INFORMATION: MSI view on some of the State races

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  • esqappellate

    President, MSI
    Feb 12, 2012
    7,407
    MSI: MSI is an all-volunteer, non-partisan organization dedicated to the preservation and advancement of gun owners' rights in Maryland. We are active in Annapolis during the legislative session in advocating on behalf of gun owners in this State. One of our core missions is present to our members and others in the general public basic information concerning the actions of legislators in Maryland. We don’t endorse any candidate and our views are strictly non-partisan.

    The General Assembly: The General Assembly is composed of 47 Senators and 141 Delegates. Both Senators and Delegates are elected every four years, along with all the State-wide Offices (Governor, Lt. Governor, Attorney General and Comptroller. Most of these seats in the General Assembly are “safe” seats in the sense that the incumbent does not face serious competition from the nominee of the other party in the general election. Currently, in the Senate, the party split is 35 Democrats to 12 Republican. In the House of Delegates, the split is 98 Democrats and 43 Republicans. Under the Maryland Constitution, it takes three-fifths of each house to override a Governor’s veto, which means it takes 29 votes to override a veto in the Senate and 85 votes to override a veto in the House of Delegates. The General Assembly has thus been able to override vetos at will and have done so repeatedly in the last four years.

    Attorney General: The Attorney General has been given broad powers by the General Assembly to sue the federal government and also represents the State in civil proceedings in suits against the State. It acts as a legal representative for state administrative bodies. It is a very powerful post. This race may well be close so your vote is very important.

    Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee: There are three important races for Senators who sit on Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee. Senator Michael Hough (District 4, Frederick and Carroll Counties), Senator Justin Ready (District 5, Carroll County) and Senator Bob Cassilly (District 34, Harford County). all currently sit on the Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee. The jurisdiction of that committee typically includes gun legislation. All three senators have been thoughtful and consistent voices of reason on that committee. This committee is chaired by Senator Bobby Zirkin (District 11, Baltimore County). As Chair, Senator Zirkin has been consistently fair to witnesses and those holding opposing views and is open to compromise solutions. For example, but for Senator Zirkin's leadership of this committee, HB 1302, the “red flag” law, would have been much worse.

    Senate Hot Seats:

    This post is intended to focus on just a few of the more hotly contested seats in the Maryland General Assembly. For more general information on the candidates running in your district, including sample ballots, go to https://ballotpedia.org/Main_Page and enter your address. Key races are up for grabs in the Senate:

    District 3 (Frederick City and Frederick County) currently held by Senator Ron Young (D), (more on Senator Young below),
    District 6 (Baltimore County) currently held by Senator Johnny Ray Salling (R) ,
    District 9 (Carroll and Howard Counties) currently held by Senator Gail Bates (R)
    District 29 (St Mary’s County), an open seat that was held by Senator Steve Waugh (R), who was defeated in the primary by Jack Bailey,
    District 30 (Anne Arundel County) an open seat vacated by Senator John Astle (R),
    District 34 (Harford County), currently held by Senator Bob Cassilly (R),
    District 42 (Baltimore County) an open seat vacated by Senator James Brochin (D) and
    District 32 (Anne Arundel County), an open seat vacated by Senator James DeGrange (R).

    The NRA has some information on the voting records at https://votesmart.org/interest-group/1496/rating/5560#.W-BwgZM3kuU
    Of these individuals up for reelection, Senators Bates, Salling and Cassilly have consistently voted in support of the rights of law-abiding citizens under the Second Amendment. In you live in one of these above districts, your vote is especially important as the races in these districts may well be close.

