The Maryland AWB of 2007

[CrazyIrishman]

I called the six Senators who are supposed to be Pro-2A at 3:00pm today to voice opposition to SB43 and this is the results I have after speaking to their aides.


Senator Brochin.........still NOT commited either way

Senator Haines.........waiting on "research" whatever that means

Senator Jacobs.........DEFINITELY AGAINST SB43!

Senator Mooney........DEFINITELY AGAINST SB43!

Senator Simonaire.....Undecided ??

Senator Stone...........DEFINITELY AGAINST SB43! His aide also me that he is a co-sponsor on a RTC bill but its not filed yet so she could not give me a bill number.

As a side note,all of the aides were very helpful and even a bit talkative especially the one for Sen. Jacobs. OTOH, Sen. Brochins' aide acted like I was bothering him by calling.


CI

 

[Norton]

Most definitely a likely Trojan SCAWB.

I concur.....they don't have a clear majority in the Judicial Committee so they are trying an end run to a committee where they have more favorable votes.

 

[00-Guy]

HEARING DATE FOR SB43!!!!

I just got email via the AGC that the hearing date for SB43 is 27 Feb at 1:00pm.

I guess that it is time to plan for leave.

Paul

 

[K-Romulus]

letter re:HB441

Taylor and Montgomery are two of my three house delegates. Here is what I real-mailed them today about HB441:

Dear Delegate Montgomery:

I am writing to express my bewilderment at your co-sponsorship of HB 441, the “Assault Weapons Tax.” Since almost half of the taxed weapons are not allowed for sale, and the rest are not used in crimes, I do not understand what this bill seeks to accomplish.

HB 411 seeks to levy a special tax on ten specific models of firearms. However, four of these listed firearms have been completely banned for sale under either Maryland law dating to 1994 (UZI, MAC-9/10/11/12, and TEC-9 series pistols) or federal law dating to the early 1980's (street sweeper/Striker 12 shotguns).

The remaining six firearms are all rifles that must be registered with the Maryland State Police upon transfer of ownership, and the prospective owners must pass state and federal background checks before they may take possession of the rifle. These same prospective owners must show the Maryland State Police that they have taken an approved gun safety course.

I do not understand why these rifles would be singled out for a special tax, much less one that goes to the undefined “victim services” of local counties, since they are functionally identical to other rifles. Also, according to the latest FBI data (http://www.fbi.gov/ucr/05cius/data/table_20.html), only four people in the entire state of Maryland were killed in 2005 using any type of rifle. Compare this number to the sixty-eight Maryland murder victims who were stabbed and the eighteen victims who were punched or kicked to death. These numbers cast doubt that HB411 could in any rational way be associated with mitigating any sort of harm posed by these legal firearms, if that was the purpose of the bill.

Since I can see no reason to devote your limited legislative time to pursuing HB411, at the expense of more pressing concerns such as eliminating the death penalty, establishing a workable health care safety net for Maryland, or even finding a solution to the state’s looming budget crisis, I am at a loss as to understanding why you have co-sponsored this bill.

As a constituent, I am very interested in having my elected representatives use their limited time productively. Therefore, I would appreciate it if you could explain to me at your convenience exactly what HB411 was to accomplish, how you see HB411 accomplishing this goal, and why other legislative priorities should be precluded in favor of HB411.

 

[K-Romulus]

MoCo anti-preemption bill is in the hopper

This may not be good; not good at all.

No text yet, but instead of a general exemption, the bill description talks about "specified" regulations concerning possession of "regulated firearms," among other things.

http://mlis.state.md.us/2007RS/billfile/hb0617.htm

HOUSE BILL 617
File Code: Public Safety

Sponsored By: Montgomery County Delegation

Entitled: Montgomery County - Firearms Regulations - State Preemption Exemptions MC 710-07

Synopsis:

Authorizing Montgomery County to enact specified ordinances regulating the purchase, sale, taxation, transfer, manufacture, repair, ownership, possession, and transportation of specified firearms; authorizing Montgomery County to enact specified ordinances regulating the sale of a regulated firearm; authorizing Montgomery County to enact specified ordinances regulating the possession by a private party of a regulated firearm; etc.

 

[alucard0822]

so it looks like MOCO is taking a page out of cook county IL's book and the rest of the state is copying California. It's evident by the crime rate in the cities and stares that have the most restrictive 2a infringement that most gun control measures plain don't work. It's a fight to the death for the next few years and then it will really be on after the 08 elections, so far almost no Pro-2a candidates are running, it's just easier for the anti-2a politicians to push around people in blue states, I have sent letters to my reps and to as many co-sponsors as i can for both bills, but seems like there are going to be more and more Sad to say, the state continues to forsake it's population of law abiding citizens for irrational and punitive policies supported by just about everybody on the ballot. most of the time we are forced to vote for the smaller pile of s*%$.

