Maine voters approve 'red flag' law on guns as states consider ballot measures

Maine will soon become the 22nd state to have an “extreme risk protection” gun law, also known as a “red flag law,” NBC News projects — part of a slew of state ballot measures voters around the country considered Tuesday, on issues from raising taxes on higher earners to parental rights and voting rules

Maine will soon become the 22nd state to have an “extreme risk protection” gun law, also known as a “red flag law,” NBC News projects — part of a slew of state ballot measures voters around the country considered Tuesday, on issues from raising taxes on higher earners to parental rights and voting rules.

Maine voters passed a ballot question Tuesday that will allow people to petition courts to have firearms taken away from their family members if they are deemed to pose risks to themselves or others.

The ballot measure was opposed by a bipartisan group of state leaders, including Democratic Gov. Janet Mills and top Republicans in the state Legislature.

They pointed to a law already in effect in Maine, known as a “yellow flag law,” that allows members of law enforcement to petition courts to temporarily confiscate people’s firearms if they’re deemed to be dangers to themselves or others.

The yellow flag law already in effect also requires law enforcement officers to take people into protective custody and obtain behavioral health assessments before they can petition to confiscate firearms.