    Specific Races:
    1. Attorney General Brian Frosh. While a Senator from Montgomery County, Brian Frosh was the lead sponsor of SB 281, which became the so-called Firearms Safety Act of 2013, which Gov. O’Malley thought would help him in running for President in 2016. SB 281 is the so called Firearms Safety Act 2013 that banned sporting rifles and imposed a draconian handgun licensing regime on Marylanders. Attorney General Frosh has yet to meet a gun control bill that he doesn’t like. He and his Office of the Attorney General basically run the Licensing Division of the Maryland State Police. His opponent is Craig Wolfe, who has been a federal, state and Army prosecutor and a CEO for Wine and Spirits Wholesalers of America. In a recent debate, AG Frosh called his challenger a “2A guy.” This contest is not even remotely hard for anyone who cares about the Second Amendment.

    2. Senator Ron Young, Maryland Senate District 03 (Frederick County and Frederick City). His opponent is Craig Giagrande, a newcomer to electoral politics. Senator Young has voted in favor of every single gun grabbing bill to have crossed his desk, including SB 281. Most recently, he voted for HB 1302, the unconstitutional “red flag” law that allows the State to take all a person’s firearms without due process merely on the allegation that the person is dangerous *because* he or she may own firearms. This law, which went into effect on October 1, 2018, has already been abused and led to the death of a gun owner at the hands of the police. https://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/crime/bs-md-aa-shooting-20181105-story.html Senator Young was also the sponsor of SB 707, the so-called bump stock bill, that banned the possession of any device (undefined) that could increase the rate of fire (undefined) of any firearm by any amount, all without affording existing lawful owners any just compensation, as required by the federal and state constitutions. In sum, Senator Young has demonstrated a consistent contempt for the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding citizens in Maryland – no legislator in the Maryland General Assembly has a worse record on that score.

    3. Delegate Deb Rey, Maryland District 29B, St. Mary’s County. It is hard to imagine a truer friend of the Second Amendment than Delegate Rey. She sits on the House of Delegates Judiciary Committee, which, like its Senate counterpart, most often will be the committee in the House that will consider proposed gun legislation. Her opponent this election is Brian M. Crosby, who reportedly is in favor of banning magazines with a capacity in excess of 5 rounds (which is pretty much all detachable magazines). Enough said.

    4. Jack Bailey, candidate, Maryland District 29, St. Mary’s County. Jack Bailey is a newcomer, having defeated Senator Steve Waugh in the Republican primary. Jack Bailey is a retired from 30 years as a police officer with the Maryland Natural Resources Police. He has publicly expressed support from Second Amendment rights. His opponent, Thomas Brewer, has worked as a pharmacist, lab instructor, sustainability coordinator, and bartender and has refused to take specific positions on Second Amendment issues. Bailey has an “AQ” rating from the NRA (AQ= an A on the basis of a questionnaire) while Brewer has a “F” rating from the NRA. http://www.thebaynet.com/articles/1...for-maryland-state-senate-in-district-29.html

    FINALLY: Regardless of your district, VOTE!!!
     

    dblas

    Past President, MSI
    MDS Supporter
    Apr 6, 2011
    13,087
    Is this MSI's view, or a view of the President as an individual?
     

    RoadDawg

    Nos nostraque Deo
    Dec 6, 2010
    94,185
    MSI: MSI is an all-volunteer, non-partisan organization dedicated to the preservation and advancement of gun owners' rights in Maryland. We are active in Annapolis during the legislative session in advocating on behalf of gun owners in this State. One of our core missions is present to our members and others in the general public basic information concerning the actions of legislators in Maryland. We don’t endorse any candidate and our views are strictly non-partisan.

    The General Assembly: The General Assembly is composed of 47 Senators and 141 Delegates. Both Senators and Delegates are elected every four years, along with all the State-wide Offices (Governor, Lt. Governor, Attorney General and Comptroller. Most of these seats in the General Assembly are “safe” seats in the sense that the incumbent does not face serious competition from the nominee of the other party in the general election. Currently, in the Senate, the party split is 35 Democrats to 12 Republican. In the House of Delegates, the split is 98 Democrats and 43 Republicans. Under the Maryland Constitution, it takes three-fifths of each house to override a Governor’s veto, which means it takes 29 votes to override a veto in the Senate and 85 votes to override a veto in the House of Delegates. The General Assembly has thus been able to override vetos at will and have done so repeatedly in the last four years.

