PARTY OR CAUSE? YOU CAN SERVE ONLY ONE MASTER
(2010-07-05) A caution for Direct Action volunteers!
“Shh! Bob Ehrlich is pro-gun. Pass it on!” That’s the whispering campaign we’ve heard in the last year that Bob has been running. (Yes, it has been going on far longer than this spring.) It’s an election year, naturally shills go forth to say what people want to hear, hunting votes. Gun groups get no pass. The best one we’ve heard: “Bob will get us all carry permits by making his state police accept any ‘reason’ put on the form!” We’ve heard this all before, of course – they only have one page in the playbook – but as in 2006, this time Bob has a record. His MSP was ready to relax standards on evaluation of permit applications until he put a stop to it, lest it disrupt his re-election. (Heavens, what would liberals think – or rather how would they vote – if they thought he was doing something for gun owners? Gosh, might as well say something nice about pedophiles.) The only people to get carry permits out of his first term were well-connected Republicans and a few gun club leaders who drove their members to Ehrlich’s camp.
When you go to the county fairs this summer, walk down carnival row. Is there anything a barker won’t say to get a shot at your patronage? Shills and party zealots are the same way. If you care about the Cause, then be an informed consumer before investing your loyalty. Ask – as we ask, in our candidate survey – why Bob promised a review of all gun laws, but never lifted a finger to make it happen in his first term. Find out why he tried to enact gun control (like a penalty for failing to report a lost or stolen gun – one of the Brady priorities) after telling us he was pro-gun. Why did he close more shooting ranges than Parris Glendening and Martin O’Malley combined? Does he intend to do any of this again if elected? And, if not, then why should we believe him this time?
We’ll have a detailed review of all main gubernatorial candidates in an upcoming issue. (Martin O’Malley’s record deserves just as factual and detailed a review as that of Bob Ehrlich.) In the meantime, we have plenty enough to do in General Assembly races. And if you are at a gun club meeting and hear club officers say “Bob is with us – pass it on!” then ask them why? In fact … you might just ask them if they have a Maryland carry permit too.
2010 LEGISLATIVE SESSION
Bills that were explicitly voted down are marked in strike out. Those which passed the legislature are marked in this color. All others not marked died at end of session.
| BILL | ACTION | DESCRIPTION |
| HB 3 | | |
| HB 52 | Regulated Firearms - License Issued by Delaware, Pennsylvania, or Virginia - Reciprocity While proposing a modest reform that goes in the right direction, this is a bill put in purely for election year politics, which, because diminished effort from no community coordination only telegraphs weakness, only puts off the day when a credible effort on carry reform might succeed. | |
| HB 119 | OPPOSE | Department of State Police - Firearm Applications - Authority of Secretary Proposes to let dealers transmit regulated firearm purchase requests to MSP by means other than mail or fax. (Think web forms and email.) While it might shorten some processing time for consumers, the real effect will be to off-load data entry from police and improve the quality of their computerized records. Gunowners have no business freeing the MSP Licensing Section to find other things to do with their time, nor letting them make a case some day that any data stored. Passed in the House, is now in Senate JPR. (2010-04-02) Voted out of committee, moves to Senate floor. (2010-04-05) Bill has passed the General Assembly. |
| HB 157 | OPPOSE | Criminal Law - Use of Firearm in the Commission of a Crime of Violence or a Felony While proposed on behalf of Baltimore City, and not the right wing, the essence of our opposition to this bill is as described in SB44. |
| HB 207 | SUPPORT | Victims of Crime - Burglary and Crimes of Violence - Civil Immunity A good proposal to expand legal protections to an honest citizen who must use force in self defense in the home or business. This deserves your support. (2010-03-01) Bill has passed the House and is now in Senate JPR. |
| HB 255 | | |
| HB 264 | ||
| HB 309 | OPPOSE | Criminal Law - Use of Firearm in the Commission of a Crime of Violence or a Felony See SB44 commentary. |
| HB 354 | OPPOSE | Public Safety - Possession of Ammunition for Firearms - Penalties A needless power grab, to duplicate federal law into state code, so prosecutors get two bites at the apple when pressuring a defendant into legal submission. |
| HB 358 | OPPOSE | Criminal Law - Violation of Restriction Against Possession of Firearms - Penalties Same problem as HB354, submitted at request of Baltimore City. But it doesn't just duplicate federal restrictions - it expands them to 15 year mandatory minimums too. |
| HB 546 | OPPOSE | A subtle change to legal definitions with tremendous negative consequences to handloaders - and indeed any consumer who risks buying the wrong combination of products at the supermarket or hardware store! |
| HB 683 | Public Safety - Handgun Permits - Repeal of Finding Requirement More election year pandering to gun owners that unfortunately, and again, puts off the day when we really will have recognition of right to carry. | |
