RUMFORD - A Naples legislator has submitted a bill that would, among other things, allow anyone to have a loaded firearm or crossbow in a vehicle, not just those with concealed weapons permits.

Rep. Richard Cebra, R-Naples, speaking through an intermediary on Thursday in Augusta, declined to talk about his L.D. 146 bill, An Act to Enhance Self Defense.

The bill is co-sponsored by state Sens. Jonathan Courtney, R-York, and Lois Snowe-Mello, R-Poland; and Reps. Scott Lansley, R-Sabattus, James Hamper, R-Oxford, Thomas Saviello, I-Wilton, John Robinson, R-Raymond, and Brian Duprey, R-Hampden.

Calls Thursday to co-sponsors were not returned, although Saviello, contacted in Augusta at a hearing, said he was too busy to talk about the bill.

According to its summary, LD 146 seeks to:

• Remove the prohibition on having a loaded firearm or crossbow in a motor vehicle for someone other than the holder of a concealed weapons permit.

• Eliminate the five-year suspension of private investigator licenses for anyone convicted of having a firearm in a place licensed for on-premises consumption of liquor.

• Increase by 10 years the maximum allowable sentence of a person convicted of aggravated assault, elevated aggravated assault (Maine's equivalent of attempted homicide) and elevated aggravated assault on someone who is pregnant, if a firearm, slingshot, knuckles, bowie knife, dirk or stiletto was used in the offense.

• Remove the prohibition on concealing a dangerous weapon except by a holder of a concealed weapons permit.

• Remove exceptions to the law banning carrying a concealed dangerous weapon.

• Remove the requirements that the holder of a concealed weapons permit carry the permit while carrying a concealed weapon.

Police who learned about the bill, were not pleased with it.

"This just goes against the normal public safety concerns, to have anybody running around out there with concealed weapons," Rumford Chief Stacy Carter said Tuesday in his office.

"I certainly am against approval of this bill. The laws we have on the books for this now, are tried and true, and work. So, I don't see diminishing that. Those that are rejected for concealed weapons permits are for criminal reasons or conduct against good moral character," he said.

Robert Schwartz, executive director of the Maine Chiefs of Police Association in South Portland, said by phone on Wednesday that they would be discussing it at their regular meeting next week.

"From a scan of this, I can't see that we'd be supporting it. It's nothing we're going to get in the middle of," he said, reserving judgment until after the meeting.

"This is typical of many of the bills that are put in. Some of the bills we look at are kind of silly. Many of them won't even get to a hearing," Schwartz added.

Cebra's bill was ordered printed on Jan. 16 by both the House and Senate and sent to the Committee on Criminal Justice and Public Safety. A hearing or work session has yet to be scheduled.