Maryland Assault Rifle Ban bill

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greyhound

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So on the radio this morn (WBAL), they were interviewing Neal Mitten(?), a legislator from Howard County (not sure if Delegate or Senator), who is introducing a ban on Assault Rifles. Mr. Mitten notes that "we have a ban on Assault Handguns (huh?) but not Assault Rifles." He states that he is "appalled at the amount of gun violence in the U.S. compared to every other civilized nation". To be fair, he does state that "firearms may have a legitimate self defense purpose" but then ruins that by saying that Assault Rifles "only have offensive capabilities". He closes by stating the urgent nature of the bill, since the federal AWB may expire.

For those unfamiliar with our laws, what they call "Assault Rifles" are currently treated like handguns, i.e. 7 day waiting period and registration/background check with the State Police.

Chaim, or anyone else from that neck of the woods, any info on this guy or his stupid bill? I'm always amazed at the amount of Marylanders here at THR, given the extreme anti-gun atmosphere in the state.
 
Assault pistols (Tec-9s, Mac10s, Uzi pistols, that sort) have been banned from transfer or unregistered possession (with the registry being closed to new registrations) since 1996.

Its a Kali-style ban, no new ones, old ones cant change owners.

Kharn
 
Can't find anyone whose name is close to Mitten either the Senate or House but these are the bills that were introduced last leglislative session in Annapolis. And of course during the sniper incidents last year both then Chief Moose and KKT wanted more control of long gun sales.

HB844 - Making it a misdemeanor with specified exceptions to transport, possess, sell, offer to sell, transfer, purchase, or receive an assault weapon; requiring the Handgun Roster Board to compile, maintain, and publish a roster of prohibited assault weapons under specified circumstances; etc.

SB494 - Making it a misdemeanor to transport an assault weapon into the State or to possess, sell, offer to sell, transfer, purchase, or receive an assault weapon; making it a misdemeanor to use an assault weapon or a specified magazine in the commission of a felony or crime of violence; providing specified penalties; etc.
 
Here is a link to the bill: HB844, Assult Weapons Ban .

Here are the legislators who are co-sponsors:
Delegate Neil Quinter, District 13
Delegate Curt Anderson, District 43
Delegate Kumar P. Barve, District 17
Delegate Elizabeth Bobo, District 12B
Delegate William A. Bronrott, District 16
Delegate Anthony G. Brown, District 25
Delegate Jon S. Cardin, District 11
Delegate Jill P. Carter, District 41
Delegate Jean B. Cryor, District 15
Delegate Kathleen M. Dumais, District 15
Delegate Brian J. Feldman, District 15
Delegate Peter Franchot, District 20
Delegate Barbara Frush, District 21
Delegate Ana Sol Gutierrez, District 18
Delegate Adrienne A. Jones, District 10
Delegate Darryl A. Kelley, District 26
Delegate Susan C. Lee, District 16
Delegate Richard S. Madaleno, Jr., District 18
Delegate Pauline H. Menes, District 21
Delegate Shane E. Pendergrass, District 13
Delegate Carol S. Petzold, District 19
Delegate Justin D. Ross, District 22
Delegate Luiz Simmons, District 17
Delegate Herman Taylor, District 14
Delegate Frank S. Turner, District 13
Delegate Bobby A. Zirkin, District 11

As for which legislator you might have heard, districts 9A, 13, 12A and 12B are either completely in Howard County or include Howard County. All of our Democrats are about as liberal as they get. I've meet Frank Turner, nice guy but extreme far-left (makes my dad look like a conservative). I've also met Liz Bobo (used to know her when I was a teen)- I haven't met a more pompus, conceited and nasty person in my life (with the exception of former Gov. Glendenning but I only met him once and it could have simply been a bad day) and she is also about as left-wing as you can get. As gun-fucious said, you probably heard Neil Quinter. I've never met him nor do I know anything about him other than what is in his bios that gun-fucious linked to.
 
Yep, it was Quinter (it was on the radio, and in another post I was so out of it this morning I thought there were 52 states, I'm glad I got his first name right).

I'm District 11, so my Delegates Zirkin and Cardin are sponsors. I recently wrote both of them letters about their anti-gun/CCW stances , I will be very interested to see their replies.

