SB281 Call to Action

[Safetech]

If a member of your church won't meet with you, one of you is in the wrong church.

 

[hdatontodo]

WBAL TV just gave a summary of the bill's amendments and said it was going land in the Senate on Monday night (i.e. 25 Feb)

Here a link to the general subject on their page

http://www.wbaltv.com/news/politics...sure/-/9379266/19025344/-/lypkqy/-/index.html

http://www.wbaltv.com/news/politics...ome/-/9379266/19046444/-/l46fs6z/-/index.html

 

[BradMacc82]

You need to come on the first so your presence in the building can be recognized.

I'd already arranged to have the 1st and 5th off, just wanted to make sure.

Hmm, now the decision is, which hat to wear? NRA? Genesis Firearms? I'll be damned if I let myself get put into the Anti's camp by any means.

 

[Sirex]

Carroll County Residents

I got an email saying they will be hearing constituents at the Best Western in Westminster on Feb 26th at 7:30. I plan to go as long as everything goes well. I don't know if it has been already posted, if so I apologize, but my computer is so slow, along with the sight it takes a while to load a page so I can't skim the whole site anymore.

 

[ArJuna]

I got an email saying they will be hearing constituents at the Best Western in Westminster on Feb 26th at 7:30. I plan to go as long as everything goes well. I don't know if it has been already posted, if so I apologize, but my computer is so slow, along with the sight it takes a while to load a page so I can't skim the whole site anymore.

Who will be hearing constituents???
At the Best Western???

I've heard about this, but not much detail. Is this worth going to? I was in Annapolis into the night on Feb 6th and I will be there on March 1st and 5th for sure.

 

[10mmAuto]

Carroll County Senate Delegation Town Hall Meeting on SB 281

This is the note (invite) sent out by Joe Getty's office

Carroll County Senate Delegation Town Hall Meeting
on Senate Bill 281, the Firearms Safety Act of 2013

When: Tuesday, February 26, 2013
Time: 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Where: Best Western Westminster Hotel
451 Western Maryland College Drive, Westminster MD 21157
aka, the Safeway Shopping Center, corner of Rts 140 & 31

On February 6, the Maryland State Senate held a bill hearing in Annapolis on SB 281. Several thousand people attended the hearing and many were unable to testify due to time and space constraints.

The Carroll County Senate Delegation will hold a Town Hall Meeting on February 26 regarding Senate Bill 281. Senators David Brinkley, Allan Kittleman and Joe Getty will provide opening comments and an update on the status of the bill in Annapolis.

Attorney Mark Pennak will offer an analysis of Governor Martin O’Malley’s bill.

The Senate Delegation would like to provide this town hall meeting as an opportunity for Carroll County citizens to provide their thoughts to the local Senate Delegation on the legislation.

The House Delegation has been invited to participate.

The public is invited to offer testimony on the bill. Testimony will be limited to 3 minutes per person.

If you wish to testify, pre-registration is encouraged. To pre-register, contact Amanda Miller

. . . by email: amiller@senate.state.md.us
. . . or by telephone: 410-841-3683


I'd like to encoruage everyone here to attend.

This hotel/motel and the surrounding parking lot(s) are small, and I am guessing the numerb of people that will be there may have trouble finding parking.

I'd recommend getting here early, get a slice in the shopping center pizzeria, a sub at Subway, or dinner at Baugher's (behind the shopping ctr).

If things get real tight, consider parking across Rt 140 from the hotel and shopping center, in the Walgreens shopping center parking lot.


Folks, we have to put an end to this nonsense. We've all contibuted way too much in terms of taxes, civil support, and liberal tolerance for/to this state, for it to turn around and crap on our rights and liberties.

 

[Glaug-Eldare]

Who will be hearing constituents???
At the Best Western???

I've heard about this, but not much detail. Is this worth going to? I was in Annapolis into the night on Feb 6th and I will be there on March 1st and 5th for sure.

