Harry Tuttle
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- Nov 14, 2003
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Miller aiming to help Beretta navigate law
http://www.gazette.net/200405/montgomerycty/state/198816-1.html
by Thomas Dennison
Staff Writer
Jan. 28, 2004
For complete coverage of the 2004 legislative section, go towww.gazette.net/annapolis2004/.
ANNAPOLIS -- Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller Jr. has promised to sponsor legislation that would help local handgun manufacturer Beretta USA comply with the trigger lock provision in a landmark gun safety bill passed in 2000.
Miller (D-Dist. 27) of Chesapeake Beach said Accokeek-based Beretta has not been able to sell its handguns in the state because of a controversial trigger lock provision contained in the gun law championed by Gov. Parris N. Glendening (D). Miller made no bones that he wants to help Beretta -- which is in his southern Prince George's County district -- comply with the law and sell its handguns to Marylanders.
"Beretta is a very valued employer and very valued industry in Maryland," Miller said. "Because of the law's unintended consequences, Beretta can't sell guns in Maryland that are manufactured right here in Maryland. ... I'm looking for a way to ensure that the guns will comply with the locking requirement and allow Beretta to compete with its overseas gun competition."
Miller emphasized that his bill will not weaken the provisions of the bill, dubbed the Responsible Gun Safety Act of 2000. It is intended only to clarify the definition of the locking device that has to be built into new handguns.
Glendening's gun bill, which required "integrated mechanical safety devices" and other provisions aimed at improving safety, even prompted President Clinton to come to Annapolis and praise Maryland's governor and General Assembly.
The National Rifle Association and gun rights organizations, which fought the trigger-lock bill vigorously, have been saying for the past year that the law has imposed a de facto handgun ban in Maryland. Many manufacturers -- Beretta and Browning in particular -- have said the law prevents them from selling handguns in the state.
"We're delighted that somebody is trying to look at the present situation and solve the problem of availability of good, quality handguns for law-abiding citizens," said Jim Purtilo, publisher of pro-gun newsletter Tripwire. "Right now, manufacturers like Beretta can't comply with current law."
Purtilo and other gun enthusiasts are cautious in their support for Miller's bill because they wonder if it will be loaded with anti-gun legislation, such as an assault weapons ban. A strong effort is under way to ban assault weapons, and Purtilo said he is worried that the trigger lock problem could be corrected in exchange for an assault weapons ban.
"I'm real concerned that there may be some bartering going on, and legislators may feel like they can trade a vote for the Beretta bill in return for a vote on an assault weapons ban," he said. "Our concern is there may be a connection between the bills."
The assault weapons bill would ban not only the semiautomatic Uzis, AK-47s and other guns included in the federal assault weapons ban set to expire this year, but also copycats and other assault weapons, such as the Bushmaster rifle used in the 2002 sniper rampage. The bill seemed to gather steam earlier this month when Miller blasted Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. (R) for opposing previous bans while he was a member of Congress.
Senate Judicial Proceedings Chairman Brian E. Frosh (D-Dist. 16) of Bethesda said he had not been briefed on Miller's bill and would not comment.
Leah Barrett, executive director for CeaseFire Maryland, said she was unaware of Miller's bill, but at first blush, her organization is likely to be opposed.
"I don't think it sounds promising at all," Barrett said.
Paul E. Schurick, Ehrlich's communications director, said the governor applauds Miller for taking on the trigger-lock issue and would be very supportive of the measure. But he stressed that there will be no deal if there is horse-trading with an assault weapons ban.
"It would go against everything in the governor's soul to sign an assault weapons ban and make a deal like that," Schurick said.
Gun ban gathers steam
http://www.gazette.net/200404/carrollcty/state/198667-1.html
by Steven T. Dennis
Staff Writer
Jan. 23, 2004
ANNAPOLIS ? A bill banning assault weapons is shaping up to be the major battle over weaponry this session, with the idea getting a nod from Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller Jr. and a broad swath of liberal Democratic lawmakers this week.
The bill, sponsored by Sen. Robert J. Garagiola (D-Dist. 15) of Germantown and Del. Neil F. Quinter (D-Dist. 13) of Columbia, would ban not only the semiautomatic Uzis, AK-47s and other guns included in the federal assault weapons ban set to expire this year, but also copycats and other assault weapons, such as the Bushmaster rifle used in the 2002 sniper rampage.
Miller, who blasted Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. (R) at a Democratic Party luncheon last week for voting against previous gun bans, stopped short of saying the bill will pass. But the master of the Senate, if he decides to get behind the bill, will find breaking a sure filibuster on the issue easier now that he plans on changing the votes need to end debate from two-thirds (32 votes) to three-fifths (29 votes). Ehrlich has long opposed gun bans, but he may not want an assault weapons ban hotly opposed by many Republicans to reach his desk, given that the issue has proven popular in polls.
Miller (D-Dist. 27) of Chesapeake Beach could make assault weapons his Lynn Y. Buhl of the session, where he breaks his alliance with Ehrlich on slots and other issues to take a partisan whack, as he did by defeating the governor's environmental secretary nominee last year.
