Harry Tuttle
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Ehrlich, Miller at odds on assault weapons ban
http://www.gazette.net/200408/montgomerycty/state/202174-1.html
by Steven T. Dennis and Thomas Dennison
Staff Writers
Feb. 18, 2004 .
Giannetti shaping up to be key vote in Senate
ANNAPOLIS -- The battle over a state ban on assault weapons appears to be turning into a partisan showdown between Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller Jr. and Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr.
Ehrlich (R) has personally lobbied senators to kill the bill, while Miller (D-Dist. 27) of Chesapeake Beach said he wants a ban to pass.
A vote in the Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee had been planned for last week, but it was postponed with the vote in doubt. Freshman Sen. John A. Giannetti Jr. (D-Dist. 21) of Laurel appears to be the sole swing vote on the committee and is the target of intense lobbying from both sides.
Giannetti acknowledged calls and face-to-face meetings with Ehrlich, but said he has not decided how he will vote.
Miller made the assault weapons ban a partisan issue at the beginning of the legislative session, singling it out in a speech to Democrats in which he sought to tie the governor to former U.S. House Speaker Newt Gingrich and congressional Republicans.
He said Tuesday that he would like the General Assembly to at least keep in place the federal ban on semiautomatic Uzis, AK-47s and other assault weapons that is set to expire in September because congressional Republicans refuse to allow a vote to extend it.
"I think we should not reward [U.S. House Majority Leader] Tom DeLay and the right wing of the Republican Party, who believe that people ought to be able to bear arms at will and with the weapon of their choice," Miller said, noting that he is a gun owner. "I don't own assault weapons, and I don't want them on the streets I represent."
Miller called the federal legislation "modest," but Ehrlich has opposed gun bans repeatedly, on both the state and federal levels.
Paul E. Schurick, Ehrlich's communications director, said the assault weapons ban "has nothing to do with Tom DeLay or Republicans. It's about public relations." He said the governor remains opposed to the bill and hopes to work with the legislature "to find a real way to stop gun crime."
The bill proposed by Sen. Robert J. Garagiola (D-Dist. 15) of Germantown and Del. Neil R. Quinter (D-Dist. 13) of Columbia goes significantly beyond the federal gun ban, targeting what they call "copycat" assault rifles, such as the Bushmaster rifle used in the 2002 sniper attacks.
Garagiola said he still expects Giannetti to support the bill, providing a 6-5 margin. Supporters have made not-so-subtle hints to Giannetti and other Democrats that a vote against the ban could spark a primary challenge. "They'll have to answer to their constituents," Garagiola said.
He said he would be willing to scale back the bill to the federal ban if that is what it will take to pass it. At issue is not just the key committee vote but political considerations for Democratic senators in competitive districts who will have to make a difficult vote on the Senate floor to end a certain filibuster, Garagiola acknowledged.
Supporters point to strong poll results in favor of an assault weapons ban, but opponents note that the pro-gun lobby has successfully unseated powerful lawmakers who backed gun control measures in the past, including former House Speaker Casper R. Taylor Jr.
Any assault weapons ban would represent a dilemma for Ehrlich if it reaches his desk. He would be faced with vetoing a popular bill or infuriating an important and vocal part of his base.
Pro-gun lawmakers crowed last week that they had the votes to kill the bill outright, but with Miller's support, all bets are off. The last time a major gun control bill was bottled up in committee, Miller helped engineer a plan to bring it to the floor via a seldom-used rule.
Judicial Proceedings Chairman Brian E. Frosh (D-Dist. 16) of Bethesda said he believed he has the votes to pass the bill and blasted the governor.
"I don't understand why this administration or any administration, for that matter, would make it a priority to allow assault weapons on our streets," he said.
Del. Carmen Amedori (R-Dist. 5A) of Westminster defended Ehrlich's opposition to the bill. She said those who support banning assault weapons are simply pushing a political agenda without strong evidence that a ban would save lives.
She said the pro-gun lawmakers are trying to protect Ehrlich as much as possible by trying to scuttle the bill before it makes it to the governor.
