Maryland Open Holster Rally

Monday, January 16th, 2012(Our 2nd MLK Day Event!)
12 Noon – 2:00 PM
On Lawyers’ Mall, Annapolis, Maryland

Maryland Shall Issue

Maryland -–(Ammoland.com)- How to Participate: Join us at Lawyers’ Mall, located at College Ave. & Bladen St. (Rowe Blvd. extended), Annapolis.

We will be gathering in the General Assembly’s backyard so we can be heard. MSI is arranging to have leaders and friends of the 2A community speak at the Rally.

Afterwards we will disperse around Annapolis to enjoy the fine restaurants and shopping. Bring your family and friends to enjoy the day. Wear MSI Blue so everyone knows you are part of the Rally.

Get MSI merchandise at the MSI web site, http://www.marylandshallissue.org.

Purpose: To have a large, completely peaceful and unarmed gathering of supporters of Maryland “Shall Issue” and 2nd Amendment rights. We will be wearing empty holsters in protest of the current “Discretionary Issue” system that sees Handgun Carry Permits issued only to those politically connected or dealing in extraordinarily large amounts of physical cash, or the occasional person who can meet the high burden of proof needed to receive one for self defense.

Basic Safety Rules: All holsters must remain empty at all times. Do not put toy guns, training guns or the like in your holster. We want to emphasize the emptiness of the holsters and our lack of protection. The holster will simply be a fashion accessory, symbolizing our vulnerability to criminals.

PLAN TO JOIN US AND BRING YOUR FAMILY!

Mission Statement: Maryland Shall Issue is an all volunteer, non-partisan effort dedicated to the preservation and advancement of all gunowners’ rights in Maryland, with a primary goal of CCW reform to allow all law-abiding citizens the right to carry a concealed weapon; and to the education of the community to the awareness that ‘shall issue’ laws have, in all cases, resulted in decreased rates of violent crime.

Maryland Shall Issue

Maryland -–(Ammoland.com)- Just another reminder about this Saturday’s Maryland Shall Issue Annual Meeting – Please RSVP so that we can alert the restaurant.

The next meeting of Maryland Shall Issue will be held on Saturday, September 17 at 4:00pm at the Riverbay Roadhouse just outside of Annapolis.

Riverbay Roadhouse is located at 1374 Cape St. Claire Rd, Annapolis, 21409. This is at Exit 29 B off of Route 50, just East of Annapolis.

The good folks at the Roadhouse have arranged several specials just for MSI members:

• Cheeseburger with fries or slaw
• Grilled Chicken caesar salad
• Chicken club sandwich with fries or slaw
• Blackened tuna wrap with fries or slaw
• Turkey reuben with fries or slaw
• Philly cheesesteak with fries or slaw

You can get any of the above with soda, iced tea or coffee for just $10.00, which does not include gratuity

For those of you who wish, you will be able to make cash purchases at the bar.

We thought that this would be an environment conducive to fellowship and discussion while supporting a great local business.

PLEASE: Do us a favor and RSVP by Wednesday, September 14 to info@marylandshallissue.org with how many will be joining us for the meeting so that the folks at the restaurant can secure their staff and order food.

This meeting is our biggest of the year and is the one where we introduce the officers and board members for the coming year. The elections for those positions will take place at a meeting of the Executive Members earlier that day. We will also be bringing you up to date on the legislative and judicial efforts that we are pursuing.

We will have people on hand to collect your dues as well as to sell any of the MSI gear that some of you have been asking about.

We look forward to seeing you at 4:00pm on September 17.

Mission Statement: Maryland Shall Issue is an all volunteer, non-partisan effort dedicated to the preservation and advancement of all gunowners’ rights in Maryland, with a primary goal of CCW reform to allow all law-abiding citizens the right to carry a concealed weapon; and to the education of the community to the awareness that ‘shall issue’ laws have, in all cases, resulted in decreased rates of violent crime.

Vist, support and shop Realco Guns at www.realcoguns.com

Maryland Shall Issue

Maryland -–(Ammoland.com)- As you’ll recall, Heeding God’s Call, the anti-gun organization of “faith leaders” based in Philadelphia, attempted to organize several protests of Clyde’s Sports Shop back during the winter.

They finally were able to put together a half-hearted event on December 11th that turned into one of the biggest business days for Clyde’s when gun owners and other long-time customers came out to support the shop on their “customer appreciation day.”

Since Heeding God’s Call got no traction from their failed attempt to attack Clyde’s, they’ve taken their show to Prince George’s County to protest retailer Realco Guns.