Sen. Alexander X. Mooney (R-Dist. 3) of Frederick, an ardent gun rights advocate, defended the weapons as "sport utility rifles."
He said fully automatic machine guns have long been banned, and giving people guns, including semiautomatic Uzis, would make them safer. He also questioned statistics cited by anti-gun supporters that the federal ban has cut crime and assault weapon traces used in crimes. He decried the proposal as part of a step-by-step plan to ban all guns. Mooney is considering a bill expanding the right to carry guns.
As for the "sport utility rifle" phrase, Senate Judicial Proceedings Chairman Brian E. Frosh (D-Dist. 16) of Bethesda remarked, "I'm sure the snipers felt that was a good name.
"The only use for it is for people who want to kill other people," said Frosh, who said he is optimistic the bill will pass this year.
Although prospects are looking up in the Senate, the bill faces a tough hurdle in the House from Judiciary Chairman Joseph F. Vallario Jr., who is skeptical of the need for new gun laws.
Vallario (D-Dist. 27) of Upper Marlboro said he has a lot of questions about the ban, mainly about how it differs from the about-to-expire federal ban and what impact it will have on existing guns.
"Just like every other bill, we'll look at it," Vallario said.
Del. Carmen Amedori (R-Dist. 5A) of Westminster, a gun rights advocate, said she has always expected the House to be key to preserving gun rights once Frosh became chairman of Judicial Proceedings.
A rally for the ban held last week at the Chevy Chase home of CeaseFire Maryland Executive Director Leah Barrett attracted a veritable mob of elected officials, from possible gubernatorial candidates Montgomery County Executive Douglas M. Duncan (D) and Del. Peter V.R. Franchot (D-Dist. 20) of Takoma Park to Frosh and U.S. Rep. Christopher Van Hollen Jr. (D-Dist. 8) of Kensington.
Van Hollen noted that prospects of passing an assault weapons ban are better with Frosh as the Judicial Proceedings chairman than in earlier years when Walter M. Baker relished making mincemeat out of gun control proposals. Baker was defeated in 2002.
There were even a few Republicans at Barrett's home, led by Montgomery County Councilman Howard A. Denis (R-Dist. 1) of Chevy Chase. With Van Hollen's 2002 defeat of Constance A. Morella, Denis, a former state senator, may be the most liberal elected Republican in the state.
While supporters were meeting inside, a band of gun rights proponents protested outside.
Staff Writer Thomas Dennison contributed to this report.
http://www.gazette.net/200405/montgomerycty/state/198816-1.html
by Thomas Dennison
Staff Writer
Jan. 28, 2004
For complete coverage of the 2004 legislative section, go towww.gazette.net/annapolis2004/.
ANNAPOLIS -- Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller Jr. has promised to sponsor legislation that would help local handgun manufacturer Beretta USA comply with the trigger lock provision in a landmark gun safety bill passed in 2000.
Miller (D-Dist. 27) of Chesapeake Beach said Accokeek-based Beretta has not been able to sell its handguns in the state because of a controversial trigger lock provision contained in the gun law championed by Gov. Parris N. Glendening (D). Miller made no bones that he wants to help Beretta -- which is in his southern Prince George's County district -- comply with the law and sell its handguns to Marylanders.
"Beretta is a very valued employer and very valued industry in Maryland," Miller said. "Because of the law's unintended consequences, Beretta can't sell guns in Maryland that are manufactured right here in Maryland. ... I'm looking for a way to ensure that the guns will comply with the locking requirement and allow Beretta to compete with its overseas gun competition."
Miller emphasized that his bill will not weaken the provisions of the bill, dubbed the Responsible Gun Safety Act of 2000. It is intended only to clarify the definition of the locking device that has to be built into new handguns.
Glendening's gun bill, which required "integrated mechanical safety devices" and other provisions aimed at improving safety, even prompted President Clinton to come to Annapolis and praise Maryland's governor and General Assembly.
The National Rifle Association and gun rights organizations, which fought the trigger-lock bill vigorously, have been saying for the past year that the law has imposed a de facto handgun ban in Maryland. Many manufacturers -- Beretta and Browning in particular -- have said the law prevents them from selling handguns in the state.
"We're delighted that somebody is trying to look at the present situation and solve the problem of availability of good, quality handguns for law-abiding citizens," said Jim Purtilo, publisher of pro-gun newsletter Tripwire. "Right now, manufacturers like Beretta can't comply with current law."
Purtilo and other gun enthusiasts are cautious in their support for Miller's bill because they wonder if it will be loaded with anti-gun legislation, such as an assault weapons ban. A strong effort is under way to ban assault weapons, and Purtilo said he is worried that the trigger lock problem could be corrected in exchange for an assault weapons ban.
"I'm real concerned that there may be some bartering going on, and legislators may feel like they can trade a vote for the Beretta bill in return for a vote on an assault weapons ban," he said. "Our concern is there may be a connection between the bills."