 

[K-Romulus]

MoCo preemption bill bad, but not as bad as thought

Basically, the phrase " MoCo may enact ordinances that impose greater restrictions or limitations that those imposed by this section" is stuck into four different sections of existing law concerning (1) state preemption of all firearms laws, (2) state preemption of laws regulating sales of "regulated firearms," (3) the state law criteria for disqualifying factors from possessing a "regulated firearm," and (4) state laws regulating how to transfer ownership of a "regulated firearm.

This seems to be similar to a 2004 bill that PG Co tried to get by the legislature. That died in committee, and I don't even think it got a vote. Bill http://mlis.state.md.us/pdf-documents/2004rs/bills/hb/hb0938f.pdf

Incidentally, I see that 2004 was the year that Garagiola tried to get an "assault weapon tax" bill late-filed, and failed, when his AWB wasn't getting out of the Judiciary Committee. Since it was a late bill, it needed an exemption from the entire Senate body to be heard, and that exemption didn't happen.

Not surprisingly, Garagiola's 2004 "tax bill" looks identical to the current early-filed "Tax bill." http://mlis.state.md.us/pdf-documents/2004rs/bills/sb/sb0927f.pdf

Like the insurgents in Iraq, the MD anti-gun-owners are smart and adaptable.

 

[K-Romulus]

another article on the "tax"

From the Gazette:
http://www.gazette.net/stories/020907/polinew203501_32321.shtml

Ban ’em or tax ’em

While Mike Lenett is in the Senate trying to ban assault weapons, a fellow MoCo solon across the hall, Craig Rice, is trying to tax ’em.

Rice has proposed a 10 percent tax on the sale of assault weapons, with 80 percent of the revenue going to education and the rest to victims service organizations.

Rice doesn’t want to infringe on anyone’s right to protect themselves or to hunt, but he called assault weapons a luxury that could be taxed. His South Carolina relatives, he said, are hunters and never used an assault weapon.

Rice’s bill has seven MoCo sponsors as well as Prince George’s Jolene Ivey, who’s married to that county’s top prosecutor, Glenn Ivey.

Budget analysts haven’t determined how much money would be raised if the bill is passed, which points out one of the failings of our current system, Rice said. Gun dealers aren’t required to keep detailed records of the kinds of weapons they sell.

It doesn’t take a degree in political science to guess what gun-rights advocates think of the measure.

In an e-mail, Jim Purtilo said Rice’s bill is ‘‘another desperate attempt to squeeze a special interest group’s fundraising propaganda into state code.” Purtilo publishes a gun rights newsletter called Tripwire.

‘‘There isn’t a single policy study that even hints this proposal could make sense — competent public servants can do better than author bills by copying Brady organization mailers,” he wrote. ‘‘They proposed an ammunition tax of $5 a bullet a few years ago, and the hoopla doubled my readership in a few weeks. This assault weapon tax is going nowhere, so I hope the bill sponsors send out a lot of press releases for the hearing — I’d love to double readership again.”

If Lenett’s bill makes it out of the Senate and into the House, Rice said he’ll give up the tax and support the ban.

Even so, he said, ‘‘I’m not trying to make a statement. I really want this bill to pass. Maybe I’m unrealistic.”

— Douglas Tallman

Letter sent:

[email protected]

RE: Del. Price's bill to tax certain firearms
(re: Feb. 9 Reporter's Notebook - http://www.gazette.net/stories/020907/polinew203501_32321.shtml)

Like Sen. Lennett's misguided ban on so-called "assault weapons," Del. Rice's bill to tax certain firearms is equally misguided, especially since Del. Rice appears to be unaware of existing firearms sales rules.

Rice's bill seeks to tax the sale of ten specified models of firearms. However, four of these guns have been banned for sale under either a 12 year old Maryland law or federal law stretching back 20+ years. Three of the four banned guns are prohibited for sale under the 1994 Maryland law against so-called "assault pistols." The other banned gun on Rice's tax list is the South African-made Striker-12 shotgun, also known as the "street sweeper," and has been barred from both importation and regular sale by the federal BATFE since the 1980's. How do you tax guns you cannot buy?

The remaining six firearms on Rice's tax 'em list are rifles that shoot no differently that any other legal rifle. In fact, all the taxed rifles can most certainly be used for hunting in Maryland if the owner so chooses. Rifles, incidentally, are not a significant contributor to crime in Maryland, seeing as how only four people in the entire state were killed with any type of rifle in 2005, the latest year of FBI statistics with that level of detail. Compare this to the 68 fatal stabbing victims and 18 victims of fatal beatings from hands/fists/feet that year. (Info from Crime in the United States 2005, table 20, available at http://www.fbi.gov/ucr/05cius/data/table_20.html) Based on this data, Rice's bill should be amended to tax kitchen knives, instead.