Long time readers will recall that way back in 2007, Jesse Jackson and the Rainbow PUSH staged a high profile protest at Realco that was amply countered by MSI and other pro-gun groups from both Maryland and Virginia.

Now, Heeding God’s Call is picking up where Jackson’s group left off by promising to protest at Realco every Monday as they did this past Monday, June 6th.

Misplaced Angst?
We wonder if the angst from protest-group Heeding God’s Call over lawful gun sales in Prince George’s County would be better aimed at the headquarters of BATFE. This tiny gun control group – best known for tugging at the tired coat-tails of Jesse Jackson’s failed gun control movement - is upset that a lawful Maryland dealer…legally sells guns.

Despite any evidence - at all – that Realco Arms is performing illegal transfer of firearms to prohibited persons, the group intends to protest this dealer weekly. The group claims that Realco allows highly illegal so-called “straw sales” of arms to criminals, yet provides no evidence to back their claims.

We here at MSI think straw sales are a serious matter. If Heeding God’s Call - or anyone - has evidence that any group is knowingly allowing straw sales, we encourage them to immediately report it to law enforcement.

Forget color coordinated protest signs – make a difference and call the Maryland State Police Straw Buyers Hotline at 1-888-637-7274. Today.

Of course, we do not expect that phone to ring anytime soon. It’s much easier to make up numbers, shout out accusations and make noise than it is to go after the criminals and true purveyors of crime in our society.

Which leads us to a suggestion for the good people of Heeding God’s Call: start asking tough questions of the Department of Justice and the ATF, who we now learn have knowingly allowed and assisted in the illegal sales of pistols and rifles to Mexican Drug Cartels. Recent congressional testimony, ATF agent admissions and whistleblowers have all provided evidence of an operation managed from the ATF and DoJ to give guns to drug cartels – all “to see where they end up.”

So where did the ATF guns end up?

Some of those guns have been found at the scene of a dead us Law Enforcement Officer in the United States, and just this week we hear claims others were used in a battle that disabled a military helicopter in Mexico. ATF insiders claim thoudsands of guns were transferred to the cartels and that hundreds of people may have been killed by them.

We understand that Heeding God’s Call may not have heard this news, because with the exception of CBS News, the Mexican press and a few other US news outlets, few dare question the Department of Justice on this matter. But we will, Congress will, and so too will millions of Americans when they hear the details of the international and national laws broken by our government all to “see where the guns end up.”

As if there was any question of how the cartels would use thousands of illegal guns…

If Heeding God’s Call wishes to take on a source of mass illegal straw sales of dangerous arms to dangerous people, they need look no further than the ATF. If they want to make a real difference, then they should shine light on the darkness of “Project GunRunner” and it’s “Fast and Furious” operation that knowingly deilvered arms to the cartels. If Heeding God’s Call wishes to take on the DoJ, they will also have a partner in MSI.

Until then, though…it’s just a lot of shouting into the wind.”

Vist, support and shop Realco Guns at www.realcoguns.com

Mission Statement: Maryland Shall Issue is an all volunteer, non-partisan effort dedicated to the preservation and advancement of all gunowners’ rights in Maryland, with a primary goal of CCW reform to allow all law-abiding citizens the right to carry a concealed weapon; and to the education of the community to the awareness that ‘shall issue’ laws have, in all cases, resulted in decreased rates of violent crime.

Maryland Shall Issue

Maryland -–(Ammoland.com)- Here is a video of an excellent presentation by Attorney Alan Gura on the topic of gun rights in a Post-Heller and McDonald world.

You’ll remember that Mr. Gura is the lead attorney on the Woollard suit being brought by the Second Amendment Foundation against the State of Maryland.

Alan Gura at the Grass Roots North Carolina Gala for Gun Rights discusses recent gun rights litigation and the Supreme Court wins for Heller and McDonald.

He discusses strategies that work, and his experience when the National Rifle Organization joined the McDonald case.

All those interested in preventing the erosion of Civil Rights and Gun Rights should view this video.

Mission Statement: Maryland Shall Issue is an all volunteer, non-partisan effort dedicated to the preservation and advancement of all gunowners’ rights in Maryland, with a primary goal of CCW reform to allow all law-abiding citizens the right to carry a concealed weapon; and to the education of the community to the awareness that ‘shall issue’ laws have, in all cases, resulted in decreased rates of violent crime.

Maryland Shall Issue

Maryland -–(Ammoland.com)- In an October article, the Baltimore Brew quotes Bryan Miller as being the Director of Public Advocacy for the supposedly grassroots interfaith group, Heeding God’s Call.

