Obama, Hillary Clinton

GOP Nominee In Virginia Praised Three-Fifths Clause As An ‘Anti-Slavery Amendment’

VA GOP's Attorney General Nominee Wanted Women To Report Miscarriages To Police Or Face Jail Time

The NRA Thinks These Are The ‘Coolest Gun Movies’ Ever

Submerged Structure Beneath Sea of Galilee Stumps Archaeologists

Disqus Conversations

Click here to read the Disqus Commenting FAQ.

Editor & Publisher

Josh Marshall

Managing Editor

David Kurtz

Associate Editor

Nick Martin

Assistant Editor

Igor Bobic

Reporters

Brian Beutler

Sahil Kapur

Eric Lach

Hunter Walker

Frontpage Editor

Zoë Schlanger

News Writers

Tom Kludt

Video Editor

Michael Lester

General Manager & General Counsel

Millet Israeli

VP, Ad Sales

Bruce Ellerstein

Associate Publisher

Kyle Leighton

Assistant To The Publisher

Joe Ragazzo

Designer/Developer

Matthew Wozniak

Design Associate

Christopher O’Driscoll