Gov. Paul LePage has joined five other Republican governors who signed a legal brief in support of an effort to repeal California’s concealed handgun permit law.

The amicus brief, which was filed in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit, was also signed by the governors of Mississippi, South Dakota, Oklahoma, Louisiana and Texas, according to court documents.

“If citizens in a state like Texas need or want to travel to a state like California, they should not be forced to check their gun rights at the border,” the brief states. “The question presented is whether the State of California can single out one group of disfavored citizens – namely gun owners – and impose unique burdens on their fundamental rights.”

Tim Feeley, a spokesman for the Maine Attorney General’s Office, responded to the governor’s actions in a statement Tuesday night.

“We were not consulted before the Governor signed onto this brief although it could be argued that he should have done so,” Feeley wrote in an email. “However, signing these amicus briefs takes minimal effort, entails no expense to the state, carries no legal burden for the state and does not necessarily reflect the position of the state’s chief legal officer.”

An amicus brief is offered by a third party as testimony in a court case. The governor’s amicus brief was filed April 30.


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