Here's the letters:

Honorable Robert A. Zirkin
Lowe House Office Building, Room 304A
84 College Ave
Annapolis, MD 21401-1991



Dear Delegate Zirkin:


I am writing at this time to urge your taking a leadership position in the return of the right to self-defense for the citizens of Maryland. Despite some of the most restrictive gun control laws in the nation, Maryland continues to rank amongst the highest states in the rate of violent crime. The current system of harsh gun control is clearly not working.

Thirty-six of the fifty states in the country have adopted shall-issue concealed carry laws. These states have experienced a drop in violent crime rates, and there have been none of the "Wild West" style shootouts over parking spaces or the last can of peaches in the market, as was predicted by groups opposing the measures.

In the post 9/11 and sniper shooting world, gun sales in Maryland have been steadily increasing , especially among women, who have traditionally been among the most ardent supporters of gun control. And let me remind you that all of the recent workplace shooting have taken place in states without shall- issue concealed carry. If only one person in any of those buildings had been permitted legal carry, the tragic outcome might have been much different.

While I am aware that Maryland does technically have a may-issue concealed carry permit, it is by far the most hard to get permit of all the may-issue states. Maryland is really no different than the small number of states that prohibit carry for any type of general self defense purpose.

Bobby, I proudly voted for you in the last election, and can clearly recall your dedication in standing at the corner of Crondall Road and Owings Mills Boulevard in the early morning waving to prospective voters. But things are changing here, people are demanding the right to defend themselves, and not call 911 and wait for Police that will probably be too late. I wish it were not so, but I have to say that I have become a one issue voter, and unless I see a change in the right to self -defense in this state, I will not support your re-election. Even if only to support another anti-2nd Amendment candidate; I would at least have a chance to convert them to supporting the changing attitudes of Marylanders to useless gun control.


Sincerely,

Greyhound
 
Mark Tyson-

Good point, "most hard" does sound like my rural roots a little!:D

Unfortunately, I already sent those letters (my first political letters!) but I still have one to send to state Senator Paula Hollinger, so I'll make the change, thanks.

Still amazed that EVERY ONE of my state/federal reps (other than Pres. Bush and Gov. Erlich) is a liberal, leftist Democrat! (Yep, state Delegates, Senators and Federal Reps. and Senators).

I'm sure all you Texas folks and such just spit Lone Star all over your monitors at the thought of such a plight!:D
 
I am looking for the liberal gun grabbers in Md. to pass some kind of AWB. They will go into a full scale panic when they realize the federal AWB is about to expire. This actually makes sense from their perspective, lay gun control bills on Gov. Erlich's desk. Erlich signs it and pays a political price with his base, or veto it and they beat him over the head with it next election. It is a win win situation for the liberals. As to a possibility for shall issue CCW in Md. I don't see any way to make that happen. Is there any way to make these idiots see the light? Al
 
To be fair, he does state that "firearms may have a legitimate self defense purpose" but then ruins that by saying...
Click to expand...

There's no need to try to be so-called "fair" to anti-Second Amendment bigots. If that individual truly believed firearms are legitimate self-defense weapons, he'd understand a gun is a gun is a gun.
 
New battle opens on Md. gun ban
http://www.dailytimesonline.com/news/stories/20030915/localnews/260464.html
By Bethany Broida
Capital News Service

ANNAPOLIS -- With the federal ban on assault weapons due to expire next year, two Maryland lawmakers want the General Assembly to take another crack at expanding a statewide ban on assault weapons to some rifles.

"These weapons will be back on the streets of Maryland next year unless we do something about this now," said Sen. Robert Garagiola, D-Montgomery, who said Friday that he will sponsor legislation to outlaw assault rifles and similar weapons. "There is a greater impetus to get it passed this year since the federal ban is set to expire."

Legislation expanding an existing ban on assault pistols was stymied last session, but Garagiola and Delegate Neil Quinter, D-Howard, plan to introduce a new bill when the Assembly reconvenes in January. They will kickoff their efforts at two news conferences today: one in Rockville with Montgomery County Executive Doug Duncan, Montgomery Police Chief Bill O'Toole and CeaseFire Maryland and the other in Baltimore with Mayor Martin O'Malley.

In 1994, the federal government passed a 10-year ban on assault weapons that will expire on Sept. 13, 2004.

So far, five states have passed their own bans and at least a dozen others are considering one, according to Leah Barrett, executive director of CeaseFire Maryland, a nonprofit organization dedicated to reducing violence with public education about handgun ownership and misuse hazards. Her group is working with the legislators to draft the new bills.

