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: Assault Weapons Targeted Again : In Challenge to Ehrlich, Democrats Call for Md. Ban on 45 Models : By Craig Whitlock, Washington Post, September 16, 2003; Page B01 : Several Democratic elected officials in Maryland, including two leading contenders for governor in 2006, called yesterday for a ban on military-style assault weapons as part of a campaign that could force Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. (R) into a legislative battle over gun control. : Montgomery County Executive Douglas M. Duncan and Baltimore Mayor Martin O'Malley -- Ehrlich's chief rivals in state politics -- joined a handful of state lawmakers and activists at separate news conferences yesterday in urging passage of a bill that would outlaw the sale or transfer of 45 models of assault rifles and shotguns that are currently legal to sell in Maryland. : One of the models, a Bushmaster semiautomatic rifle, was used in the sniper attacks in the Washington region last year. : "A real version of that weapon terrorized our community," Duncan said outside the Montgomery County Courthouse in Rockville, where gun-control proponents waved an inoperable replica of the Bushmaster rifle and pointed it at a line of television cameras. "I can think of no greater memorial to the sniper victims than to get this law passed." : A proposed assault weapons ban made little headway in this year's legislative session, failing to make it out of committee in the Senate or the House of Delegates. Supporters said they wanted to renew their push when the General Assembly reconvenes in January because a related federal ban on certain types of assault style weapons is scheduled to expire a year from now. : Sen. Robert J. Garagiola (D-Montgomery), a sponsor of the state bill, said Maryland lawmakers need to take stricter steps to outlaw military style weapons in case Congress decides not to extend the federal ban. "We're concerned it's not going to be reauthorized," he said. : Gun control has traditionally served as a popular political issue in Maryland, a state that already has some of the strictest firearms laws in the nation. : The issue surfaced repeatedly in last year's governor's race, as then-Lt. Gov. Kathleen Kennedy Townsend (D) contrasted her support for tougher gun restrictions with Ehrlich's longtime voting record in favor of gun rights. For his part, Ehrlich questioned the effectiveness of many gun-control laws already on the books in Maryland and promised to review them if elected. : The sniper case also played a role then, with Townsend calling for new limits on the sale of assault rifles, including the Bushmaster model that police say was used to kill 10 people last fall. : The issue did not appear to cost Ehrlich many votes as he became the first Republican to move into the governor's mansion in 36 years. : Yesterday, Ehrlich said he would withhold judgment on the proposed assault weapons ban until he could learn details but indicated that he preferred to move in a different direction, such as approving stiffer sentences for gun crimes. : "We're obviously focused on crime and illegal guns and guns on the street today," he said during a visit to Baltimore-Washington International Airport. "We're focused on what's happening now." : At the same time, he said he was not surprised that O'Malley and Duncan and other Democrats were raising the issue now. "For any Democratic campaign, it's always more gun control," he said. "For Kathleen, it was a major part of her campaign." : The Democrats pushing the assault weapons ban refrained from making direct attacks on Ehrlich yesterday, saying they hoped for his cooperation. : "The governor said during the campaign that he would consult with law enforcement agencies about gun laws," said Del. Neil F. Quinter (D-Howard). "We're confident that if he does this in regard to assault weapons, he will in fact sign the legislation." : At a morning news conference in Baltimore, O'Malley and Police Commissioner Kevin Clark also backed the bill, saying it would help to reduce crime in the city. The mayor declined to comment about Ehrlich, however, and deflected reporters' questions about whether he thought the governor would support the measure. : Duncan's assessment was blunter. "We're talking about common-sense gun laws to help prevent violence," he said. "If Ehrlich is seen as not listening to common sense, that is going to be a problem for him." : Maryland banned a number of military style assault pistols a decade ago but allows the sale of 45 semiautomatic models of assault weapons as long as buyers pass a criminal background check and comply with a seven-day waiting period. : Gun enthusiasts said such firearms are rarely used by criminals and questioned whether a state ban would have much effect, because they could still be legally obtained in other states. : "The gun used in the sniper case was stolen from a store 3,000 miles away," said Sanford Abrams, vice president of the Maryland Licensed Firearms Dealers Association. "How is any Maryland gun ban going to prevent future occurrences like that?"

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