I was shocked to read Del. Rice's comments indicating his lack of knowledge of Maryland gun sale rules. All Maryland gun dealers who sell handguns, or rifles like those six types listed in his bill, must fill out both Federal and state paperwork for each gun sold. The federal BATFE requires dealers to keep detailed inventories of their stock, including the model of firearm, the date it is sold, and copies of the BATFE-mandated sale forms that the buyer must complete. At the same time, according to the Maryland State Police, Maryland requires the buyer and dealer to both fill out a detailed registration form in triplicate for each handgun or listed firearm sold. One copy of the form is sent to the Maryland State Police for registration of both the exact model firearm sold and the person buying it. The dealer gets the second copy for their mandated Maryland record-keeping, and the purchaser gets the third copy for his or her own records. In the face of this process, it is preposterous for Rice to claim that "[g]un dealers aren't required to keep detailed records of the kinds of weapons they sell."

If I lived in District 15, I would be pretty annoyed that my representatives in Annapolis are not putting their time to better use, i.e. fixing Maryland's affordable health care crisis.

 

[haole_boySS]

I got my day off changed. I'll be heading up to Annapolis on the 27th for the hearing. Hopefully enough people come to make a difference.

Is anyone going to be wearing RKBA, NRA or similar attire?

Andy

 

[Spot77]

Dress attire only. Suits for men, something similarly appropriate for women.

Most will wear an NRA or MSI pin, or range badge from their local gun club. Something like that.

 

[Norton]

What Spot77 said. There's nothing worse than there being 200 people there looking like they are ready to do business and the newspaper photographing the one guy in the bunch that came in camo and a boonie hat.

 

[battlecry]

Spot: Will there be a group meet or some other coordination before the hearing? I'm planning on attending on the 27th.

 

[Spot77]

Most likely not any kind of formal gathering, but since we need to get there at least an hour before the hearings, you'll see many, MANY of us in the hallways outside of the hearing room. Look for the blue MSI hats or badges, AGC range badges, "I'm the NRA and I Vote" badges, etc.

Anybody in blue MSI gear will be friendly enough and can help answer any questions that day.

I suggest everybody bring a few snacks and a bottle of water or two. I usually bring a book to read while sitting through the bills that I have no interest in. It seems they intentionally design the hearing days to wear us down.

 

[Norton]

It seems they intentionally design the hearing days to wear us down.

Nah....they wouldn't do that to the law abiding citizens of MD would they?

 

[madmike]

Not to law-abiding citizens, no. Only to "right wing racist facist (sic) camo-wearing, Bush-supporting, ignorant hick NRA voters who like seeing children gunned down in the streets"

Time for me to go shoot at homeless people with my deadly semiautomatic weapon of mass destruction rambo killing machine, spray-fired from the hip while riding in the back of my limo.

Think I'll eat a harp seal sandwich, too. Got to keep up standards.

 

[trbon8r]

I have written Maryland NRA Rep Randy Kozuch a letter urging him to make sure that the NRA has their ducks in a row to help us defeat SB-43. In my letter I expressed that I think it is critical that we have NRA representation at the Senate judiciary hearings. Lord knows the Brady Bunch will have their high paid lobbyist there. NRA needs to be there to give us their support.

Please take the time to write Randy a letter, and then follow up with a call if need be. I'm trying to get his phone number, and will update the info when I do.

The NRA does a lot of good work for us, but it is often on the members to make sure that NRA understands where its resources are most needed. I know you all are probably tired of writing letters, but we need to keep the momentum going. It's just as important, if not more so to motivate our own and get them involved as it is to write letters to our elected representatives.

Below is the letter I sent to Randy.


February 12, 2007

Mr. Randy Kozuch
Director, State & Local Affairs Division
11250 Waples Mill Road
Fairfax, VA 22030-7400

Mr. Kozuch,

My name is Ben XXXXXXX. I am an NRA member and Maryland resident. It is my understanding that you are the local NRA contact for state affairs in Maryland.

Mr. Kozuch, certainly you are aware of the fight Maryland’s gun owners are involved in with regard to defeating State Senate Bill SB-43, the proposed “assault weapons” ban. Currently this piece of legislation is scheduled to be heard by the judiciary committee of the Maryland State Senate on February 27 at 1 pm.

In searching the NRA and ILA websites I can find no reference to SB-43. This troubles me greatly. It is crucial that NRA gets the word out regarding SB-43 on their website as well as in American Rifleman and other sanctioned NRA publications.