Some of you will know Bryan Miller as the director of Ceasefire New Jersey. His brother, FBI Agent Michael John Miller, was killed while inside of DC police headquarter in 1994. Yes, that’s right, an FBI Agent was killed in a gun free city while inside of a police facility by a gang member already suspected of having committed previous murders.

Mr. Miller has a long history in the circles of the anti-freedom, anti-rights movement and it appears that he has joined forces with those that have set their sights on Maryland gun owners and firearms retailers.

By no small coincidence, Mr. Miller’s sister, Lisa Miller Delity, is involved with the organization formerly known as Ceasefire MD (which is no longer owned by the anti-gun bigots) and is a fixture on the Maryland anti-gun circuit.

This further demonstrates what we have contended for years: That the anti-gun organizations are populated by an incredibly small group of individuals who constantly reinvent themselves with new names for their organizations and cite each others’ flawed studies to give the appearance of larger forces at work in the name of “preventing gun violence”. This is just another installment in this long saga, but thankfully we see through their charade.

Mission Statement: Maryland Shall Issue is an all volunteer, non-partisan effort dedicated to the preservation and advancement of all gunowners’ rights in Maryland, with a primary goal of CCW reform to allow all law-abiding citizens the right to carry a concealed weapon; and to the education of the community to the awareness that ‘shall issue’ laws have, in all cases, resulted in decreased rates of violent crime.

Maryland Shall Issue

Maryland -–(Ammoland.com)- Actions this week in the General Assembly: Things moved quickly this week in the wake of the March 8th hearings in the House Judiciary Committee.

We’re happy to tell you that, thanks to your sustained and persistent efforts, HB330, HB803, HB1008 and HB1043 all received unfavorable reports from the committee. This means that the companion bills in the Senate are, for all intents and purposes, dead for the year.

HB519 and HB730, two bills we oppose, were given favorable reports with amendments by the House Judiciary Committee.

The amendment to HB519 will remove the language dealing with “ammunition designed solely for the use in a regulated firearm” language. Those of you who watched our testimony on this bill will recall that it centered around this “legislative unicorn” because it’s a mythical creature that doesn’t exist. We are going to continue to address this language elsewhere in Maryland code because no one should risk being charged for something that is for all pragmatic purposes unenforceable.

The amendment to HB730 has not been posted as of this writing. It will allegedly remove the worst of the language from the bill and seek to form a task force to study the issue rather than to enact new law at this time. We’ll keep watching this.

On the pro-gun bill front, HB9 and HB343 are languishing without a vote and will likely be “desk-drawered” by the chairman.

In the Senate, most of the bills are, by default, dead for the year since their counterparts in the House have been given unfavorable reports. The committee did, however, allegedly vote on SB161 and give it a favorable report. It’s not showing up online as of this writing. This bill will advance to the floor of the Senate now. Curious enough, its companion bill (HB1043) has already been defeated in the House committee so we question the wisdom of wasting the General Assembly’s time with this bill unless the sponsor intends to instigate a petition process in the House of Delegates.

We’re providing you information later in this Update on taking action on SB161.

House Bill Summaries

• •HB-9 – Regulated Firearms – License Issued Delaware, Pennsylvania, or Virginia – Reciprocity – STRONGLY SUPPORT Being held in committee without a vote where it will likely stay.
• •HB91 – Courts-Bankruptcy-Arms – SUPPORT - Unfavorable report by Judiciary Committee
• •HB-252 – Crimes – Possession of Loaded Handgun or Regulated Firearm – Enhanced Penalties - OPPOSE No action taken
• •HB-294 – Abuse or Neglect of Animals – Use of Rifle, Handgun, or Other Weapon – Penalties – OPPOSE No action taken
• •HB-330 – Detachable Magazines – Maximum Capacity for Ammunition – STRONGLY OPPOSE – Unfavorable report by Judiciary Committee
• •HB-343 – Public Safety – Handgun Permits – Repeal of Finding Requirement – STRONGLY SUPPORT
  No action taken
• •HB-355 – Natural Resources – Hunting – Junior Deer Permit – SUPPORT - (Being heard in the House Environmental Matters Committee)
• •HB519 – Firearms – Knowing Violation of Specified Prohibitions – Penalty – OPPOSE – Favorable report with amendments by House Judiciary Committee
• •HB705 – Crimes – Pawn Shop Sales of Firearms – Prohibition – OPPOSE - Withdrawn
• •HB730 – Public Safety – Regulated Firearms – Mental Disorder – STRONGLY OPPOSE – Favorable report with amendments by House Judiciary Committee
• •HB803 – Criminal Law – Possession of a Handgun – Institutions of Higher Education and Hospitals – OPPOSE - Unfavorable report by House Judiciary Committee
• •HB1008 – Firearms – Detachable Magazines – Maximum Capacity for Ammunition – OPPOSE - Unfavorable report by House Judiciary Committee
• •HB1043 – Regulated Firearms – Applications for Dealer’s License – Record Keeping and Reporting Requirements – OPPOSE - Unfavorable report by House Judiciary Committee
• •HB1331 – Peace Orders – Surrenders of Firearms – OPPOSE - This is a late bill that was run through the Rules Committee and is the cross-filed version of SB650 that was defeated in the Senate JPR. It’s DOA.

