Bill To Issue Firearms To Forest Rangers Passes The House And Senate

A bill that would allow for firearms to be issued to Forest Rangers has passed in the House and Senate.

The proposal from Representative Bill Tuell now just needs a signature from Governor LePage to become law. And Tuell told WABI-TV that he feels the measure has enough support to override if the Governor should veto it.

Currently, Forest Rangers are not issued firearms, and Tuell says that puts them at risk. Very often, Rangers are alone in remote locations, and need to have a way to protect and defend themselves. The bill was originally written so that Forest Rangers would carry their own guns, but has been amended to include firearm training and guns issued by the state.