" Foster a Bill" Drive

Biggfoot44 said:

HB (262 or 1356) Bowhunting - possesion of handguns


The ability for Bowhunters to able to have a handgun for protection would be a signifigent safety measure, and bring Md in line with large and growing number of states nationwide.

Of recent years the population explosion of Black Bears has seen them very common in their traditional habitats , and expanding their range into areas where they haven't been seen in modern times. This makes them much more likely to be encountered by Sportsmen afield,

And the dangers are not just from four legged creatures. Two components of our nation's illegal drug epidenic are illict marijuiana fields , and clandestine methamphetamine production labs. These are commonly located in isolated , rural areas, and often located on publicly own isolated Forrests, and natural resourse area, or isolated private property without the knowledge of the landowner . Which are aslo frequently prime hunting areas.

Twenty years ago, the hunting community has shocked by the murders of Don Hill on November 20, 1993 , and Gregory Wood on November 25, 1993 in adjacent Counties in North Florida while they were hunting. There was much speculation at the time, but Investagators eventually found that they were both killed persuant to robbery of their money and valuables, and were targeted by being alone in the woods of a National Forest, and a Wildlife management Area respectivly.

This common sense measure to not prohibit Bowhunts from possesing personal protection handguns has already been adopted by our neighboring States of Pennyslvania , Virginia, and West Virginia . Nationwide Bowhunters are able to protect themselves in : Alaska, Arkansas, Colorado, Idaho, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Montana, Missouri , Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Tennennsse, Texas, Washington state and Wyoming, with more states adding all the time.

The traditional concern with the practice had been to prevent the possability of illegal hunting by bowhunters , but this has not be a signifigent problem in those states where the practice is allowed. This Bill's provision of non- hunting style handguns of restricted barell length , and no optical sights intended for long distance shooting are adaquate to ensure complience with the hunting rules.

The part of this Bill that could be problematic in the future are the geographic boundries for its provisions. The Specification of Deer Management Zone A is indeed a resonable boundry , as the Deer Zones are presently constructed . But maryland's depart of Natural Resourses is very procative and diligent in modifing the geographically based areas in managing Maryland's population of Deer and other wildlife. During my years of hunting , I have seen the State vary from statewide to six zones , with boundries constantly evolving to reflect habitat and wildlife population changes.

In order to meet the Hunter safety concerns, and avoid confusion, this Bill sould be modified to reflect specific , recognizable boundries into future years. Possabilities include all of washington, Alleganey , and Garrett Counties. Condisering terrian and wildlife on South Mountain, and adjacent areas , a boundry of US 15 from Pa State line south to intersection with US340, and thence US340 to the Virginia State line. If the general Assembly prefered to leave the boundry to be determined by the DNR, the specification of "Those areas where centerfire rifles are allowed for Deer Hunting would closely conform to the second option presented above.


The Committee should give this Bill a favorable recomendation, subject to a more difinative physical boundry.

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mopar92 said:

Also an important point. Making pages double spaced and adding pictures is helpful and makes documents easier to read.

Graphs and charts on a (likely) black and white printer may not work as well.

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Overboost44 said:

Do you think they will allow video? AKA PowerPoint? I would love to put up the Right To Carry slides with the states changing colors while Mr.H testified about CCW permits in MD.

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DC-W said:

Attached is my testimony in support of HB 36.

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Biggfoot44 said:

OH , now we want spelling too.
But seriously these are draft proposed testimonies that I am getting out there so that people can use them as a tool if they wish. When I am putting them into email form to send to Andi , I will apply my redheaded spell checker first before hitting send.

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Biggfoot44 said:

HB 997 Competition Shooting and Match Shooting - Firearms Excemption


Many disciplines of Rifle competion commonly involve Modern Sporting Rifles and standard capacity magazines in order to be competitive , others explicetly require them. These include the various popular action and three gun competions that are frequently televised, and the National Champoinships held in Camp Perry , Ohio each year.