Senate Bill Status Update

• •SB-161 – Regulated Firearms – Applications for Dealer’s License – Record Keeping and Reporting Requirements – OPPOSE – See below.
• •SB-162 – Firearms – Detachable Magazines – Maximum Capacity for Ammunition – STRONGLY OPPOSE – No action at this time. The House magazine bills are dead, so this one is effectively done as well.
• •SB-239 – Crimes – Possession of Loaded Handgun or Regulated Firearm – Enhanced Penalties – OPPOSE - No action taken
• •SB-311 – Weapon-Free Higher Education Zones – OPPOSE - No action taken. The House bill, while not a direct cross-file, is dead and we can presume this one is as well.
• •SB-425 – Abuse or Neglect of Animals – Use of Rifle, Handgun, or Other Weapon – Penalties – OPPOSE
  No action taken.
• •SB-650 – Peace Orders – Surrender of Firearms – Unfavorable report by Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee
• •SB-929 – Firearms – Knowing Violation of Specified Prohibitions – Penalty – OPPOSE - Cross-filed with HB519 which was given a favorable report with amendments. We’ll see where this goes.

Action needed on SB161

Even though the House bill has received an unfavorable report, this bill will continue to come back even if defeated this year. Senator Frosh, the sponsor, has indicated he will continue to introduce it.

Since the bill is going to the floor, let’s tell our side of the story to the Senate as a whole and train them to vote against this bad legislation.

What we need you to do:

• Contact your State Senator and tell them to oppose SB161 should it come to the floor for a vote.
• You can find your State Senator using this tool.
• You can email your State Senator using this tool.
• Tell them that SB161 requires duplicate sets of paperwork that is already required by federal law and is a logistical nightmare for Maryland’s gun dealers that are small businessmen with limited resources.
• SB161 does not address anything not already covered in federal law.
• Federal law already allows Maryland law enforcement to inspect all dealer records if it is in conjunction with a legitimate criminal investigation. Why else would a law enforcement agency need to inspect these records if not in conjunction with a criminal investigation? This bill creates an environment ripe for abuse by harassing gun shops out of business.

Mission Statement: Maryland Shall Issue is an all volunteer, non-partisan effort dedicated to the preservation and advancement of all gunowners’ rights in Maryland, with a primary goal of CCW reform to allow all law-abiding citizens the right to carry a concealed weapon; and to the education of the community to the awareness that ‘shall issue’ laws have, in all cases, resulted in decreased rates of violent crime.

Maryland Shall Issue

Maryland -–(Ammoland.com)- Many thanks go out to the numerous Maryland gun owners who took time to attend the “Gun Day” hearings on March 8th in the House Judiciary Committee.

The hearings started at 1pm and went non-stop until sometime between 7:00pm and 7:30pm.

Thanks also go out to the many people who took the time to make phone calls, send emails and mail letters to let your elected officials know your stances on the issues.

The video of the hearings will eventually show up at this page if you were either unable to view it live or attend the hearings. You’ll need to click on “Judiciary” on the left side and then scroll to the bottom. It’s not there as of this writing, but should be there soon.

Unlike the Senate hearings where Chairman Frosh deliberately seeks to punish citizens who take time off from their jobs to attend hearings in that chamber by making them wait until the end of the day, Chairman Vallario once again ran an equitable and efficient day of hearings and we thank him for his professionalism and fair treatment.

Also in contrast to the Senate committee, the overwhelming majority of the House committee members stayed the entire time and did not begin to disappear as their Senate colleagues did. We thank them for recognizing that the citizens of Maryland see these issues as important and that they have a responsibility to hear our voices.

