I suppose this is good news:
http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/...
Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, became the second Republican senator not directly involved in negotiating a bipartisan background check measure to say she will support it, according to a report Saturday by NBC News.
She described the bill as a responsible compromise between two senators – Sens. Pat Toomey, R-Pennsylvania, and Joe Manchin, D-West Virginia – who have strong ratings from the National Rifle Association, according to NBC. Sen. Mark Kirk, R-Illinois, is expected to support the deal.
Collins and 15 other Republicans voted Thursday to begin debating the gun issue, helping Democrats reach the 60 votes necessary under the threat of a filibuster. Democratic Sens. Mark Begich of Alaska and Mark Pryor of Arkansas, both from conservative states and up for re-election in 2014, voted against it. - CNN, 3/13/13
Though Collins might like the Toomey-Manchin compromise, the gun enthusiasts hate it:
http://www.usnews.com/...
"They are going to spring it on us and bring it to the floor to get on to the gun control buffet," says Michael Hammond, legislative council for Gun Owners of America. "Their goal is to surprise us before the gun community has a chance to organize."
Gun Owners of America has been making its rounds on Capitol Hill over the last few months, mobilizing thousands of supporters to call, write and demand members hold their ground on guns. A compromise bill isn't enough to call them off, the group says.
In an alert directed to mobilize supporters, the Gun Owners of America urged firearm owners to reach out to their lawmakers immediately.
"It is urgent that every gun owner call their Senators today and demand that they oppose the "See a Shrink, Lose your Guns" sell-out bill that is being authored by Senators Pat Toomey and Joe Manchin, but which also has Chuck Schumer's fingerprints all over it," the alert released to U.S. News reads. - U.S. News, 4/10/13
Plus the compromise might actually weaken gun restriction laws rather than strengthening them:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/...
As the Senate prepares to begin debate next week on the biggest gun-control bill in nearly two decades, the gun rights lobby and its Senate allies are working on a series of amendments that could have the opposite effect — loosening many of the restrictions that exist in current law.
Most worrisome to those who advocate new gun limits is an expected amendment that would achieve one of the National Rifle Association’s biggest goals: a “national reciprocity” arrangement, in which a gun owner who receives a permit to carry a concealed weapon in any one state would then be allowed to do that anywhere in the country. Other pro-gun proposals would make it easier for dealers to sell their merchandise between states or let certain people who had been treated for mental illness regain the right to buy weapons. - Washington Post, 4/12/13
Here's why Collins is supporting the Toomey-Manchin compromise:
One reason she will support the measure, she told NBC, is because the bill would not require background checks to be conducted on sales made to family members and by individuals, a key point of opposition to background checks from Republicans.
The compromise reached by Toomey and Manchin - as well as Sens. Chuck Schumer, D-New York, and Mark Kirk, R-Illinois – would extend the current federal background checks to sales made at gun shows and between states over the Internet. It would also require all states to recognize concealed weapons permits issued by other states.
Collins is also up for re-election next year and hails from a state where gun ownership is strong. - CNN, 4/13/13
If you're a resident of Maine and would like to get more information on Collins stance on the Manchin-Toomey compromise and even express your concerns, please contact her office:
202-224-2523