The Northeast is a very liberal place, with the exception of New Hampshire. That region tends to go along with pretty much any kind of progressive policy currently popular.

Maine, however, is a little different.

While most definitely a blue state, they’ve also had a lack of gun control on the books. They also have the lowest violent crime rate in the nation. There’s probably a reason for that.

Regardless, it seems that many of the Democrats in the state can’t stand a lack of violent crime and a lack of gun control, so they’re doing something about it.

Maine legislators have advanced a pair of Democratic majority sponsored gun control bills to the House and Senate floor for fresh debate and final vote.

One bill reviewed by the Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee on Wednesday, sponsored by House Speaker Rachel Talbot Ross, of Portland, would expand background checks to include private, person-to-person, sales and all guns show sales, addressing loopholes in federal law.

“Passing a background check does not infringe on anyone’s right,” Lynn Ellis, Legislative Director, Maine Gun Safety Coalition, said in an interview. “No one’s keeping you from purchasing a firearm if you’re legally able to get it.”

But opponents, like Sen. Matt Harrington, (R) York, a former police officer, fear private sale background checks could create a gun registry.

Harrington said in an interview, “I just think it’s contrary to the Second Amendment. The first step in confiscation, generally, is a registry. So, it’s a slippery slope when you start going down that path.”

Harrington isn’t wrong.

Further, Ellis isn’t accounting for errors or delays with the NICS system. If a right delayed is a right denied, then yes, universal background checks can and will infringe on people’s rights.

The second bill requires a 72-hour waiting period for all gun sales.

Again, a right delayed is a right denied.

Then there’s the fact that a 72-hour waiting period could well be fatal for some. It’s not difficult to picture a young woman dealing with a stalker, so she seeks a gun for protection, but 48 hours later, the stalker stabs her to death.

And this is Maine. They don’t actually need gun control because it’s a ridiculously safe state by American standards. Not that gun control would lead to safety, mind you, but since that’s generally the argument given for it, it seems ridiculous to push it in Maine.

Then again, it’s ridiculous to push it anywhere.

It really does show you, though, that the push for gun control really isn’t about public safety. They can spin it that way and many rank-and-file supporters, both in Maine and elsewhere, might believe that, but that’s simply not the case.

What it’s about is that they can’t handle the idea that people can get guns at all.

So, they’re trying to make that more difficult. Right now, it’s waiting periods and universal background checks. Next, it’ll be assault weapon and magazine bans. They won’t stop and it won’t matter how safe a given area is. They’ll always want more.