Posted by Phil Lee (216.250.238.49) on October 01, 2000 at 20:51:
During the year 2000 session, Del. Hixon was a sponsor for HB 1139 which provided that it is the misdemeanor of reckless endangerment if a person uses a handgun to place the person's spouse, parent, or child in fear of death or serious physical injury. This bill ignored placing person's spouse, parent, or child in fear of death or serious physical injury by knife, baseball bat, pipe, shotgun, rifle and many other weapons. It ignored placing aunts, uncles, grandparents, nieces, nephews, and the average person on the street. It ignored so much that it is clear this bill has no purpose other than make it appear that the delegate is doing something about violence.
Del. Hixon also sponsored HB 1132 making it illegal to transport handguns in Maryland. Specifically the bill provides that: "Any person who shall wear, carry, or transport any handgun, whether concealed or open, upon or about his person, and any person who shall wear, carry or knowingly transport any handgun, whether concealed or open, in any vehicle traveling upon the public roads, highways, waterways, or airways or upon roads or parking lots generally used by the public in this State shall be guilty of a misdemeanor; and it shall be a rebuttable presumption that the person is knowingly transporting the handgun; ..." So, you could not even carry your legally owned pistol to the range.
Del. Hixon sponsored HB 1131 to require licencing of owners of regulated firearms and to require a safety course. The safety course was also a part of SB 211 which was enacted into law.
Del. Hixon sponsored HB 595 to permit courts to order "ex parte" (i.e., without hearing from both sides) gun owners to the immediate surrender to law enforcement authorities any firearm in the their possession for the duration of the order. If you are a gun owner, you become guilty without trial and are subject to state seizure or property as a penalty. Moreover the bill provides: "An officer shall arrest with or without a warrant and take into custody a person whom the officer has probable cause to believe is in violation of an ex parte order or protective order in effect at the time of the violation." Ordinarily, police can arrest only with warrents issued by judges or when they have witnessed a crime. To permit arrest on "probable cause" would permit great abuse by authorities.
Del. Hixon sponsored HB 279 (the House version of the SB 211 which passed) to prohibit a firearms dealer from selling, renting, or transferring in the State any handgun manufactured after December 31, 2001, unless the handgun has an integrated mechanical safety device and to require a safety course before regulated firearms may be purchased. The safety course is a prior restraint on a Constitutional right which (for the first amendment) has been held illegal for the government to do.