If at first you don?t succeed, try again. And give the job to the freshman.
“It?s a whole new ball game,” said freshman Montgomery County Sen. Mike Lenett, who introduced the latest version of a statewide assault weapons ban this week.
“We?ve got a lot of new people … we have a great new governor who has stated his position in favor of an assault weapons ban. I don?t believe you should ever give up.”
Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee Chairman Brian Frosh, D-Montgomery, said the five new members of his committee could make all the difference for an assault weapons ban.
The proposal died in the Senate in 2004 by a 6-5 vote that was decided by former Prince George?s County Sen. John Giannetti, who lost his bid for re-election in November.
“I?m for it. There?s no reason in the world why people need to have these guns on the streets,” Frosh said.
Sen. Robert Garagiola, D-Montgomery, who was the lead sponsor of the bill in 2004, said he chose not to pick it up again this year in part because he has been moved to the Senate Finance Committee.
Garagiola said even with the departure of Giannetti, the bill is still a “very, very difficult” political sell.
“This state is a conservative state overall, and … there are many aspects of the state where there are just stronger Second Amendment sentiments,” he said.
“But I think a line needs to be drawn somewhere. These don?t need to be available for the public.”
“It?s the responsibility of every public representative to lead their constituents,” Lenett said.
“I recognize that the Second Amendment provides some gun ownership rights, and I wouldn?t infringe on those. But I don?t believe that any self-respecting hunter needs a military-style assault weapon. I think what occurred with Giannetti ? where he was defeated for his position against this extremely popular gun control measure ? is in the back of everyone?s minds.”
