Harry Tuttle
Member
- Joined
- Nov 14, 2003
- Messages
- 3,093
Assault weapons bill not approved in time
by Thomas Dennison
Staff Writer
--------------------------------------------------------------
Mar. 31, 2004
For complete coverage of the 2004 legislative session, go to
www.gazette.net/annapolis2004/.
ANNAPOLIS -- With less than two weeks remaining in the General
Assembly's legislative session, the lead sponsor of an assault weapons
ban conceded Tuesday that the bill is dead.
The House and Senate failed to approve the assault weapons bill by
Monday's crucial "cross-over" date, prompting lawmakers and advocates
on both sides of the issue to predict that the bill was headed for
defeat. Bills approved after the "cross-over" date are assigned to the
opposite chamber's Rules Committee, known around Annapolis as the place
where controversial bills are sent to die.
"Unfortunately, the bill is dead," said Del. Neil F. Quinter (D-Dist.
13) of Columbia, lead sponsor of the ban in the House. "It's very
disappointing."
Quinter said House Judiciary Committee Chairman Joseph F. Vallario Jr.
(D-Dist. 27A) of Upper Marlboro, who is generally opposed to the assault
weapons ban and new gun laws, kept the bill "in the drawer" and would
not allow it to be voted on by the committee. Quinter, a member of the
Judiciary Committee, said prospects for any action this year are slim.
"It's unfortunate that good bills like this get stuck in the drawer," he
said.
Asked about the chances of the Judiciary Committee moving forward on the
assault weapons ban, Vallario replied, "We don't deal with dead bills."
He said a majority on the Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee oppose
the bill and the House was not going to vote on the bill until
something happened in the Senate.
"We have too many live bills to worry about," Vallario said. "We don't
need to deal with the dead ones."
Sen. Robert J. Garagiola (D-Dist. 15) of Germantown and Quinter
sponsored the legislation in response to the 2002 sniper attacks,
arguing that the ban is strongly supported by a majority of Marylanders
and is a commonsense safety measure. The original bill would have
expanded the number of guns now banned under state law, but the
lawmakers agreed to scale it back to extend the federal ban on assault
weapons, which is set to expire in September.
Opponents -- namely, the National Rifle Association and Republican
lawmakers -- said the bill would not prevent criminals from using
assault weapons. Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. (R) so strongly opposed the
measure that he convinced Sen. John A. Giannetti Jr. (D-Dist. 21) of
Laurel, the swing vote in the Judicial Proceedings Committee, to
declare his opposition.
Del. Carmen Amedori (R-Dist. 5A) of Westminster, a strong guns rights
advocate, claimed victory.
"The last plane has left the airport and the bill wasn't on it," she
said.
by Thomas Dennison
Staff Writer
--------------------------------------------------------------
Mar. 31, 2004
For complete coverage of the 2004 legislative session, go to
www.gazette.net/annapolis2004/.
ANNAPOLIS -- With less than two weeks remaining in the General
Assembly's legislative session, the lead sponsor of an assault weapons
ban conceded Tuesday that the bill is dead.
The House and Senate failed to approve the assault weapons bill by
Monday's crucial "cross-over" date, prompting lawmakers and advocates
on both sides of the issue to predict that the bill was headed for
defeat. Bills approved after the "cross-over" date are assigned to the
opposite chamber's Rules Committee, known around Annapolis as the place
where controversial bills are sent to die.
"Unfortunately, the bill is dead," said Del. Neil F. Quinter (D-Dist.
13) of Columbia, lead sponsor of the ban in the House. "It's very
disappointing."
Quinter said House Judiciary Committee Chairman Joseph F. Vallario Jr.
(D-Dist. 27A) of Upper Marlboro, who is generally opposed to the assault
weapons ban and new gun laws, kept the bill "in the drawer" and would
not allow it to be voted on by the committee. Quinter, a member of the
Judiciary Committee, said prospects for any action this year are slim.
"It's unfortunate that good bills like this get stuck in the drawer," he
said.
Asked about the chances of the Judiciary Committee moving forward on the
assault weapons ban, Vallario replied, "We don't deal with dead bills."
He said a majority on the Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee oppose
the bill and the House was not going to vote on the bill until
something happened in the Senate.
"We have too many live bills to worry about," Vallario said. "We don't
need to deal with the dead ones."
Sen. Robert J. Garagiola (D-Dist. 15) of Germantown and Quinter
sponsored the legislation in response to the 2002 sniper attacks,
arguing that the ban is strongly supported by a majority of Marylanders
and is a commonsense safety measure. The original bill would have
expanded the number of guns now banned under state law, but the
lawmakers agreed to scale it back to extend the federal ban on assault
weapons, which is set to expire in September.
Opponents -- namely, the National Rifle Association and Republican
lawmakers -- said the bill would not prevent criminals from using
assault weapons. Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. (R) so strongly opposed the
measure that he convinced Sen. John A. Giannetti Jr. (D-Dist. 21) of
Laurel, the swing vote in the Judicial Proceedings Committee, to
declare his opposition.
Del. Carmen Amedori (R-Dist. 5A) of Westminster, a strong guns rights
advocate, claimed victory.
"The last plane has left the airport and the bill wasn't on it," she
said.
. This defeat in this most liberal of states is a huge victory for gun owners all over the country. It's also indicitive of the political change we've been praying for in Maryland.