I always thought legislators preferred the No-Tell Motel.

 

[oldman12]

I would love to go on the 1st. Basically just to be there, vote no to Sb281,and just be a head count. I don't know if im going to be able to ,I have to have a medical procedure on the 28th,don't know if i'll be able to drive.

 

[10mmAuto]

Carroll County Senate Delegation Town Hall Meeting on SB 281

The attorney Joe Getty has working with him -- Mark Pennak -- has presented several legal "responses" to many key proposed amendments of this bill, and shares some legal perspectives some of us may not have considered yet.

Below is an excerpt of these responses from Getty's last Senate Update he distributed on Wednesday Feb. 20th. I imagine he will discuss them and others in Westminster on 2/26.

"For your background information, I have included a summary of issues in the bill prepared by my friend Mark Pennak, who will offer a legal and technical analysis of Gov. O'Malley's bill at the Town Hall Meeting." - Sen Joe Getty

Summary of Points Regarding SB 281

1. The legislation accords only 30 days to register lawfully purchased and lawfully owned rifles (so-called “assault long guns”) and then imposes severe criminal penalties for any failure to timely register, even though the rifle may already be registered under existing state law.

* No registration is permitted after 30 days and any continued unregistered possession after that time, regardless of reason or fault, automatically converts the citizen into a criminal who may be imprisoned for up to 3 years for mere possession.

* The state penalties are sufficient to create a lifetime federal ban on possession of “any” modern firearm of any type. Knowing possession of any modern firearm after a state conviction for failure to register is a felony under federal law, punishable with a 10 year prison term.

* Yet, according to the FBI, rifles of any type are the least-used weapon of any kind in homicides. In Maryland, in 2011, “hands and feet” were used in 8 times more deaths than rifles. The ban and registration requirements do nothing to protect our children from violence.

* The so-called “assault long guns” are banned on the basis of cosmetic features and are simply semi-automatic rifles which are functionally indistinguishable from non-banned, semi-automatic rifles of the same caliber and same “lethality.”

2. The licensing requirements imposed by the legislation are a precondition to and burden on any purchase of a handgun for self-defense in the home or elsewhere.

* The burdens are unprecedented in American law, including as much as $385 in fees and costs, as well as a 8 hour training requirement and a 30-day wait to receive a license to purchase after all the requirements have been satisfied. Satisfying all these conditions and actually receiving a license from the chronically under-staffed State Police may take months in addition to the expense. These burdens are re-imposed every 5 years.

* Under either strict or intermediate scrutiny, these burdens on the right to purchase and possess a handgun for self-defense are unconstitutional under the Second Amendment principles recognized by the Supreme Court in District of Columbia v. Heller, 554 U.S. 570 (2008), and made applicable to and binding on all 50 States in McDonald v. City of Chicago, 130 S.Ct. 3020 (2010). Maryland may no longer regard gun ownership as a mere privilege subject to the whim and caprice of state politics. As Heller stated, “the enshrinement of constitutional rights necessarily takes certain policy choices off the table.”

* Because the licensing provisions heavily burden the ability of a responsible, law-abiding citizen to purchase a handgun for self-defense in the home, the provisions are subject to “strict scrutiny.” Under strict scrutiny, the provisions are not “narrowly tailored” to the State’s stated interest in controlling straw purchases. Even under “intermediate scrutiny,” the State has not made the requisite “strong showing” with real evidence that these provisions will significantly prevent additional straw purchases not otherwise deterred by existing federal and state law which already severely punishes straw purchasers with 10 year prison sentences and/or $25,000 fines.

* These provisions improperly seek to limit illegal straw purchases by suppressing legitimate sales to law-abiding citizens. The State may not constitutionally impose heavy burdens on the exercise of a fundamental constitutional right simply to deter criminals.

3. The ammunition provisions of the legislation expressly ban the possession of any ammunition of any type by any person younger than 21 who is not “under the supervision” of someone 21 or older.

