PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — A coalition of gun groups has filed a lawsuit claiming that Maine's new 72-hour waiting period for firearms purchases is unconstitutional and seeking an injunction stopping its enforcement pending the outcome of the case.
The lawsuit filed on behalf of five individuals contends that it’s illegal to require someone who passed a background check to wait three days before completing a gun purchase, and that this argument is bolstered by a 2022 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that changed the standard for gun restrictions.
“Nothing in our nation’s historical tradition of firearm regulation supports that kind of ‘cooling-off period’ measure, which is a 20th century regulatory innovation that is flatly inconsistent with the Second Amendment’s original meaning,” the plaintiffs' attorneys wrote in the federal lawsuit filed Tuesday.
Supporters of the law said they’re confident it will survive the legal challenge.
Maine is one of a dozen states that have a waiting periods for gun purchases, which proponents think might keep some people from rashly buying guns to harm others or themselves. Democratic Gov. Janet Mills allowed Maine's restriction to become law without her signature. It took effect in August.
Attorney General Aaron Frey said he looks forward to defending the law. “Waiting periods have been upheld across the country as a reasonable, limited regulation that does not infringe on Second Amendment rights,” he said.
Maine's waiting period law was one of several gun control measures the Democratic-controlled Legislature passed after an Army reservist killed 18 people and wounded 13 others in the state’s deadliest shooting in October 2023.
Laura Whitcomb, president of Gun Owners of Maine, said Wednesday that the lawsuit is being led by coalition of her group and the Sportsman’s Alliance of Maine, with assistance from the National Shooting Sports Foundation.
She and other critics of the waiting period law have pointed out that there are certain situations where a gun purchase shouldn’t be delayed, such as when a domestic violence victim wants to buy one. Maine hunting guides have also pointed out that someone who’s in the state for a short period for legal hunting may no longer be able to buy a gun for the outing.
The plaintiffs include gun sellers and gunsmiths who claim their businesses are being harmed, along with a domestic abuse victim who armed herself because she didn’t think a court order would protect her. The woman said she slept with a gun by her side while her abuser or his friends pelted her camper with rocks. Another plaintiff, a firearms dealer, was forced to delay a sale to a woman who was being stalked, according to the suit.
“This law is nothing more than an attempt to deny law-abiding Mainers their constitutional rights while doing nothing to stop criminals who ignore these ineffective laws," said Lawrence G. Kean, of the National Sports Foundation.
Nacole Palmer, who heads the Maine Gun Safety Coalition, said she’s confident that the waiting period law will withstand the legal challenge.
The bill’s sponsor, state Rep. Peggy Rotundo, D-Lewiston, said half of Maine’s 277 suicides involved a gun in the latest data from 2021 from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, and that she believes the waiting period law will reduce the number of suicides by firearm.
“I am confident that the 72-hour waiting period will save lives and save many families the heartbreak of losing a loved one to suicide by firearm,” she said.
FILE - A selection of Sig Sauer pistols are displayed at the Kittery Trading Post, Aug. 9, 2024, in Kittery, Maine. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa, File)
NEW YORK & REDMOND, Wash.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov 14, 2024--
In a strategic move to address the unprecedented demand for AI transformation, Accenture (NYSE: ACN) and Avanade, their joint venture with Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ: MSFT), are launching a copilot business transformation practice, supported by Microsoft, and co-investing in new capabilities, solutions and training to help organizations securely and responsibly reinvent their business functions with generative and agentic AI and Copilot technologies.
This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241114938855/en/
"The investment we are making with Microsoft takes our long-standing partnership to the next level, helping our clients accelerate and integrate AI at scale as a catalyst for reinvention,” said Julie Sweet, chair and CEO, Accenture. “The powerful combination of Microsoft Copilot, agentic and generative AI technologies, and Avanade’s and Accenture's deep industry and functional expertise will help enable enterprises to reimagine their processes and operations, discover innovative ways of working, strengthen their security and open up new pathways to value.”
The Copilot business transformation practice will provide the technology and industry experience clients need to help accelerate and expand their use of Copilot and agents across the enterprise. The companies will collaborate on AI and Copilot agent templates, extensions, plugins and connectors to help organizations leverage their data and gen AI to reduce costs, improve efficiencies and drive growth. The companies will help clients leverage Microsoft’s gen AI-powered security capabilities to elevate the efficiency of their security operations and help analysts make better, faster decisions.
The practice consists of 5,000 professionals from Accenture and Avanade, supported by Microsoft product specialists who will work closely with the Accenture Center for Advanced AI. The team will tap into more than 50,000 Microsoft Copilot-trained professionals across Accenture and Avanade to help deliver industry and functional transformation. Clients will have access to specialized engineers and early access to the latest technologies, including the Accenture AI Refinery ™, to create custom models and solutions. Accenture will leverage learnings from its use and deployment of 100,000 Microsoft 365 Copilots and agents, with a commitment to expand to approximately 200,000 users.
“We are pleased to deepen our collaboration with Accenture to help our mutual customers develop AI-first business processes responsibly and securely, while helping them drive market differentiation,” said Judson Althoff, executive vice president and chief commercial officer at Microsoft. “By bringing together Copilots and human ambition, paired with the autonomous capabilities of an agent, we can accelerate AI transformation for organizations across industries and help them realize successful business outcomes through pragmatic innovation.”