The assault weapons bill would ban not only the semiautomatic Uzis, AK-47s and other guns included in the federal assault weapons ban set to expire this year, but also copycats and other assault weapons, such as the Bushmaster rifle used in the 2002 sniper rampage. The bill seemed to gather steam earlier this month when Miller blasted Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. (R) for opposing previous bans while he was a member of Congress.
Senate Judicial Proceedings Chairman Brian E. Frosh (D-Dist. 16) of Bethesda said he had not been briefed on Miller's bill and would not comment.
Leah Barrett, executive director for CeaseFire Maryland, said she was unaware of Miller's bill, but at first blush, her organization is likely to be opposed.
"I don't think it sounds promising at all," Barrett said.
Paul E. Schurick, Ehrlich's communications director, said the governor applauds Miller for taking on the trigger-lock issue and would be very supportive of the measure. But he stressed that there will be no deal if there is horse-trading with an assault weapons ban.
"It would go against everything in the governor's soul to sign an assault weapons ban and make a deal like that," Schurick said.
Gun ban gathers steam
http://www.gazette.net/200404/carrollcty/state/198667-1.html
by Steven T. Dennis
Staff Writer
Jan. 23, 2004
ANNAPOLIS ? A bill banning assault weapons is shaping up to be the major battle over weaponry this session, with the idea getting a nod from Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller Jr. and a broad swath of liberal Democratic lawmakers this week.
The bill, sponsored by Sen. Robert J. Garagiola (D-Dist. 15) of Germantown and Del. Neil F. Quinter (D-Dist. 13) of Columbia, would ban not only the semiautomatic Uzis, AK-47s and other guns included in the federal assault weapons ban set to expire this year, but also copycats and other assault weapons, such as the Bushmaster rifle used in the 2002 sniper rampage.
Miller, who blasted Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. (R) at a Democratic Party luncheon last week for voting against previous gun bans, stopped short of saying the bill will pass. But the master of the Senate, if he decides to get behind the bill, will find breaking a sure filibuster on the issue easier now that he plans on changing the votes need to end debate from two-thirds (32 votes) to three-fifths (29 votes). Ehrlich has long opposed gun bans, but he may not want an assault weapons ban hotly opposed by many Republicans to reach his desk, given that the issue has proven popular in polls.
Miller (D-Dist. 27) of Chesapeake Beach could make assault weapons his Lynn Y. Buhl of the session, where he breaks his alliance with Ehrlich on slots and other issues to take a partisan whack, as he did by defeating the governor's environmental secretary nominee last year.
Sen. Alexander X. Mooney (R-Dist. 3) of Frederick, an ardent gun rights advocate, defended the weapons as "sport utility rifles."
He said fully automatic machine guns have long been banned, and giving people guns, including semiautomatic Uzis, would make them safer. He also questioned statistics cited by anti-gun supporters that the federal ban has cut crime and assault weapon traces used in crimes. He decried the proposal as part of a step-by-step plan to ban all guns. Mooney is considering a bill expanding the right to carry guns.
As for the "sport utility rifle" phrase, Senate Judicial Proceedings Chairman Brian E. Frosh (D-Dist. 16) of Bethesda remarked, "I'm sure the snipers felt that was a good name.
"The only use for it is for people who want to kill other people," said Frosh, who said he is optimistic the bill will pass this year.
Although prospects are looking up in the Senate, the bill faces a tough hurdle in the House from Judiciary Chairman Joseph F. Vallario Jr., who is skeptical of the need for new gun laws.
Vallario (D-Dist. 27) of Upper Marlboro said he has a lot of questions about the ban, mainly about how it differs from the about-to-expire federal ban and what impact it will have on existing guns.
"Just like every other bill, we'll look at it," Vallario said.
Del. Carmen Amedori (R-Dist. 5A) of Westminster, a gun rights advocate, said she has always expected the House to be key to preserving gun rights once Frosh became chairman of Judicial Proceedings.
A rally for the ban held last week at the Chevy Chase home of CeaseFire Maryland Executive Director Leah Barrett attracted a veritable mob of elected officials, from possible gubernatorial candidates Montgomery County Executive Douglas M. Duncan (D) and Del. Peter V.R. Franchot (D-Dist. 20) of Takoma Park to Frosh and U.S. Rep. Christopher Van Hollen Jr. (D-Dist. 8) of Kensington.
Van Hollen noted that prospects of passing an assault weapons ban are better with Frosh as the Judicial Proceedings chairman than in earlier years when Walter M. Baker relished making mincemeat out of gun control proposals. Baker was defeated in 2002.
There were even a few Republicans at Barrett's home, led by Montgomery County Councilman Howard A. Denis (R-Dist. 1) of Chevy Chase. With Van Hollen's 2002 defeat of Constance A. Morella, Denis, a former state senator, may be the most liberal elected Republican in the state.
While supporters were meeting inside, a band of gun rights proponents protested outside.
Staff Writer Thomas Dennison contributed to this report.
. I'm glad Erlich has stood his ground on this issue (and others, like slots), but I'm affraid he'll give them a compromise. Allowing Beretta to sell guns here in exchange for an AWB is like selling an Enzo so you can get a Dino