* Unsupervised possession of any ammunition by a person under 21 is made a crime punishable by imprisonment for up to one year or a fine not exceeding $1000 or both.

* Even though persons 18-20 may legally buy and possess long guns and may legally purchase ammunition for long guns, under this legislation, they become criminals the moment they come into unsupervised possession of ammunition for the very guns they may legally buy and own.

* Under this legislation, minors who have earned the State hunter safety certificate may not possess any ammunition, even though existing state law allows such minors to hunt independently of adult supervision.

* The ammunition provisions thus effectively ban unsupervised hunting by all persons under 21 and unconstitutionally disarm law-abiding persons who are legally entitled to purchase, own and possess firearms.

Scary stuff indeed . . .

 

[Timeoffhunting]

I will be there !!!! new to the site very impressed .Some great words from the first man to hold Obama's job. "Firearms stand next in importance to the constitution itself. They are the American people's liberty teeth and keystone under independence … from the hour the Pilgrims landed to the present day, events, occurences and tendencies prove that to ensure peace security and happiness, the rifle and pistol are equally indispensable … the very atmosphere of firearms anywhere restrains evil interference — they deserve a place of honor with all that's good." George Washington.

 

[Glaug-Eldare]

I will be there !!!! new to the site very impressed .Some great words from the first man to hold Obama's job. "Firearms stand next in importance to the constitution itself. They are the American people's liberty teeth and keystone under independence … from the hour the Pilgrims landed to the present day, events, occurences and tendencies prove that to ensure peace security and happiness, the rifle and pistol are equally indispensable … the very atmosphere of firearms anywhere restrains evil interference — they deserve a place of honor with all that's good." George Washington.

Sorry to break it to ya, but that quotation is a fake.

 

[10mmAuto]

TimeOffHunting - don't let the off-focused comments here discourage you. Just keep your eye on the ball, and we'll see you Tuesday. Most folks here are not into the petty nit-picking nonsense.

 

[teratos]

TimeOffHunting - don't let the off-focused comments here discourage you. Just keep your eye on the ball, and we'll see you Tuesday. Most folks here are not into the petty nit-picking nonsense.

But apparently we are into back-handed insults.

 

[Shinny]

Timeoffhunting....Welcome

I'm in for the 1st and 5th

 

[DaddyMac]

The bEst Western was like a sardine

There was not enough room for all people to get in, cars could not park and likely left, the venue was a poor choice (way too small) but many stayed outside and made a ruckus. Luckily in this part of town the senators are in our favor, Pro 2A, so I'm not sure what good it did. The big counties and the governor are ruling at the moment. Crazy. I think we need more drastic measures along the lines of some legal action to take against these people if this law passes.

 

[Sirex]

I went to the Best Western meeting and stood out in the rain and wind for almost an hour before they opened up the other side. Glad we all had an opportunity to show out opposition to the bill, regardless of how it ended up, we made our voices heard.

 

[Saginaw]

I'll be there

 

[Saginaw]

The attorney Joe Getty has working with him -- Mark Pennak -- has presented several legal "responses" to many key proposed amendments of this bill, and shares some legal perspectives some of us may not have considered yet.

Below is an excerpt of these responses from Getty's last Senate Update he distributed on Wednesday Feb. 20th. I imagine he will discuss them and others in Westminster on 2/26.

"For your background information, I have included a summary of issues in the bill prepared by my friend Mark Pennak, who will offer a legal and technical analysis of Gov. O'Malley's bill at the Town Hall Meeting." - Sen Joe Getty

Summary of Points Regarding SB 281

1. The legislation accords only 30 days to register lawfully purchased and lawfully owned rifles (so-called “assault long guns”) and then imposes severe criminal penalties for any failure to timely register, even though the rifle may already be registered under existing state law.

* No registration is permitted after 30 days and any continued unregistered possession after that time, regardless of reason or fault, automatically converts the citizen into a criminal who may be imprisoned for up to 3 years for mere possession.