The day went predictably with those that stand on the opposite side of the issues offering up emotionally charged rhetoric and false statistics while our side stuck to the issues and presented the committee members with concrete numbers and fact based analysis of the bills.

Also predictably, those that stood on the opposing side of the issues were almost universally paid representatives of various issue groups or government agencies, whereas those that stood with us were citizens who took time from their jobs to attend the hearings.

It’s too early to give any definitive report on the outcome of the bills heard yesterday. There are still several weeks to go.

There was one concrete thing that occurred yesterday that we had gotten wind of earlier in the week. Delegate Simmons’ HB730, relating to mental health and firearms ownership, will be substantially amended. The references to the DSM-IV will be removed and the bill will form a task force to study the issue rather than enact any new laws at this time. Delegate Simmons provided a very cogent rationale for the changes by stating that he wished to examine the topic in a “cold and sober” manner rather than seeing the General Assembly rush to judgement in the wake of an Arizona or Virginia Tech-like incident. While we are reserving our position statement on the amendments until we’ve seen them, we are encouraged by the Delegate’s willingness to examine this emotionally charged issue carefully.

What’s Next?

There are a couple of bills that have not been heard yet and we’ll update you on those in an upcoming articles.

With regards to bills that have already been heard, we now begin the processing of watching for votes on the bills in their respective committees. The bills must receive a favorable report before advancing to the opposite chamber for a vote.

Some bills will crossover, some will be amended, some will be withdrawn, some will be given an unfavorable report and eventually some may make it to the floor for consideration by the full General Assembly. Those that are passed by the full General Assembly will go to the Governor’s desk seeking a signature.

Here are some important dates as we approach the final 4 weeks of the session:

March 22
•Committee Reporting Courtesy Date – Each Chamber’s committees to report their own bills by this date

March 28
•Opposite Chamber Bill Crossover Date
•Each Chamber to send to other Chamber those bills it intends to pass favorably
•Opposite Chamber bills received after this date subject to referral to Rules Committees

April 11
•Adjournment – “Sine Die”

The Idiocy of Legislatively Reduced Magazine Capacity

Thanks to the member who forwarded this video clip: The Idiocy of Legislatively Reduced Magazine Capacity

Mission Statement: Maryland Shall Issue is an all volunteer, non-partisan effort dedicated to the preservation and advancement of all gunowners’ rights in Maryland, with a primary goal of CCW reform to allow all law-abiding citizens the right to carry a concealed weapon; and to the education of the community to the awareness that ‘shall issue’ laws have, in all cases, resulted in decreased rates of violent crime.

Virginia Citizens Defense League

Covington VA --(Ammoland.com)- Last year a bill that would change Maryland’s gun laws to honor a Virginia CHP narrowly failed in a committee vote.

This year it is being tried again and Maryland Shall Issue is requesting that Virginia gun owners send in comments supporting the measure.

The bill is being considered tomorrow (Tue, Jan. 25) at 1 PM., so we need to get cracking!

Click here to send an email to the entire judiciary committee:

http://actionmail.ksconline.net/index.php?id=20

Fill in your name, email address, home address, phone number

Suggested “Email Subject”:

Please SUPPORT HB-9!

Suggested “Email Message” (feel free to customize):

Please SUPPORT HB-9, Delegate Smigiel’s bill that allow concealed handgun permit holders from surrounding states to carry concealed handguns in Maryland.  Virginia is considering similar legislation and I would hope that gun owners from both sides of the Maryland/Virginia border would be able to protect themselves as they visit each other’s state.

About:
Virginia Citizens Defense League, Inc. (VCDL). VCDL is an all-volunteer, non-partisan grassroots organization dedicated to defending the human rights of all Virginians. The Right to Keep and Bear Arms is a fundamental human right. Visit: www.vcdl.org

Second Amendment Foundation

BELLEVUE, WA --(Ammoland.com)-A generous $10,000 contribution to the Second Amendment Foundation’s continuing legal efforts to roll back onerous gun laws across the country, including the state of Maryland, has been announced by Maryland Shall Issue (MSI), a grassroots gun rights organization.

“We are grateful and humbled by the Maryland Shall Issue contribution,” said SAF Executive Vice President Alan M. Gottlieb. “This single donation will greatly support our on-going legal battles to restore lost gun rights, one lawsuit at a time.”

In an e-mail announcement to its members, MSI noted, “This is one of the times where we must stand up as a community and demonstrate our commitment to supporting those that are supporting us. In this case, we want to support the SAF.”

