AUGUSTA

Gun control and related issues are expected to account for a sizeable portion of bills for this year’s legislative session in Maine after Friday’s deadline for submission passed.

Details of the bills, even the number submitted, remained hazy, as legislative staff sorts through the avalanche of proposals.

In the meantime, lawmakers are anxious to see what surfaces, especially on sensitive issues such as gun control, which has gained increased national attention since the Dec. 14 massacre at Newtown, Conn., elementary school, in which 20 children and six adults were gunned down.

Among the proposals so far are propositions to reconsider gun magazine size and the current system for criminal background checks, said assistant House Democratic leader, Rep. Jeff McCabe of Skowhegan.

“By the middle of (this) week when we have a list of titles, I think we’ll be able to wrap our hands around what the gun discussion will be here in the state,” said McCabe.

Seeing all the bills will help lawmakers to craft a comprehensive approach to gun safety, said House Speaker Mark Eves, D-North Berwick.

“Largely this is a federal issue, but there are things at the state level we might want to take a look at. Again, this will be done comprehensively, with the stakeholders at the table, folks on the front line with issues related to public safety, mental health issues and school safety,” said Eves.

There’s no clear timeline yet for any legislation.

There are no time limits for the governor to submit bills, and legislators’ afterdeadline requests for admission can be considered by Legislative Council, the bipartisan group of House and Senate floor leaders and presiding officers.

The agenda is well-defined and busy for the Appropriations Committee, which must plug major holes in the current year’s budget, then review Gov. Paul LePage’s $6.3 billion budget for the 2014-15 fiscal years and other major fiscal initiatives he’s put forward.