* The state penalties are sufficient to create a lifetime federal ban on possession of “any” modern firearm of any type. Knowing possession of any modern firearm after a state conviction for failure to register is a felony under federal law, punishable with a 10 year prison term.

* Yet, according to the FBI, rifles of any type are the least-used weapon of any kind in homicides. In Maryland, in 2011, “hands and feet” were used in 8 times more deaths than rifles. The ban and registration requirements do nothing to protect our children from violence.

* The so-called “assault long guns” are banned on the basis of cosmetic features and are simply semi-automatic rifles which are functionally indistinguishable from non-banned, semi-automatic rifles of the same caliber and same “lethality.”

2. The licensing requirements imposed by the legislation are a precondition to and burden on any purchase of a handgun for self-defense in the home or elsewhere.

* The burdens are unprecedented in American law, including as much as $385 in fees and costs, as well as a 8 hour training requirement and a 30-day wait to receive a license to purchase after all the requirements have been satisfied. Satisfying all these conditions and actually receiving a license from the chronically under-staffed State Police may take months in addition to the expense. These burdens are re-imposed every 5 years.

* Under either strict or intermediate scrutiny, these burdens on the right to purchase and possess a handgun for self-defense are unconstitutional under the Second Amendment principles recognized by the Supreme Court in District of Columbia v. Heller, 554 U.S. 570 (2008), and made applicable to and binding on all 50 States in McDonald v. City of Chicago, 130 S.Ct. 3020 (2010). Maryland may no longer regard gun ownership as a mere privilege subject to the whim and caprice of state politics. As Heller stated, “the enshrinement of constitutional rights necessarily takes certain policy choices off the table.”

* Because the licensing provisions heavily burden the ability of a responsible, law-abiding citizen to purchase a handgun for self-defense in the home, the provisions are subject to “strict scrutiny.” Under strict scrutiny, the provisions are not “narrowly tailored” to the State’s stated interest in controlling straw purchases. Even under “intermediate scrutiny,” the State has not made the requisite “strong showing” with real evidence that these provisions will significantly prevent additional straw purchases not otherwise deterred by existing federal and state law which already severely punishes straw purchasers with 10 year prison sentences and/or $25,000 fines.

* These provisions improperly seek to limit illegal straw purchases by suppressing legitimate sales to law-abiding citizens. The State may not constitutionally impose heavy burdens on the exercise of a fundamental constitutional right simply to deter criminals.

3. The ammunition provisions of the legislation expressly ban the possession of any ammunition of any type by any person younger than 21 who is not “under the supervision” of someone 21 or older.

* Unsupervised possession of any ammunition by a person under 21 is made a crime punishable by imprisonment for up to one year or a fine not exceeding $1000 or both.

* Even though persons 18-20 may legally buy and possess long guns and may legally purchase ammunition for long guns, under this legislation, they become criminals the moment they come into unsupervised possession of ammunition for the very guns they may legally buy and own.

* Under this legislation, minors who have earned the State hunter safety certificate may not possess any ammunition, even though existing state law allows such minors to hunt independently of adult supervision.

* The ammunition provisions thus effectively ban unsupervised hunting by all persons under 21 and unconstitutionally disarm law-abiding persons who are legally entitled to purchase, own and possess firearms.

Scary stuff indeed . . .

Ya a lot like Germany before the War and England after, go figure ah.

 

[Saginaw]

Ya a lot like Germany before the War and England after, go figure ah.

I don't understand how such people got elected in Maryland. Isn’t this a state that’s survival is based on the very existent of the Constitution and yet the elected are so willing to through it out. I don’t get it. I say we go after freedom of speech next, theirs, by voting them all out!

 

[LocknLoad]

We need to prosecute the lying scumbags that currently hold office for violating their oaths of office. Also, there is a law on the books that states that conspiracy to violate the constitution is punishable by 10 years in prison.

Hold the traitors accountable!