It's more critical to draw attention to the issue this year because many people don't realize that these types of weapons could be back on the streets in a year, Garagiola said.

Sen. J. Lowell Stoltzfus, R-Somerset, said he doesn't know what kind of chances the bill would have next session.

"Is it going to pass? I don't know," he said. "It is shown that where there is gun control most crime is higher. You are not controlling the criminals, you are controlling the law-abiding citizens. Criminals will get the guns anyway."

National Rifle Association spokesman Andrew Arulanandam declined to comment on the state proposal, but said the national ban has been ineffective.

"Any additional legislation hurts law-abiding citizens. Criminals, by definition, don't follow the laws," he said. One weapon not banned under the federal law is the Bushmaster rifle, one of many clones of the AR-15 assault weapon. Police say a Bushmaster rifle was used in last fall's sniper attacks that killed 10 people in Maryland and Virginia and wounded three others. Two suspects, John Allen Muhammad and Lee Boyd Malvo, are awaiting trial in those attacks.

"The snipers could not have inflicted the damage they did with a handgun," Barrett said. "Individuals not in the Army have no need to have these particular lethal weapons."

Garagiola and Quinter's proposed legislation would ban characteristics and parts that could be used to make an assault rifle, not just individual weapons, so that weapons similar to a listed gun also would be covered.

The bill's chance of passage in the Legislature may be better this year, Garagiola said, because of the looming deadline and because he believes the timing is better.

"Last year we had a lot of new committee chairs and a new governor, just basically a lot of newness, and so a lot of folks in the leadership felt it was better not to take something like this one right now," he said. "A bill like this has controversy and a lot of people wanted to stay away from that.
 
http://www.gazette.net/200338/montgomerycty/updates/177923-1.html

Assault weapons ban pushed


by Steven T. Dennis
Staff Writer
Sep. 17, 2003

Maryland lawmakers are pushing for a new state assault weapons ban, pointing to last year's sniper attacks for ammunition.

"I can think of no greater memorial for the sniper victims," said Montgomery County Executive Douglas M. Duncan, standing outside the county courthouse complex in Rockville on Monday.

The snipers terrorized the community with a single assault weapon, Duncan (D) said. "One weapon did that. Ten people were killed and many others were injured from that weapon. How was it possible that anyone could get an assault rifle like this?"

Duncan said the sad fact is the the Bushmaster rifle used in the shooting was a legal knockoff of the AR-15, a gun banned under federal law. The federal ban is set to expire in a year, and efforts to extend the ban have stalled in Congress.

Duncan urged the passage of the ban to "protect Marylanders from these weapons of mass destruction."

"It's time we understood the difference between handguns and shotguns, which people feel they need for self defense or hunting, and assault weapons," said Montgomery County State's Attorney Douglas F. Gansler (D), adding that there is no reason for a civilian to have an AK-47 or an Uzi.

State Sen. Robert J. Garagiola (D-Dist. 15) of Germantown said his bill would be significantly more strict than the federal ban. The federal law bans weapons with two or more assault characteristics, such as a pistol grip. Garagiola's bill would ban weapons with one or more assault characteristics.

"Our goal is not to take away a hunting weapon," said Del. Neil Quinter (D-Dist. 13) of Columbia, who is sponsoring the legislation in the House.

Weapons currently legal would be grandfathered under the bill, Quinter said. The National Rifle Association has strongly opposed the gun ban proposal in the past, including during this year's legislative session, when Garagiola's bill died in committee.

Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. (R) also has opposed gun bans at the state and federal level.

A similar announcement was made earlier Monday in Baltimore with Mayor Martin O'Malley (D) and other supporters of the Garagiola-Quinter bills.

Del. Carmen Amedori (R-Dist. 5) of Westminster vowed to stop any gun control efforts. "It seems that the gun grabbers are already gearing up to once again infringe upon the rights guaranteed under the U.S. Constitution, with the news of proposed legislation that will ban so-called 'assault weapons,'" Amedori said in a statement.

