AUGUSTA — A proposal to repeal the state’s ban on switchblades cleared its first legislative hurdle Monday and is headed for a vote in the Maine House of Representatives.

The bill, LD 264, won the unanimous approval of lawmakers on the Public Safety Committee on Monday.

Rep. Joel Stetkis, R-Canaan — the bill’s sponsor — has argued that certain knives that were never intended to be prohibited by the decades-old law are being targeted by law enforcement. Those knives include several one-handed tools used by fishermen, EMTs and others who utilize them for professional purposes.

Various law enforcement groups oppose the bill.

Speaking before the committee vote on Monday, Sen. David Burns, R-Whiting, said he felt “no angst” about repealing the 1959 ban.

“It’s a matter of how you use them, just like any other tool, that could ostensibly be dangerous,” he said. “If they’re used properly, it shouldn’t be an issue. If they’re used inappropriately, there are other statutes to cover that.”

The committee also took up a bill by Rep. Beth O’Connor, R-Berwick — LD 230 — which would have allowed people who lost their right to own firearms because of a criminal conviction to petition the governor for a pardon so they could once again buy and use guns.

In a 9-to-1 vote, the committee gave the bill an “ought not to pass” recommendation. Rep. Lori Fowle, D-Vassalboro, said after that vote that committee members believed the bill was redundant because the governor already has the ability to grant pardons.

The one vote in favor of the bill was Rep. Ricky Long, R-Sherman, who said he cast the vote simply so that O’Connor could argue for the bill in the House.