On July 29, SAF filed a lawsuit in Maryland on behalf of Baltimore County resident Raymond Woollard, challenging the denial of his gun permit renewal in 2009 on the grounds that he could not demonstrate “a reasonable precaution against apprehended danger.”

“Although our lawsuit complaint cannot be amended,” Gottlieb announced, “we are making Maryland Shall Issue an honorary plaintiff. We simply cannot amply express our gratitude to MSI members for their generosity.”

MSI held a general members’ meeting on Sunday in Annapolis to announce the contribution. Traditionally, the organization has asked for member donations only once each year, during membership renewals in September.

“Maryland’s contribution comes at a critical time for us,” Gottlieb stated. “We will use this money wisely, to get the biggest legal bang for every buck.”

MaryLand Shall Issue had this to say:

We know that you’ve been patiently waiting all weekend to hear what the final tally was on the Second Amendment Foundation money bomb effort that we worked on last week. We held off announcing it until the meeting yesterday because we were still tallying donations even as people walked in the door.We’re excited to announce that your generosity has given us the ability to send a check to the SAF in the amount of $10,000! MSI members have been more than generous on past projects that have assisted a lot of Pro-2A efforts, but this week’s donation represents a new standard for us.

A phone call was placed to SAF headquarters promptly at noon today, 9:00am PDT, so that we could get their week started off right. After a very pleasant talk with Mr. Thomas McKiddie, he assured us that this donation is appreciated beyond measure and that MSI will now be a Patron Member of the SAF. As of this writing, we’re expecting a call back from Alan Gottlieb, founder of the SAF.

Maryland gun owners are showing that they are willing to put their money where their mouths are and will support those that support us.

Thank you again for your contributions to this cause. We hit an unqualified grand slam on this one.

The Second Amendment Foundation (www.saf.org) is the nation’s oldest and largest tax-exempt education, research,
publishing and legal action group focusing on the Constitutional right and heritage to privately own and possess firearms. Founded in 1974, The Foundation has grown to more than 650,000 members and supporters and conducts many programs designed to better inform the public about the consequences of gun control.

Maryland Open Holster Rally

Maryland Shall Issue.org

Annapolis, MD - -(AmmoLand.com)- Purpose: To have a large, completely peaceful and unarmed gathering of supporters of Maryland “Shall Issue” and 2nd Amendment rights.

We will be wearing empty holsters in protest of the current “Discretionary Issue” system that sees Handgun Carry Permits issued only to those politically connected or dealing in extraordinarily large amounts of physical cash, or the occasional person who can meet the high burden of proof needed to receive one for self defense.

How to Participate: The intent is to have a nice day with the family and friends, while wearing in plain sight, an empty holster. You will know others participating in the protest by their open holsters. Join us at the MSI Open Rally Information booth, located at the Annapolis Waterfront (by the Market House and the City Dock). Stop by, introduce yourself and make new friends.

Basic Safety Rules: All holsters must remain empty at all times. Do not put toy guns, training guns or the like in your holster. We want to emphasize the emptiness of the holsters and our lack of protection. The holster will simply be a fashion accessory, symbolizing our vulnerability to criminals.

Long Term: The plan is to build on each Open Holster Day Rally, gathering more protesters each time, to take the protest to the next “Shall Issue” bill hearing and any bills that concern on our 2nd Amendment Rights.

PLAN TO JOIN US AND BRING YOUR FAMILY!

About:
Maryland Shall Issue is an all volunteer, non-partisan effort dedicated to the preservation and advancement of all gunowners’ rights in Maryland, with a primary goal of CCW reform to allow all law-abiding citizens the right to carry a concealed weapon; and to the education of the community to the awareness that ’shall issue’ laws have, in all cases, resulted in decreased rates of violent crime.” Visit: www.marylandshallissue.org

Maryland Shall Issue.org

Maryland – -(AmmoLand.com)- Congratulations folks! Your sustained efforts at making your voices heard have resulted in the sponsor of SB516, Senator Lenett, withdrawing the bill as of Tuesday.

We know from first hand knowledge that the incredible pressure, to the tune of several hundred emails and calls a day, brought to bear upon the sponsor of this bill was responsible for the sponsor pulling it.

We have just a little time to pat ourselves on the back for a job well done, but we mustn’t be complacent and believe that the rest of the session will be as easy. Keep up the great work and put down the other bills that we oppose and voice your support for the others. Remember, we are only as effective as the sum effort of our individual members.