Accenture and Avanade have already developed agents to streamline workflows, boost revenue and enhance customer experience. For example, a supplier discovery and risk agent can deliver real-time market insights, agile supply chain responses and better vendor selection, which could result in up to 15% cost savings. A procure-to-pay agent could improve efficiency by up to 40% and enhance vendor relations and satisfaction by addressing urgent payment requirements and avoiding disruptions of key services. They have also invested in building functional and industry Copilot solutions that are delivering client value, including:
Udacity, part of Accenture LearnVantage, and Microsoft have co-created a new Azure Generative AI Engineer Nanodegree program to equip learners with the skills to design, build, and operationalize AI-driven applications on Azure. In this fully online program, learners will use AI models to solve real-world problems through automation, data insights, and generative AI solutions. Learners will develop custom Microsoft 365 Copilot applications and implement models through hands-on projects with personalized support from industry advisors. Udacity’s Nanodegree program is available today and, for a limited time, learners can get started with the first lesson for free.
Deeper Collaboration
Accenture will continue to support Microsoft in the transformation of its functions – including finance, sales, marketing and HR – with Copilot, leveraging its industry, functional and generative AI consulting services. Microsoft also selected Accenture to establish four Microsoft Co-Innovation Labs to incubate blueprints for AI-led design and experimentation, with immersive showcases within Accenture offices and Microsoft Co-Innovation Labs. At the labs, the companies will build pilots, leveraging assets developed by the Copilot business transformation practice, to inspire reinvention.
Having seen the value of Microsoft Copilot in its business, Accenture will leverage the latest Copilot agentic technologies to facilitate AI enabled augmentation and help transform clients’ business processes across corporate functions and industry-specific operations.
About Accenture
Accenture is a leading global professional services company that helps the world’s leading organizations build their digital core, optimize their operations, accelerate revenue growth and enhance services—creating tangible value at speed and scale. We are a talent- and innovation-led company with approximately 774,000 people serving clients in more than 120 countries. Technology is at the core of change today, and we are one of the world’s leaders in helping drive that change, with strong ecosystem relationships. We combine our strength in technology and leadership in cloud, data and AI with unmatched industry experience, functional expertise and global delivery capability. Our broad range of services, solutions and assets across Strategy & Consulting, Technology, Operations, Industry X and Song, together with our culture of shared success and commitment to creating 360° value, enable us to help our clients reinvent and build trusted, lasting relationships. We measure our success by the 360° value we create for our clients, each other, our shareholders, partners and communities. Visit us at www.accenture.com.
About Microsoft
Microsoft (Nasdaq “MSFT” @microsoft) creates platforms and tools powered by AI to deliver innovative solutions that meet the evolving needs of our customers. The technology company is committed to making AI available broadly and doing so responsibly, with a mission to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more.
About Avanade
Avanade is the world’s leading expert on Microsoft. Trusted by over 5,000 clients worldwide, we deliver reliable, AI-driven solutions that solve business challenges of all sizes and unlock the full potential of people and technology. We empower organizations to use Microsoft technology to optimize operations, drive growth, and foster innovation, enabling them to excel in delivering exceptional customer experiences.
Together with Accenture, we combine global scale with local expertise in AI, cloud, data analytics, cybersecurity, and ERP to create human-centered experiences. We are committed to doing what matters for our clients, their customers, employees and partners by designing solutions that prioritize people and drive meaningful impact.
Since 2000, Avanade has leveraged its close partnership with Microsoft to bring the latest technologies to market, serving as Microsoft’s "Client Zero" and earning, with Accenture, Microsoft’s Global SI Partner of the Year Award a record 19 times.
As a purpose-driven and responsible organization, Avanade champions diversity, inclusion, and sustainability, ensuring our work benefits society as well as drives business success.
Avanade. Do what matters. Learn more at www.avanade.com and follow us on LinkedIn.
Forward-Looking Statements
Except for the historical information and discussions contained herein, statements in this news release may constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Words such as “may,” “will,” “should,” “likely,” “anticipates,” “aspires,” “expects,” “intends,” “plans,” “projects,” “believes,” “estimates,” “positioned,” “outlook,” “goal,” “target” and similar expressions are used to identify these forward-looking statements. These statements are not guarantees of future performance nor promises that goals or targets will be met, and involve a number of risks, uncertainties and other factors that are difficult to predict and could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied. These risks include, without limitation, that the partnership might not achieve its anticipated benefits and risks and uncertainties related to the development and use of AI could harm our business, damage our reputation or give rise to legal or regulatory action, as well as the risks, uncertainties and other factors discussed under the “Risk Factors” heading in Accenture plc’s most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and other documents filed with or furnished to the Securities and Exchange Commission. Statements in this news release speak only as of the date they were made, and Accenture undertakes no duty to update any forward-looking statements made in this news release or to conform such statements to actual results or changes in Accenture’s expectations.
Accenture, Microsoft and Avanade Help Enterprises Reinvent Business Functions and Industries with Generative AI and Copilot (Graphic: Business Wire)
