Maryland Democrats Set Example for the Nation to Prevent Gun Violence

Annapolis, MD — Today, the Maryland House of Delegates approved legislation to ban the sale and possession of bump stocks, prohibit domestic abusers from owning a firearm, and “red flag” laws to keep guns out of the hands of dangerous individuals.  The bills, which were all introduced by Democratic legislators, received bipartisan support after thousands of Maryland students participated in National Walkout Day to demand action against gun violence yesterday.

“The bipartisan passage of these bills is proof that Republicans are feeling the heat from students and parents who are demanding solutions to prevent gun violence, said Maryland Democratic Party Chair Kathleen Matthews. “I could not be more proud of our house legislative leaders and our young people who have held marches, rallies and walkouts to tell the NRA: enough is enough.  In November, Governor Hogan will have to explain his A-minus NRA rating to Maryland voters, who are clearly fed up with the gun lobby and its stranglehold on the Republican Party.”

In response to opposition from Republicans for common sense gun safety measures, high school students in Maryland and nationwide have been leading the fight to end gun violence.   Last month, hundreds of students from Montgomery County staged a walk out and marched to the U.S. Capitol to demand action on gun violence.  Semret Haile, a senior at Richard Montgomery High School issued a warning to all Republicans refusing to act to prevent gun violence: “If they don’t want to listen to us right now, that’s okay, because we’re going to vote them out in 2018 and 2020.”

Hogan, who has an A-minus rating from the National Rifle Association (NRA) and has accepted thousands in campaign funding from the group, has a history of obstructing Democrats’ efforts to keep guns out of Maryland communities.  In 2016, he opposed legislation to ban guns on college campuses and keep guns out of the hands of domestic abusers. On February 1st, two weeks before the tragic shooting in Parkland, Florida, Hogan dismissed the Democratic proposal to ban bump stocks,saying, “I don’t think anyone in the history of our state has ever been killed with a bump stock.”

During the 2014 campaign, Hogan refused to release his answers to an NRA questionnaire, which earned him his A-minus rating and was caught making secret promises to gun activists behind closed doors.