ASSOCIATED GUN CLUBS OF BALTIMORE, INC.

Legislative Report - January 20, 2012

P.O. BOX 20102  -  TOWSON, MD  21284-0102

410-296-3947  Email:  LVP@ASSOCIATEDGUNCLUBS.ORG 

  
In this issue:
2012 Session - Maryland General Assembly
Bills Already Filed and Bills to Anticipate During the 2012 Session
Quick Links for 2012 Session Gun Bills & Related Information
Updates on the AGC's Legislative News Page
Maryland State Police Violating COMAR and Denying Rights ...AGAIN
New Website on ATF's "Fast and Furious" Debacle
Utah Non-Resident Carry Permit Course
2012 Session - Maryland General Assembly

The good news is that the 2012 Session of the Maryland General Assembly is only 90 days long. The bad news is that we do have a Session.

What this means is that a year's worth of issues are crammed into a short period. A Session day in Annapolis is equal to a week anywhere else. Things happen rapidly and we must be prepared to deploy and respond to any threat to our 2nd Amendment Rights.

Our Legislative Email system is our most efficient means to spread the word to Maryland gun owners. You can help us by checking your email frequently and encouraging your fellow gun owners to sign up for the list.

Advisory:

If you plan to forward our emails (and we hope you do), please remember to use the "Forward to a Friend" link toward the bottom of our emails. It protects you. If you use the normal "forward" function on your email system, you run the risk that someone, somewhere, may click on the "unsubscribe link" just to see what happens. Because your email is assigned to you, if anyone at all clicks "unsubscribe"; no matter how many times your email has been forwarded and re-forwarded, YOU are the one who will be unsubscribed. Use Protection, click on the "Forward to a Friend" link.
Bills Already Filed and Bills to Anticipate During the 2012 Session

Pro 2nd Amendment Bills:

Delegate Smigiel's HB 45 was pre-filed and is now listed on the MLIS website. This is a shall issue concealed handgun carry bill in that it shifts the burden of proof from the applicant to the Maryland State Police. If passed, applicants will no longer have to prove that they have a good and substantial reason for a carry permit; the Maryland State Police will have to prove that they don't.

Senator Brian Simonaire's SB 64 seeks to require that the Maryland State Police mail out the annual machine gun registration forms. For the most part they have been doing this. There are other far more important problems with the system that should have been addressed. None the less, this bill could actually do more harm than good. The problems should be resolved through regulation changes and not through legislation. Most legislators believe that machine guns are illegal. As long as they believe that, they are not inclined to advance machine gun ban legislation. This bill might give ideas to anti-gun legislators and result in more gun control legislation. SB 64 is scheduled for a hearing on Thursday, February 2, 2012.

It is difficult to understand why our "friends" in the Maryland General Assembly rarely contact us for input before they file well intended legislation that could eventually be detrimental to our rights.

Anti 2nd Amendment Bills:

Reliable sources have indicated the Senator Brian Frosh will re-introduce his dealer inspection bill from the 2011 Session. Delegate Tom Hucker is reported to be sponsor of a cross-filed bill in the House of Delegates. These bills have not yet appeared on the MLIS Maryland General Assembly website. For last year's bill click here:  http://mlis.state.md.us/2011rs/billfile/sb0161.htm 

Hunting Bills:

Senator Richard Colburn's SB 105 seeks to make turkey hunting legal on Sundays during the Spring season on private land in Dorchester County. This is filed as an emergency bill to take effect immediately when enacted. Apparently somebody with influence really wants to hunt turkeys this season. SB 105 is scheduled for a hearing on Tuesday, January 31, 2012.
Quick Links for 2012 Session Gun Bills & Related Information

Gun Legislation    (gun legislation and weapons legislation tend to overlap to a large extent)

Weapons Legislation   (see note in parenthesis above)

Hunting Legislation

Bill Hearing Schedules and Information on Bills to Support or Oppose
(contains hyperlinks to bills and committees)

Action Alerts   (latest information and guidance on bills and issues requiring our immediate action)

Situation Report: Annapolis   (a continually updated chronology of the latest news and events in Annapolis arranged from the most recent to the oldest)

Information on Gun Rights Ratings & Contact Information for the Maryland General Assembly


Updates on the AGC's Legislative News Page 

While the Legislative News Page is always "under construction" to one degree or another. We have updated all of the links to reflect the current status of the 2012 Session.

We also did a major overhaul of the links for the Maryland State Police web site due to a complete redesign of their site.

Note: Some of the links on the MSP site do not work properly. We have reported these. However, reliable sources have indicated that the paper pushers in licensing have resisted any changes whatsoever and have been quite uncooperative with the agency charged with updating and maintaining the Maryland State Police web site. As a result, any changes relating to licensing are given a very low priority.
Maryland State Police Violating COMAR and Denying Rights ...AGAIN

FOLLOW-UP TO SEPTEMBER 8, 2011 LEGISLATIVE REPORT
  
Historical Background:
 
Beginning sometime in 2010, a number of Maryland gun owners were denied "collector" status because the Maryland State Police (MSP) had no record of the regulated firearms the applicant owns. There is no requirement under COMAR that an applicant have firearms registered with the Maryland State Police, thus the Licensing Division was exceeding its authority.

This situation came to the AGC's attention in March of this year and the AGC immediately began inquiries with the Maryland State Police in an effort to determine exactly what was happening and why. 
 
After numerous phone calls and over 100 emails over a 5 month period, the Maryland State Police finally agreed to meet with this Association's Legislative Vice President on Friday, July 29, 2011. Present at the meeting were Lt. Col. Stuart Russell (MSP), Lt. Beason and Cpl. Cusimano (MSP Licensing), Assistant Attorney General Mark Bowen and AGC's Legislative Vice President John H. Josselyn.  
 
