I’m traveling to Hong Kong today and as a general practice when traveling I typically try to read through a few broadsheets. Before boarding I typically grab the Wall Street Journal, Financial Times, and a local paper for whatever city I’m in. Reading through the weekend edition of the Wall Street Journal I was amused by and took note of the op-ed by Maine Governor Paul LePage wherein he wrote an appeal to gun manufacturers like Beretta (Maryland), Magpul (Colorado), and Colt (Connecticut). These firearm manufacturers are currently domiciled in states that have enacted or are in the process of enacting tougher state gun laws.
While Congress is slowing moving its own enhanced gun laws foward, states are jumping out ahead. Not an atypical move. State legislatures often want to set national precedence and influence the national debate by enacting laws that are often stricter than their contemporaries or existing laws at the federal level. This is pretty typical with social issues like same gender relations, drugs, obesity and food restrictions, abortion, health care costs, energy efficiency, immigration, and guns.
As some states have moved quickly to enact tougher gun laws, Maine’s LePage fired the first shot (pun intended) at what is likely just the start. States are quickly lining up on one of the two sides of the gun debate.
Governor LePage’s is worth a quick read: Beretta, Colt and Magpul—Come to Maine