| HB 776 | Criminal Law - Home Invasion Crime of Violence | |
| HB 820 | OPPOSE | An omnibus suite of restrictions from a Delegate who stands alone at the extreme left, this is a bill "Authorizing an investigative or law enforcement officer acting in a criminal investigation to intercept a wire, oral, or electronic communication in order to provide evidence of the commission of specified offenses relating to the sale, rental, purchase, or transfer of a regulated firearm under specified circumstances; prohibiting a person who has previously been convicted of specified crimes from possessing a firearm; requiring a valid Maryland handgun purchase permit for the purchase or receipt of a regulation firearm; ..." and more. |
| HB 893 | Public Safety - Handgun Permits - Victims of Domestic Violence | |
| HB 905 | Criminal Law - Prohibitions on Wearing, Carrying, or Transporting Firearms - Exceptions (2010-03-23) Passed Second Reader in the House. (2010-03-29) Has passed the House and will be heard in Judicial Proceedings on the Senate side. (2010-04-05)Bill has passed the General Assembly. | |
| HB 942 | OPPOSE | |
| HB 991 | ||
| HB 992 | | |
| HB 1148 | OPPOSE | Declares companies that manufacture firearms to be socially irresponsible and ineligible for investment in some state retirement plans. Note this bill is before the Appropriations Committee, so will be a different call list than the Judiciary Committee, as indicated. |
| HB 1201 | OPPOSE | Calvert County - Noise Control Ordinance (2010-03-29) Has passed the House, heads to the Senate. (2010-04-07) Bill has been approved by committee and heads to the Senate floor. (2010-04-08) Bill has passed the General Assembly. |
| HB 1268 | OPPOSE | Regulated Firearms - Ammunition |
| HB 1328 | OPPOSE | Firearms - Knowing Violation of Specified Prohibitions - Penalty |
| SB 5 | SUPPORT | Public Safety - Police Training Commission - SWAT Team Activation and Deployment A good bill intended throttle back the rampant militarization of our police. (2010-03-29) Advances from committee but amended to just a task force. |
| SB 14 | | |
| SB 22 | Prohibitions on Wearing, Carrying, or Transporting Firearms - Exceptions (2010-03-05) Passed the Senate, moves to the House. (2010-03-23) Will be heard by House Judiciary on 1 April. |
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| SB 30 | SUPPORT | Criminal Procedure - Search Warrant - Deployment of SWAT Team Another bill in the same spirit as SB5. Support. |
| SB 44 | OPPOSE | Criminal Law - Use of Firearm in the Commission of a Crime of Violence or a Felony Expands to all firearms a mandatory minimum jail sentence for use in a crime. There is no scientific basis to believe these would improve public safety, and every reason to believe proponents just want to ‘send a message’. If so then the only message those on the right send by supporting these bills is “we no longer have intellectual integrity and can never be effective defending gun rights.” These bills trash our issue advocacy out in the trenches where we are working to counter the ‘guns are bad’ media message. We teach “it’s not the gun, it’s the criminal” but that’s a hard message to sell when in Annapolis our alleged friends stab us in the back with bills that say “okay, sometimes it really is the gun!” It confirms a ‘guns are bad’ spin and teaches the middle ground – a turf which we contest every day – that the right and left agree guns need special restrictions, so it is only a matter of then agreeing on enough control. These proposals died in the past. They must die again – as must the craven political gamesmanship that trigger their introduction in the first place. (2010-03-19) Bill was voted favorable with amendments out of Senate JPR - goes to the Senate floor. (2010-03-26) Passed third reader in the senate and now moves to the house. |
| SB 125 | Criminal Procedure - Strip Search or Body Cavity Search of an Arrestee - Restrictions (2010-02-25) Passes the Senate, now before the House Judiciary Committee. | |
| SB 152 | OPPOSE | Harford County - Sheriff's Office - Power to Enforce Noise Control Laws Ostensibly not a gun bill, but would give the Harford county sheriff power to enforce MDE noise regulations. A measure intended as an end-around local government’s unwillingness to deal with ATVs that are unpopular in some circles, it gives the sheriff a hammer to use on gunowners, farmers and, yes, maybe some owners of All Terrain Vehicles too. Want to use a hand trap and bust some birds on your rural property some afternoon? Good luck getting that 12ga shotgun down to 65 decibels at the property line if your neighbors are fresh from the suburbs in search of their image of quiet country living. We don’t want to think about giving even more power to the likes of Montgomery County’s Sheriff Kight, should a bill like this get legs - which is likely, since giving one county extra powers is always followed by requests from the other counties. Strongly oppose this bill. (2010-03-10) Bill passed the Senate and is now in Environmental Matters in the House. (2010-03-23) Will be heard there on 1 April. (2010-04-06) Bill has been reported favorably out of committee, moves to the House floor. (2010-04-08) Bill passes the House amended with a pro-gun provision. Awaits resolution with the Senate. (2010-04-12) Amended to be less an impact on shooters, then passed the legislature in its final hours. |
