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Political Brew: Red flags, party primaries, and controversial comments

NEWS CENTER Maine political analysts take on red flags, party primaries, and controversial comments

PORTLAND, Maine — Maine lawmakers are taking up a new version of a "Red Flag" bill, which would allow police or families to seek a court order to take firearms away from someone in a mental health crisis. A similar bill with bipartisan support was vetoed in the last session by then-Gov. Paul LePage (R-Maine).

Our NEWS CENTER Maine political analysts say it's an important tool, even though some object to the idea of seizing guns.

Republican Phil Harriman says "It is a controversial topic until the introduction of the conversation that someone is mentally ill with a gun."

And Democrat John Richardson is convinced "This bill will pass. No one who is mentally ill should have the right to have a gun."

Another bill introduced this past week would replace Maine's party caucuses with presidential primaries, utilizing ranked choice voting.

Richardson says caucuses can be inconvenient for a lot of Maine voters. "But to go in and out of the voting booth in a primary I think serves a lot more people, and I think you're going to get more participation as a result of it."

Harriman expresses some skepticism about the political value of a primary but acknowledges that system could prove more convenient. "I have been to many caucuses, and they are a little disorganized," he says.  "I think from the retail voters perspective, I can drive my car, go to the polls, check my ballot and then I'm off and running again."

Our analysts also talk about some political controversies, one involving Nick Isgro, Mayor of Waterville and the Vice Chairman of the Maine Republican Party. He has made headlines with some incendiary public statements falsely linking immigrants to disease outbreaks.

Harriman, a former state senator, doesn't think this is doing his party any good. "That sort of inflammatory statement is unnecessary," he says, "and it just takes the Republican Party off of the party principles on which they stand."

Richardson, who served as Speaker of the House, agrees Isgro's comments hinder the GOP. He believes "the tent becomes smaller when people start talking this way... any party when they start talking to the extreme, it really chases people away. I don't understand why Nick Isgro is getting a pass from Republicans in the state.

Richardson and Harriman also weigh in on President Donald Trump's renewed public criticism of the late Sen. John McCain.

Says Richardson, "I think this is a tantrum on the part of the president." He feels it stems from jealousy. "The fact is that he never got the same sort of applause that John McCain got as a war hero and as a senator who stood tall."

Harriman says he doesn't see what Trump gains from this. "It was an embarrassment for him to make these comments about a national public servant, a military war hero who has passed away. What is the advantage to doing this?"

Political Brew airs Sundays on The Morning Report.

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