Mr. Kozuch, it is critical that Maryland’s gun owners have NRA representation at the judiciary hearings on SB-43. Our best chance to defeat this bill is for it to not even reach the Senate floor for a vote. We need the full force of the resources that NRA can bring to bear in order to defeat this attempt at infringing upon our 2nd Amendment rights.

Can you please contact me regarding what the NRA’s plan is for sending representation to the hearings? I can be most easily reached by email at [email protected]. Thank you for your time Randy.


Sincerely,




Ben XXXXXXXX

 

[Norton]

Good letter.

It's not that we, as dues paying members, need to know every detail of the NRA's plans. it's just that we want to know that they are doing something and are not just leaving us to the wolves.

I hope that he responds.

 

[battlecry]

Thanks Spot77. Regards.

 

[Norton]

The Bradys are trying to "Giannetti" Brochin:

If this email does not display correctly, click here to open it in your browser.

CALL STATE SENATOR BROCHIN TODAY
BAN ASSAULT RIFLES IN MARYLAND
Get AK-47s and Other Military-Style Assault Rifles Off Our Streets!

Dear Maryland StoptheNRA Member,

State Senator Jim Brochin is the key vote on legislation to ban deadly assault rifles in Maryland on the Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee. This bill will be considered by the Committee on February 27, and we need Senator Brochin's vote. The gun lobby is already lobbying Senator Brochin to oppose this legislation. That is why we need your help now.

PLEASE CALL STATE SENATOR BROCHIN TODAY: 410-841-3648
Tell him: "Support SB 43: Ban Assault Rifles in Maryland!"

Military-style assault rifles are not used for hunting or for sport. They are designed for one purpose only: to kill people quickly and efficiently. They should not be allowed in our communities. In 2004, President Bush and Congress allowed the federal Assault Weapons Ban to expire, leaving Maryland without any ban on military-style assault rifles. These weapons of war are once again being bought and sold in Maryland, including the Bushmaster rifle -- the weapon of choice for the D.C.-area snipers in 2002.

If we can win Senator Brochin's vote, we can get this bill out of committee and to the Senate floor!

Here is what you can do today:

1. Call State Senator Brochin at 410-841-3648 and tell him: "Support SB 43: Ban Assault Rifles in Maryland!"

2. Forward this e-mail to friends, family, and colleagues in Maryland.

3. Click here to contribute to our efforts in Maryland and across the country.

To read the report "Every 48 Hours: An Analysis of Assault Rifles Traced to Crime in Maryland," and to connect with the gun violence prevention movement locally, please contact Ceasefire Maryland.

Thank you for helping to keep military-style assault rifles off our streets!

Sincerely,
Your Friends at StoptheNRA.com

 

[Norton]

I think that we should all take the time to call the good Senator to register our opposition.

410-841-3648

"I am calling to register my opposition to SB43".

Give your name, the aide will ask you if you are a constituent....be truthful....and if you were calling at the prompting of any organization.

Takes literally 30 seconds.

 

[trbon8r]

Before I call the man I would like to know how to say his name correctly so I don't embarrass myself.

Is it pronounced Bro-Chin, Bro-Kin, or Brock-in? I already wrote him a letter, but it doesn't hurt to call as well.

 

[Norton]

I always say it the first way.....I'm sure he's used to having it mangled in any regard.

 

[haole_boySS]

Norton, I have an MSI sticker on my truck that i got from you....I would love to have a Pin to wear on my suit on the 27th if you have any extra. A hat as well would be great. I'd happily pay.I'll be the tall skinny white guy with a black suit on.

I also have a couple more friends that are willing to display an MSI sticker on their trucks too, if you have any more of them also.

Andy

 

[Norton]

Andy....PM me and I'll send you some stickers.

I'm waiting for some pin supplies to come in but will hopefully have some for the hearings.

 

[kingpin008]

New Guy

Hey all, very new to THR, and this thread has me sweating bullets (no pun intended).

I have a few questions, if someone can help me out. I'm a relatively new shooter, and have no idea how to really interpret all this legal BS. If this bill passes, when will it take effect, and what does that mean for any "evil killer assault weapons" I already have? I'm not giving them up without a fight, I can tell you that.

Also, can someone tell me the proper address to mail a membership to MSI? I've seen a P.O. Box address in columbia, and I also remember seeing one listed as being in Libertytown. I saw one of the stickers on a car the other day and I want a few for my own ride. I've been assaulted before on my own neighborhood streets, and have heard gunshots outside my house in the woods at night. I'm tired of feeling naked and vulnerable.

Thanks to all those who are fighting these knuckleheads on this legislation. Sometimes you just have to lock your jaws and hold on till the other guy cries uncle. I'm glad we've got the pit bulls on our side.