What are they really trying to do?
We have to wonder if these high profile bills that are garnering our community’s attention are not a distraction on two fronts. First, they are trying to dilute our efforts on the shall issue and civil immunity bills. Secondly, we think that the AWB and Gun Owner Licensing bills are feints to cover their real intentions which are to pass bills that will make it more difficult for dealers to stay in business, create a registration list of all firearms sold in Maryland and to pass legislation that will ultimately develop into the ammunition logs that we defeated last year.

If you compare the language of SB167 with some of the language contained in HB820/SB645, you will see that it is nearly identical with regards to the record keeping requirements. It is important that we continue to exert our influence on all of the bills below.

March 2

• HB776 Criminal Law – Home Invasion Crime of Violence – Support

March 11

• HB354 Public Safety – Possession of Ammunition for Firearms – Penalties – Oppose - backdoor justification for the ammunition logs from HB1446 last year.
• HB683 Public Safety – Handgun Permits – Repeal of Finding Requirement – Strongly Support – Repeals the “good and substantial” clause for the issuance of permits to carry a handgun.
• HB820 Firearm Safety Act of 2010 – Strongly Oppose – We covered our analysis of this bill here.
• HB893 Public Safety – Handgun Permits – Victims of Domestic Violence – Support
• HB905 Criminal Law – Prohibitions on Wearing, Carrying, or Transporting Firearms – Exceptions – Support
• SB44 Criminal Law – Use of Firearm in the Commission of a Crime of Violence or a Felony – Oppose
• SB167 Regulated Firearms – Application for Dealer’s License – Record-Keeping and Reporting Requirements – Strongly Oppose – our response was covered here.
• SB191 Weapon-Free Higher Education Zones – Oppose – our response was covered here.
• SB274 Criminal Law – Violation of Restriction Against Possession of Firearms – Penalties – No position at this time
• SB563 Public Safety – Possession of Ammunition for Firearms – Penalties – Oppose - backdoor justification for the ammunition logs from HB1446 last year.
• SB645 Firearm Safety Act of 2010 – Strongly Oppose – We covered our analysis of this bill here.
• SB743 Criminal Law – Handguns – Transport in Motor Vehicle by Nonresident – No position at this time
• SB842 Regulated Firearms – License Issued by Another State to Current or Former Member of the Armed Forces – Reciprocity – Support

About:
Maryland Shall Issue is an all volunteer, non-partisan effort dedicated to the preservation and advancement of all gunowners’ rights in Maryland, with a primary goal of CCW reform to allow all law-abiding citizens the right to carry a concealed weapon; and to the education of the community to the awareness that ’shall issue’ laws have, in all cases, resulted in decreased rates of violent crime.” Visit: www.marylandshallissue.org

Maryland Shall Issue.org

Maryland --(AmmoLand.com)- Well folks, just when you thought that there might be some hope that the anti-gun faithful members of the Maryland State Senate had learned their lesson about proposing nonsense bills like bans on so-called assault weapons, they prove otherwise.

Senator Mike Lennett (D), District 19, Montgomery County, has introduced SB516, the Maryland Assault Weapons Ban of 2010. His co-sponsors are a veritable Who’s Who of the anti-gun wing of the Senate.

Now’s the time to head this thing off before the hearing is even scheduled and let the members of the Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee know that Maryland citizens will not tolerate such an egregious infringement on their rights in the name of political grandstanding.

SB516 Facts:

• Expands the definition of the assault pistol ban to encompass all firearms designated as assault weapons.
• Anything determined to be a copycat of the named firearms would be included. Given the Maryland State Police’s very liberal interpretation of what constitutes a copycat, we see this list encompassing any firearm that meets the required criteria of looking scary.
• Includes semi-automatic pistols with detachable magazines that also have threaded barrels.
• Includes semi-automatic shotguns with folding or telescoping stocks that also have a pistol grip or thumbhole stock
• Bans forward pistol grips.
• You must REGISTER your firearms before December 10, 2010 so that you have the luxury of being able to keep the firearms you already own.
• Naturally, this bill does not apply to governmental agencies, but they do give you the option of rendering your firearm permanently inoperable.

Here’s what we need you to do:

• Contact your Senator and let them know that you oppose SB516.
• Contact the members of the Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee and let them know that you oppose SB516
• Spread the word to your fellow gun owners. Reinforce to them that this is not really just about “assault weapons”. It is about launching the first strike in a continual erosion of the ability to own any firearms in Maryland. We must stick together.
• All of the information you need in order to make mail contacts can be found in the Activist’s Tools below.
• Use the phone list below to make phone calls to the member of the Judical Proceedings Committee. Tell them that you oppose SB516.
  Remember to stick to the facts when making your contacts. Avoid over emotional rhetoric that only fuels their stereotypes of our community.