She added: "It appears that this is nothing more than political posturing by Martin O'Malley and/or Doug Duncan. And I would urge Mayor O'Malley to dedicate more of his time in trying to enforce the laws that are currently on the books than once again trying to infringe upon the law-abiding citizen with yet another law that will do nothing to deter criminal activity."
 
at last winters hearing in Anapolis i carted along a 3 x 4 foot picture of a deer hunter with a spike buck and a Kalashnikov

Guess what Neil, AKs are legitimate deer rifles in Maryland
 
Saw this article this morning:

http://www.msnbc.com/local/wbal/A1789463.asp

Baltimore Officials, Advocates Want Assault Weapons Ban


BALTIMORE, 5:23 p.m. EDT September 15, 2003 - According to FBI statistics, one out of every five police officers killed between 1998 and 2001 were killed by an assault weapon. But in less than a year, a federal ban on assault weapons will expire.

As a result, on Monday, Baltimore City leaders joined gun safety advocates to persuade Congress to pass new and even stricter bans on the weapons.
Baltimore City police Commissioner Kevin Clark (pictured, right holding an assault weapon) said it's not just about protecting police officers.

"Remember one of these, unchecked in the wrong hands at the wrong time, in circumstances we have no control over, is totally destructive," Clark said.

The group is also asking state lawmakers to pass a state ban in case Congress does not.



<end article>
One in five police officers killed by Assault Weapons between 1998 and 2001? There's no frickin' way! Besides, isn't that
during the period we were "protected" from assault weapons by the 1994 federal ban?:rolleyes:
 
an assault weapon is defined as a semi auto pistol with a standard capacity magazine holding more than 10 rounds

many police officers shot with their own guns are shot with assault weapons
 
Even one officer shot is a tragedy, but I smell BS here.

How much you want to bet that 5 officers TOTAL have been killed between 1998 and 2001 (3 years) and that one of the 5 was shot with what they call an assault weapon?

Its all in how you present the data.....
 
I'd hate to introduce facts into this specious argument, but if each of the victims had been shot with a sho'nuff "Deer Rifle", I doubt ANY of them would have survived. The assaults would have been just as deadly or effective with a muzzle loading rifle. One shot, one victim, per episode. The "semi-automaticness" of the rifle had zip point squat to do with it.

I swear before my Judge, some people is SUCH idjits. I think this is one of those times where these ninnies wear their ignorance like a crown. Do you suppose it might intrude SOMEWHERE into the dim recesses of their intellect that the sniper case is of no factual value to their cause?
 
its value is that it will cause the sheeple to bleat on their way to the polls

notice how a semi auto rifle is now a weapon of mass destruction

Wolf in the fold
baaaaa saaavve us
wolf in the fold
 
Another law that doesn't reduce crime, and further reduces the rights of gun owners in the People's Republic of Maryland.
 
Hopefully the Governor will veto the bill if it passes. I heard hinm state on WTOP radio in an election interview, that the AWB ban was silly because it banned a small group of firearms that function exactly like "thousands" of other types of firearms. The "thousands" was a bit of a reach.

But this is not bad coming from a guy who said he does not even own a firearm. And the reason is, he said, is that his wife will not allow it. I thought the remark made him look hen-pecked.

IIRC, under the regulations of the Maryland Dept. Of Natural Resources, you can hunt large game such as deer with any firearm that produces at least 1200 lbs. of muzzle energy. Just do not load it with more than eight rounds in the firearm at any one time when hunting. An AR15 or commercial AK47 can produce that energy and more.
 
"Our goal is not to take away a hunting weapon," said Del. Neil Quinter (D-Dist. 13) of Columbia, who is sponsoring the legislation in the House.
Click to expand...

You know, I honestly believe this leftist is telling the truth. Sure, deep down he doesn't want anyone to have guns, but right now they are just focused on the "evil assault rifles".

Then, when they get this ban passed, at some point they'll have an epiphany: "Say, that wasn't too hard, maybe for 'the children', we need to get rid of the handguns". So then that will become the "Holy Grail".

It'll be a tough fight, but once won, eventually someone will come to the conclusion that in the post-modern, we're-one-world-now state of affairs, no one needs any guns.

Now at this point, they'll really be in for a tough fight. The hunters and target shooters will finally be aroused. I guess we'll end up with an Australia type ban, where you are allowed to own shotguns/bolt action rifles, but you must leave them unloaded and locked up at your shooting club, and they may not be kept at home - where they could be used to defend yourself against an underprivileged youth who is only trying to rise above his oppression.

To keep this from happening is why 4 more letters will be mailed this weekend - 3 to my leftist Delegates and Senator, and one to the last line of defense - Republican Gov. Erlich.
 
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