Due to Maryland's somewhat unique geography, most locations in Maryland are within a reasonable diistance of a Border. Many of the Gun and Sportsman Clubs with shooting ranges have a signifigent percentage of both members and Match participants who reside in a neighboring state.


This Bill would ensure the viability of Maryland Gun and Sportsman Clubs , and encourage participation and excellence in the Shooting Sports both here in Maryland, and nationally.

Please give this Bill a Favorable recomendation.

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How gun control helped a stalker kill my husband

By Nicole Goeser

Published February 25, 2014

In April 2009, my husband was shot six times in front of me in the middle of a busy restaurant by a man who was stalking me. I have a permit to carry a handgun but because of the law at that time in my home state of Tennessee, I had to leave the gun that I normally carried for self defense, locked in my car that night.

My husband Ben and I ran our mobile karaoke business out of a restaurant that served alcohol and my gun was forbidden there. I obeyed the law but my stalker, who was carrying a gun illegally, ignored it.

I noticed my stalker (a former karaoke customer) in the crowd that night and I knew something was not right. This was a man that I had blocked from my social network account due to inappropriate messages he had sent me.

He had never threatened me or my husband but he was definitely creepy.

My husband Ben had asked him to leave me alone before he showed up at this venue where I had never seen him before.

I realized at that point I was being stalked.

I asked the management at the restaurant to remove him.When they approached him and asked him to leave, he pulled out a .45 semi-auto and shot Ben. He then stood over him and continued to fire five more rounds into my husband.

I could only watch in horror and helplessness.

Since that terrible night I have learned that gun free zones are a predator's playground. This is where my stalker found us and where we were defenseless.

We all have a fight or flight response when we sense danger. We make decisions based on the options we have at that moment. Decisions must sometimes be made in a matter of seconds.

My only option that night was flight. Fight was not something I would have been able to follow through with because I was denied that chance. That basic human right was taken from me by a Legislature that unintentionally helped a predator hunt down his prey.

I hope that lawmakers around the nation will begin to understand that when you disarm law abiding citizens, you do not help protect law abiding citizens. Instead, you actually make it easier for those with evil intentions to be met with no little or no resistance.


In one way, I was lucky on the night my husband was shot and killed -- and so was everyone else in the restaurant. A United States Marine happened to be in the crowd, he tackled the man who killed my husband and held him until the police came.

I have been told the police arrived within 3 minutes after getting the 911 call. I can tell you that when something so terrible is happening to yourself or someone you love, even three minutes seems like an eternity. The familiar saying "when seconds count, the police are only minutes away" is very true.

I respect law enforcement. They have a very difficult job but even they know they cannot be anywhere and everywhere at anytime.

The majority of rank and file police officers I have spoken with support right to carry laws. They would much rather find an innocent person with a smoking gun and a dead bad guy than the other way around.

Unfortunately, most law enforcement officers fear speaking out in support of right to carry laws for fear of retaliation by their superiors, who, more often than not, are attuned to politics and not inclined to support self defense laws.

Then there are those who fear gun permit holders might do something wrong with a gun or hurt an innocent bystander.

I personally am more concerned about a bad guy shooting indiscriminately with no regard for innocent life rather than a permit holder who has had state certified training and fears criminal and civil penalties. Those penalties act as very real deterrents for good people. Less than one percent of permit holders ever do anything wrong with a gun. I can't think of any segment of society that is more law abiding.

It's time for law abiding people, who have taken proper legal measures to provide for their own self defense, to be allowed to carry a gun to places where they have a right to be present.

Evil can visit us anywhere. Signs posted on doors declaring "no guns allowed" do nothing to protect any of us.

Since my husband's murder, the law has been changed in the state of Tennessee. Handgun carry permit holders can now carry their guns into establishments that serve alcohol -- as long as they are not drinking alcohol and as long as the establishment has not posted a "no guns allowed" SIGN.

At least this gives law abiding citizens the ability to try to protect themselves. A right that my husband, Ben and I were tragically denied on the night he died.

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