Ferguson compromise brings heat from gun organization -- forwarded 3/31/2000

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: Ferguson compromise brings heat from gun organization : By Krista Brick : News-Post Staff : ANNAPOLIS -- As Gov. Parris Glendening rebuked the National Rifle Association campaign against him Thursday, Frederick Sen. Timothy Ferguson was waging his own war of words with the Gun Owners of America Inc. : The GOA is calling Mr. Ferguson, R-Frederick/Carroll, Senator "Benedict" Ferguson for his role in negotiating a deal with Mr. Glendening on gun safety legislation and has accused him of "murdering" a filibuster. : Mr. Ferguson represented Republicans in the talks that resulted in the Responsible Gun Safety Act coming to the Senate floor for a vote. : "Ferguson's action forfeited a recorded vote on cloture. But he, and any other 'pro-gun' senator who refused to 'talk' against the bill (i.e., join the filibuster) is guilty of selling out your rights and safety," according to the GOA Web site. : Mr. Ferguson refuted that claim, saying GOA doesn't understand what happened and that no one from the organization attended talks on the bill. : He also said the filibuster was not going to work because the Republicans lost support when the governor removed the "smart gun" provisions from the bill. : "The Gun Owners of America, Inc. got their information second-hand and it was wrong," Mr. Ferguson said. : The GOA Web site thanked Sen. Alex Mooney, R-Frederick/Washington, for his participation in a four-hour extended debate on the bill on Monday. : However, the Maryland State Pistol and Rifle Association (MSPRA) praised Mr. Ferguson's work on the bill. : On its Web site, the MSPRA said, "Gun Owners of America's Attack on Senator Tim Ferguson is Ridiculous." : "The way I see it Sen. Ferguson was standing in the middle of the track with a freight train bearing down on him. When he saw that it was not going to stop he had two choices; step off the tracks or let the train hit him. GOA thinks he should lay down on the track and let the train run over him." : "We don't have a majority in Annapolis and we can't afford to lose even one senator and especially one that has been with us a number of years battling anti-gun legislation," the MSPRA webmaster wrote. : Dennis Fusaro, director of state legislation for Gun Owners of America, said his organization believes the deal that was struck will be bad for gun owners. He said although "smart gun" technology was removed from the bill, he's worried about how the integrated locking device will be interpreted. : The amended bill that passed the Senate this week says that guns sold in Maryland after January 2003 must be equipped with an integrated mechanical safety device. Guns sold after October 2000 must feature an external safety lock. : Got a comment? : Let us hear about it.

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