Additional Resources:  Assault Weapons Ban Why should you care?

Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee Phone Numbers.

• Senator Brian Frosh – 1-800-492-7122 ext 3124
• Senator Lisa Gladden – 1-800-492-7122 ext 3697
• Senator James Brochin – 1-800-492-7122 ext 3648
• Senator C. Anthony Muse – 1-800-492-7122 ext 3092
• Senator Jennie Forehand – 1-800-492-7122 ext 3134
• Senator Jamin Raskin – 1-800-492-7122 ext 3634
• Senator Larry Haines – 1-800-492-7122 ext 3683
• Senator Brian Simonaire 1-800-492-7122 ext 3658
• Senator Nancy Jacobs 1-800-492-7122 ext 3158
• Senator Norman Stone 1-800-492-7122 ext 3587
• Senator Alex Mooney 1-800-492-7122 ext 3575

About:
Maryland Shall Issue is an all volunteer, non-partisan effort dedicated to the preservation and advancement of all gunowners’ rights in Maryland, with a primary goal of CCW reform to allow all law-abiding citizens the right to carry a concealed weapon; and to the education of the community to the awareness that ’shall issue’ laws have, in all cases, resulted in decreased rates of violent crime.”

Maryland Shall Issue.org

Maryland --(AmmoLand.com)-MSI will be teaming up with Gun Owners of America in issuance of an amicus in support of the McDonald v Chicago case that the Supreme Court will be looking at.

This so-called “Heller II” case could be the one that defines the right to keep and bear arms as a fundamental right and, thus, opening up the possibility of breaking the gridlock that we’ve faced here in Maryland for years.

MSI has pledged a minimum of $1000.00 towards this effort, though we will give more if we have it. In keeping with our long standing practice, we do not solicit funds between membership drives unless we have a specific project that is in excess of our regular expenses. We now need your additional support and are asking for the membership to donate in order to advance this effort.

When MSI joined the amicus for “Heller I” in 2008, you responded generously and raised over $2500.00 in just a week. Let’s repeat that effort to get us quickly to the $1000.00 mark so that we can show that Maryland citizens are serious about their 2nd amendment rights.

You can donate via USPS at the PO Box at the bottom of the Update or go to marylandshallissue.org to donate electronically.

About:
Maryland Shall Issue is an all volunteer, non-partisan effort dedicated to the preservation and advancement of all gunowners’ rights in Maryland, with a primary goal of CCW reform to allow all law-abiding citizens the right to carry a concealed weapon; and to the education of the community to the awareness that ’shall issue’ laws have, in all cases, resulted in decreased rates of violent crime.”

Open Holster Protesters

Maryland Shall Issue.org

Maryland --(AmmoLand.com)- Purpose: To have a large, completely peaceful and unarmed gathering of supporters of “Shall Issue” laws in Maryland.

We will be wearing empty holsters in protest of the current “Discretionary Issue” system that sees Handgun Carry Permits issued only to those politically connected or dealing in extraordinarily large amounts of physical cash, or the occasional person who can meet the high burden of proof needed to receive one for self defense.

How to Participate:
The intent is to have a nice day with the family and friends at the Inner Harbor, shopping, eating and sight seeing while wearing, in plain sight, an empty holster.

You will know others participating in the protest by their open holsters.

Stop by the Open Holster Day Rally information booth at McKeldin Square, located at the intersection of Light and Pratt Streets, introduce yourself and make new friends.

Basic Safety Rules:
All holsters must remain empty at all times. Do not put toy guns, training guns or the like in your holster. We want to emphasize the emptiness of the holsters and our lack of protection. The holster will simply be a fashion accessory, symbolizing our vulnerability to criminals.

Long Term:
The plan is to build on each Open Holster Day Rally, gathering more protesters to join us in January, during the Legislative session, to take the protest to the next “Shall Issue” bill hearing. Join us, make friends and help the movement to get Shall Issue Conceal Carry in Maryland.

Parking:
Parking in downtown Baltimore is expensive, but there are numerous garages near the intersection of Light and Pratt. It’s also not too far of a walk from the light rail if that’s your preferred means of transportation.

About:
Maryland Shall Issue is an all volunteer, non-partisan effort dedicated to the preservation and advancement of all gunowners’ rights in Maryland, with a primary goal of CCW reform to allow all law-abiding citizens the right to carry a concealed weapon; and to the education of the community to the awareness that ’shall issue’ laws have, in all cases, resulted in decreased rates of violent crime.”