After several hours the meeting adjourned with Lt. Col. Russell's promise that the MSP would consider the AGC's position and arguments and make a final decision on the collector issue. 
 
We were informed by Lt. Col. Russell that the MSP was "stepping back" from its previous policy of requiring collector applicants have 2 or more regulated firearms already registered with the MSP before being granted collector status. Briefly stated, MSP had agreed to comply with COMAR. 
 
In our September 8, 2011 Legislative Report we promised to monitor this issue.

PRESENT SITUATION:

We have 2 reports from members who have had their "collector" applications placed on "hold" by Cpl. Michael Cusimano. There is no authority in COMAR for placing an application "on hold". To make matters worse, it appears that the applicants are not even being told that their applications have been placed "on hold." This is once again occurring despite the fact the Lt. Col. Stuart Russell had given instructions that this was not to happen and the licensing division was to comply with the Code of Maryland - Regulations (COMAR).

We have been in contact with the Maryland State Police and so far, it has been a repeat of last year's fiasco. Apparently, Corporals in the MSP Licensing Division do not answer to anyone.

We are currently exploring the feasibility of legislation to make it a criminal offense when members of the Maryland State Police Licensing Division violate COMAR. If nothing else, the questions and answers during the Committee hearing should prove to be both entertaining and educational.

 

New Website on ATF's "Fast and Furious" Debacle

This issue continues to draw attention to in incompetence and deception that is Eric Holder. Our sincere thanks go out to reader "JR" for bringing this link to our attention. 

 
Utah Non-Resident Carry Permit Course

                                        

Saturday, January 21, 2012

Administrative Check-In: 8:00 - 8:30 AM

Course Starts Promptly: 8:30 AM - 2:00 PM

Course Cost: $100.00 / Permit Application Fee: $65.00

 

LOCATION:                                                                                                        

Baltimore Count Game & Fish Protective Association                                     

3400 Northwind Road

Parkville MD 21234    Click here for directions:  www.bcgf.org  

  

Course Conducted by:

Certified Utah Concealed Firearm Course Instructors Ken Brown and Bryan Fletcher  

 

Protect yourself and your loved ones when traveling to visit family or to a favorite vacation destination.

 

As a Non-Resident of Utah and Law Abiding Citizen, you may obtain a Concealed Firearms Permit from the State of Utah. The Utah Concealed Firearms Permit (UCFP) allows you to conceal carry in approximately 30 states. This permit does NOT allow you to carry in the State of Maryland, but it is recognized in all of our adjoining states including Delaware, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia, and Ohio, the gateway to the Midwest. THE UCFP COURSE DOES NOT REQUIRE A LIVE COURSE OF FIRE.

 

The Utah CF Permit may be obtained by attending a UCFP course, meeting the requirements as outlined on the Application for Concealed Firearm Permit, and completing the instructions.

 

The UCFP course length is 4-5 hours of classroom instruction: Safe Handgun Handling Rules, Nomenclature, Ammunition, Fundamentals of Pistol Shooting, How to Carry Concealed Options, Aggressive Behavior management overview, Use of Force Continuum, Federal, State, and Local Laws overview. The course cost of $100 includes Utah CF Familiarity Certification, CJIS Certified Fingerprinting, Permit Photos, Copying Services, and Shipping. Pre-registration is required.

 

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS: US Citizen or Legal Alien, At Least 21 Years Old, and Proof of Good Character.

 

STATES WHICH HAVE FORMAL RECIPROCITY WITH UTAH AND RECOGNIZE THE UTAH CF PERMIT:

Alabama * Alaska * Arizona * Arkansas * Colorado * Delaware * Florida * Georgia * Idaho * Indiana * Iowa Kentucky * Louisiana * Michigan * Minnesota * Mississippi * Missouri * Montana * Nebraska * New Hampshire North Carolina * North Dakota * Ohio * Oklahoma * Pennsylvania * South Dakota * Tennessee * Texas * Utah Vermont * Virginia * Washington State * West Virginia Wisconsin * Wyoming

 

NOTE: This list can change without notice, and it is the permit holder's responsibility to confirm what states honor or have annulled its reciprocity agreement with the State of Utah. An up to date list is provided by the State of Utah's Bureau of Criminal Identification website:

 

http://publicsafety.utah.gov/bci/FAQother.html 

 

Register for the course by contacting:  

 

Ken Brown, IOTA Firearms & Security Training Academy

info@iotafast.com / 410-462-4682 / www.iotafast.com 

 

Bryan Fletcher, Mid Atlantic Firearms Training 

guntraining@verizon.net / 410-796-7715 / www.midatlanticfirearmstraining.com                                                        

   

 

Keep Your Email Address and Profile Up to Date!

You can update your email address and interest profile (sublists such as AGC Newsletter, Gun Shows, Bus Trips, Hunting, Concealed Carry, etc.) at any time by clicking on the "Join Email List Icon below. A as current list member, you will be sent an automated email asking you to log on to the server and update your information.


Join Our Mailing List

AGC Quick Links:                                                              

AGC Website                                                                         
AGC Trap Operations Schedule                                        
John H. Josselyn, Legislative Vice PresidentAGC Logo
Associated Gun Clubs of Baltimore, Inc.
P.O. Box 20102
Towson, MD 21284-0102
Email: lvp@associatedgunclubs.org
Webpage: www.associatedgunclubs.org

 

 

Article 1. That all Government of right originates from the People, is founded in compact only, and instituted solely for the good of the whole; and they have, at all times, the inalienable right to alter, reform or abolish their Form of Government in such manner as they may deem expedient.