The new funding could fill some gaps, but bandwidth for actually using the money at the local level may remain a challenge.

The effort comes after a bill in the State Legislature this spring to establish a red flag law never gained traction.

The Maine Gun Safety Coalition and allies launched a citizen initiative on Thursday to pass a “red flag” law after the state commission tasked with investigating the Lewiston mass shooting concluded that local law enforcement failed to enforce the state’s current “yellow flag” law.