Subject:

Comments:
: New battle opens on Md. gun ban : By Bethany Broida : Capital News Service : : ANNAPOLIS -- With the federal ban on assault weapons due to expire next year, two Maryland lawmakers want the General Assembly to take another crack at expanding a statewide ban on assault weapons to some rifles. : "These weapons will be back on the streets of Maryland next year unless we do something about this now," said Sen. Robert Garagiola, D-Montgomery, who said Friday that he will sponsor legislation to outlaw assault rifles and similar weapons. "There is a greater impetus to get it passed this year since the federal ban is set to expire." : Legislation expanding an existing ban on assault pistols was stymied last session, but Garagiola and Delegate Neil Quinter, D-Howard, plan to introduce a new bill when the Assembly reconvenes in January. They will kickoff their efforts at two news conferences today: one in Rockville with Montgomery County Executive Doug Duncan, Montgomery Police Chief Bill O'Toole and CeaseFire Maryland and the other in Baltimore with Mayor Martin O'Malley. : . : . : . : Garagiola and Quinter's proposed legislation would ban characteristics and parts that could be used to make an assault rifle, not just individual weapons, so that weapons similar to a listed gun also would be covered. : The bill's chance of passage in the Legislature may be better this year, Garagiola said, because of the looming deadline and because he believes the timing is better. : "Last year we had a lot of new committee chairs and a new governor, just basically a lot of newness, and so a lot of folks in the leadership felt it was better not to take something like this one right now," he said. "A bill like this has controversy and a lot of people wanted to stay away from that.

Optional Link URL:
Link Title:
Optional Image URL: