Some background:
Marvin Mandel was appointed to become Governor by the legislature on January 7, 1969 to fill out Spiro Agnew's term after Spiro became Nixon's VP.
In November 1971, a rash of people were killed in Baltimore in a single night...and well...
some more elaboration was put forth in a Washington Post article in 1972:
So, despite these people being killed with Rifles in Baltimore...let's ban carry of handguns, yet keep open carry of rifles legal!
Marvin Mandel was appointed to become Governor by the legislature on January 7, 1969 to fill out Spiro Agnew's term after Spiro became Nixon's VP.
In November 1971, a rash of people were killed in Baltimore in a single night...and well...
THE WASHINGTON POST
Saturday, November 27,1971
Page C12
Mandel, Enraged by Killings, Plans to Seek Tight Gun Law
Gov. Marvin Mandel, reportedly outraged by a rash of killings recently in Baltimore, plans to ask the Maryland General Assembly to tighten the state's gun control laws when it convenes in January.
Mandel told an impromptu press conference Wednesday that although he believes the "final remedy for this problem is going to be in federal legislation," he and his staff are preparing legislation that he hopes "can stand the test of constitutionality and also help remedy the problem."
The governor did not reveal details of the proposals being considered, but Frank A. DeFilippo, Mandel's press secretary, said they considered two elements — some form of registration for hand guns owned by Maryland residents and regulation of the transporting of hand guns across state lines into Maryland.
DeFilippo said it was the regulation of guns across the state line that raised some constitutional problems. The Supreme Court has ruled in some instances that Congress has the exclusive power to regulate interstate commerce.
Maryland's present gun control law, passed in 1966, requires gun dealers to forward applications for a handgun purchase from a buyer to local police, who check the buyer's background. Alcoholics, drug addicts and persons convicted of serious crimes are not permitted to buy guns from dealers. The law does not cover the sale of guns between private parties.
At his Nov. 4 press conference, Mandel indicated that he had little interest in sponsoring tighter gun control laws. Since then, according to DeFilippo, a series of killings that occurred in Baltimore climaxed Monday with the killing of five men by an allegedly deranged co-worker have convinced Mandel that something must be done.
DeFilippo said that although the killings Monday were performed with rifles, that incident, coupled with several shootings that have occurred in Baltimore's public schools, the confiscation of more than 100 handguns in the schools this semester and the rash of killings in Baltimore left Mandel uncharacteristically outraged.
some more elaboration was put forth in a Washington Post article in 1972:
The Washington Post
Jan 12, 1972;
pg. B2
Gun Control Tops Bills Mandel Wants Passed by Assembly
By Richard M. Cohen
Washington Post Staff Writer
ANNAPOLIS—One morning last November. Gov. Marvin Mandel learned that four persons had been shot to death in Baltimore the night before. As he drove to a conference later with his press secretary. Frank A. DeFilippo, he chewed on his pipe and. as it turned out, an idea that led to a proposal to control handguns.
"Damn it. Frank, I'm going to do something about guns this year." he suddenly exclaimed. A month later, Mandel had prepared a 17-page legislative package to ban handguns, concealed or unconcealed, on the street or in a car, and to permit police to stop and frisk a person on "reasonable suspicion" that he is carrying a gun.
Mandel's gun control bill is just one of the measures that he will introduce in the General Assembly as it opens its annual 90-day legislative session here today.
.....
For the moment, though, the governor's program looks like this:
• Gun control. Mandel's bill would prohibit most citizens from carrying a handgun on the street or in a car. The bill would empower the police to search a citizen for a handgun on the grounds of "reasonable suspicio n" rather than "probable cause." Mandel, who says there is an urgent need for the law, announced last week that he would ask the Assembly to pass the bill as emergency legislation meaning that it would go into effect rather than on July 1, when normal bills take effect. Emergency legislation requires three-fifths vote of each house.
So, despite these people being killed with Rifles in Baltimore...let's ban carry of handguns, yet keep open carry of rifles legal!