O'Malley Over-Reaches in Attempt to Grab Marylander's Guns

from the Baltimore Sun

Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller, who has otherwise expressed support for Gov. Martin O'Malley's plans to seek new gun control measures this year, expressed skepticism Tuesday about the governor's proposal to require licenses for handgun purchases.

"I think that will have probably a difficult time on the floor of the Senate," Miller told reporters after the morning Senate session. "Licensing begins to trample on Second Amendment rights."

Miller added that he still thinks a ban on assault weapon sales and limits on the bullet capacity of gun magazines can pass. "Absolutely, positively, unequivocally, yes," he said.

O'Malley laid out his plans for those gun restrictions, as well as new licensing and training requirements, at a gathering of firearms policy researchers at the Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Health Monday. Under the proposal, which would give Maryland one of the toughest gun laws in the country, would-be handgun buyers would have to apply for a Maryland State Police license and submit to fingerprinting and a stricter background check than is required now.