"All of us are pulling out all the stops to kill this bill and keep it off his desk," Amedori said.
http://www.gazette.net/200408/montgomerycty/state/202174-1.html
by Steven T. Dennis and Thomas Dennison
Staff Writers
Feb. 18, 2004 .
Giannetti shaping up to be key vote in Senate
ANNAPOLIS -- The battle over a state ban on assault weapons appears to be turning into a partisan showdown between Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller Jr. and Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr.
Ehrlich (R) has personally lobbied senators to kill the bill, while Miller (D-Dist. 27) of Chesapeake Beach said he wants a ban to pass.
A vote in the Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee had been planned for last week, but it was postponed with the vote in doubt. Freshman Sen. John A. Giannetti Jr. (D-Dist. 21) of Laurel appears to be the sole swing vote on the committee and is the target of intense lobbying from both sides.
Giannetti acknowledged calls and face-to-face meetings with Ehrlich, but said he has not decided how he will vote.
Miller made the assault weapons ban a partisan issue at the beginning of the legislative session, singling it out in a speech to Democrats in which he sought to tie the governor to former U.S. House Speaker Newt Gingrich and congressional Republicans.
He said Tuesday that he would like the General Assembly to at least keep in place the federal ban on semiautomatic Uzis, AK-47s and other assault weapons that is set to expire in September because congressional Republicans refuse to allow a vote to extend it.
"I think we should not reward [U.S. House Majority Leader] Tom DeLay and the right wing of the Republican Party, who believe that people ought to be able to bear arms at will and with the weapon of their choice," Miller said, noting that he is a gun owner. "I don't own assault weapons, and I don't want them on the streets I represent."
Miller called the federal legislation "modest," but Ehrlich has opposed gun bans repeatedly, on both the state and federal levels.
Paul E. Schurick, Ehrlich's communications director, said the assault weapons ban "has nothing to do with Tom DeLay or Republicans. It's about public relations." He said the governor remains opposed to the bill and hopes to work with the legislature "to find a real way to stop gun crime."
The bill proposed by Sen. Robert J. Garagiola (D-Dist. 15) of Germantown and Del. Neil R. Quinter (D-Dist. 13) of Columbia goes significantly beyond the federal gun ban, targeting what they call "copycat" assault rifles, such as the Bushmaster rifle used in the 2002 sniper attacks.
Garagiola said he still expects Giannetti to support the bill, providing a 6-5 margin. Supporters have made not-so-subtle hints to Giannetti and other Democrats that a vote against the ban could spark a primary challenge. "They'll have to answer to their constituents," Garagiola said.
He said he would be willing to scale back the bill to the federal ban if that is what it will take to pass it. At issue is not just the key committee vote but political considerations for Democratic senators in competitive districts who will have to make a difficult vote on the Senate floor to end a certain filibuster, Garagiola acknowledged.
Supporters point to strong poll results in favor of an assault weapons ban, but opponents note that the pro-gun lobby has successfully unseated powerful lawmakers who backed gun control measures in the past, including former House Speaker Casper R. Taylor Jr.
Any assault weapons ban would represent a dilemma for Ehrlich if it reaches his desk. He would be faced with vetoing a popular bill or infuriating an important and vocal part of his base.
Pro-gun lawmakers crowed last week that they had the votes to kill the bill outright, but with Miller's support, all bets are off. The last time a major gun control bill was bottled up in committee, Miller helped engineer a plan to bring it to the floor via a seldom-used rule.
Judicial Proceedings Chairman Brian E. Frosh (D-Dist. 16) of Bethesda said he believed he has the votes to pass the bill and blasted the governor.
"I don't understand why this administration or any administration, for that matter, would make it a priority to allow assault weapons on our streets," he said.
Del. Carmen Amedori (R-Dist. 5A) of Westminster defended Ehrlich's opposition to the bill. She said those who support banning assault weapons are simply pushing a political agenda without strong evidence that a ban would save lives.
She said the pro-gun lawmakers are trying to protect Ehrlich as much as possible by trying to scuttle the bill before it makes it to the governor.
"All of us are pulling out all the stops to kill this bill and keep it off his desk," Amedori said.
