Posted by Phil Lee (216.250.238.18) on October 23, 2000 at 21:16:
The Gazette, Oct. 20, 2000
State lawmakers are working on legislation to end gun shows in Montgomery and Prince George's counties, targeting shows at fairgrounds and publicly owned facilities.
State Sen. Ida G. Ruben (D-Dist. 20) of Silver Spring said Thursday she hopes to see two gun-related bills enacted when the General Assembly meets in January.
Rubin has been talking with colleagues in the Montgomery and Prince George's delegations to co-sponsor a bill to end gun shows on all property owned by the bi-county Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission. Both counties' delegations would have to agree on the bill for it to pass the legislature.
She also plans to work with Sen. Brian E. Frosh (D-Dist. 16) of Chevy Chase on a bill that would stop giving state money to public and private groups that offer gun shows.
Ruben said the first bicounty bill would end gun shows that since 1993 have taken place at Show Place Arena, a Park and Planning-owned property in Upper Marlboro.
The three shows a year at Show Place Arena are the biggest in a series of gun shows across the lower end of Maryland organized by Frederick-based Frank Krasner of Silverado Promotions. He has declined comment.
Krasner attracts up to 5,000 customers at the Prince George's County shows. His next show at Show Place Arena is set for Nov. 11-12, with future dates scheduled for February, July and November 2001.
The lawmakers are not opposed to Krasner, who is credited by State Police officials with running tight shows and reporting suspicious or illegal activities, but with gun shows in general.
State Sen. Arthur Dorman (D-Dist. 21) of Beltsville concurred with the Montgomery lawmakers, saying, "I'm opposed to having gun shows on public properties."
Ruben said the second bill she hopes to work on would coincide with efforts by Frosh, who has said he would like to make it impossible for a repeat of the $400,000 bond legislators passed in 1998 to pay for improvements at the Montgomery County Agricultural Center and Fairgrounds in Gaithersburg without knowing about the gun shows.