| SB 167 | OPPOSE | Regulated Firearms - Application for Dealer's License - Record-Keeping and Reporting Requirements The "Sandy Abrams" bill of yesteryear - more oppressive record keeping and restrictions on gun dealers, inspired by the 'legal issues' of the former head of the state dealer's association, MLFDA. |
| SB 191 | OPPOSE | Proposes to create ‘weapons free higher education zones’, much like we already have drug free schools zones. (You see how well that’s worked, right?) With 22 senate sponsors, it could move. It’s not that it will affect many folks as written, nor have any public safety value. (Do you know many people with a carry permit who work on a campus?) But we can’t afford the hit to our issue advocacy in the public eye. This bill is in purely to posture, so we can’t let them have it, and we really can’t risk it being amended later to expand scope (a ‘weapon free state’ for example.) |
| SB 274 | OPPOSE | Violation of Restriction Against Possession of Firearms - Penalties A cross-file of HB358. (2010-03-29) Has passed the Senate and proceeds to the House. |
| SB 386 | SUPPORT | Victims of Crime - Burglary and Crimes of Violence - Civil Immunity |
| SB 411 | SUPPORT | Defense of Dwelling or Place of Business - Civil Immunity Another step in the right direction for giving legal protections to people who must use deadly force in self defense<. Not necessarily as strong as HB207, but nevertheless deserving of your support. (2010-03-19) Voted favorable with amendments out of Senate JPR. Will go to the Senate floor. (2010-03-26) Passed second reader in the senate. (2010-03-29) Has passed the Senate and heads to the House. Hearing will be held April 6. (2010-04-07) Received favorable report from committee and moves to the House floor. (2010-04-09) Amended bill has passed the House, and awaits resolution with the Senate. (2010-04-10) Senate accepts House amendments - civil immunity bill has passed the General Assembly. |
| SB 516 | OPPOSE | |
| SB 563 | OPPOSE | Public Safety - Possession of Ammunition for Firearms - Penalties A cross-file bill with HB354, see criticism there. |
| SB 645 | OPPOSE | Firearm Safety Act of 2010 A cross-file bill with HB820 from the Senator who stands alone at the far left of his legislative body. See criticism there. |
| SB 743 | OPPOSE | |
| SB 823 | OPPOSE | Family Law - Protective Orders - Burden of Proof |
| SB 842 | Regulated Firearms - License Issued by Another State to Current or Former Member of the Armed Forces - Reciprocity | |
| SB 867 | OPPOSE | Domestic Violence - Protective Order - Extension (2010-04-02) Voted out of committee, heads to Senate floor. |
| SB 958 | OPPOSE | Calvert County - Noise Control Ordinance (2010-03-29) Has passed the Senate. |
2010 ELECTIONS
MAKE SURE THESE DATES ARE ON YOUR CALENDAR!
Once the legislature is out in April, they'll have had their fun - and it will be time for us to have ours. It's an election year!
| June 22 | Deadline for party affiliation change | Sept 27 | Voter registration re-opens | |
| Aug 24 | Deadline to register to vote in primary election | Oct 12 | Voter registration closes | |
| Sept 3 | Early voting begins! | Oct 22 | Early voting begins! | |
| Sept 9 | Early voting ends | Oct 28 | Early voting ends | |
| Sept 14 | PRIMARY ELECTION | Nov 2 | GENERAL ELECTION |
Now is the time to arrange your plans for vacation or leave so you can stand a post at the front lines of freedom on election days. Working a polling place for pro-gun candidates is something you do only once every couple years, and is a far cheaper sacrifice for freedom than many have paid. Can you work with a candidate in weeks upstream from these contests? All the better. Lit drops, door knocking, sign distribution, motivational talks to gun clubs or other community groups, walking in parades, phone answering (or dialing!) – there's something for everyone.
Sweat the local races and big races take care of themselves. State-wide candidates rarely come out of the blue – they commonly get a start in lower offices. That's the time to build a relationship and ensure only pro-gunners advance. We consider you all to be reporters for Tripwire – let us know of your experiences with races local to you so we can investigate and report accordingly, either in our targeted reports or statewide rollup.
2008 ELECTIONS
No state elections for Marylanders in 2008, of course, this is the season of presidential and congressional races. There we had few opportunities. CLICK HERE for our picks in the primary (retained here for reference.) Then CLICK HERE the analysis of results.
2006 GENERAL ELECTION
CLICK HERE FOR ENDORSEMENTS Retained on-line for reference are the 2006 Primary and General Election endorsements from Tripwire news service.
GOOD READING FOR ACTIVISTS
CLICK FOR NATIONAL REVIEW ARTICLE BY JOHN LOTT. Lott reviews the failures in Maryland's ballistic fingerprinting system.
CLICK FOR NEW YORK POST ARTICLE BY JOHN LOTT. Lott comments on National Academy of Science Report of gun control's failure.
CLICK FOR LINK TO NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCE REPORT. Even Bill Clinton's handpicked scholars now agree ... gun control doesn't work.