    Attorney General: The Attorney General has been given broad powers by the General Assembly to sue the federal government and also represents the State in civil proceedings in suits against the State. It acts as a legal representative for state administrative bodies. It is a very powerful post. This race may well be close so your vote is very important.

    Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee: There are three important races for Senators who sit on Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee. Senator Michael Hough (District 4, Frederick and Carroll Counties), Senator Justin Ready (District 5, Carroll County) and Senator Bob Cassilly (District 34, Harford County). all currently sit on the Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee. The jurisdiction of that committee typically includes gun legislation. All three senators have been thoughtful and consistent voices of reason on that committee. This committee is chaired by Senator Bobby Zirkin (District 11, Baltimore County). As Chair, Senator Zirkin has been consistently fair to witnesses and those holding opposing views and is open to compromise solutions. For example, but for Senator Zirkin's leadership of this committee, HB 1302, the “red flag” law, would have been much worse.

    Senate Hot Seats:

    This post is intended to focus on just a few of the more hotly contested seats in the Maryland General Assembly. For more general information on the candidates running in your district, including sample ballots, go to https://ballotpedia.org/Main_Page and enter your address. Key races are up for grabs in the Senate:

    District 3 (Frederick City and Frederick County) currently held by Senator Ron Young (D), (more on Senator Young below),
    District 6 (Baltimore County) currently held by Senator Johnny Ray Salling (R) ,
    District 9 (Carroll and Howard Counties) currently held by Senator Gail Bates (R)
    District 29 (St Mary’s County), an open seat that was held by Senator Steve Waugh (R), who was defeated in the primary by Jack Bailey,
    District 30 (Anne Arundel County) an open seat vacated by Senator John Astle (R),
    District 34 (Harford County), currently held by Senator Bob Cassilly (R),
    District 42 (Baltimore County) an open seat vacated by Senator James Brochin (D) and
    District 32 (Anne Arundel County), an open seat vacated by Senator James DeGrange (R).

    The NRA has some information on the voting records at https://votesmart.org/interest-group/1496/rating/5560#.W-BwgZM3kuU
    Of these individuals up for reelection, Senators Bates, Salling and Cassilly have consistently voted in support of the rights of law-abiding citizens under the Second Amendment. In you live in one of these above districts, your vote is especially important as the races in these districts may well be close.

    Specific Races:
    1. Attorney General Brian Frosh. While a Senator from Montgomery County, Brian Frosh was the lead sponsor of SB 281, which became the so-called Firearms Safety Act of 2013, which Gov. O’Malley thought would help him in running for President in 2016. SB 281 is the so called Firearms Safety Act 2013 that banned sporting rifles and imposed a draconian handgun licensing regime on Marylanders. Attorney General Frosh has yet to meet a gun control bill that he doesn’t like. He and his Office of the Attorney General basically run the Licensing Division of the Maryland State Police. His opponent is Craig Wolfe, who has been a federal, state and Army prosecutor and a CEO for Wine and Spirits Wholesalers of America. In a recent debate, AG Frosh called his challenger a “2A guy.” This contest is not even remotely hard for anyone who cares about the Second Amendment.

    2. Senator Ron Young, Maryland Senate District 03 (Frederick County and Frederick City). His opponent is Craig Giagrande, a newcomer to electoral politics. Senator Young has voted in favor of every single gun grabbing bill to have crossed his desk, including SB 281. Most recently, he voted for HB 1302, the unconstitutional “red flag” law that allows the State to take all a person’s firearms without due process merely on the allegation that the person is dangerous *because* he or she may own firearms. This law, which went into effect on October 1, 2018, has already been abused and led to the death of a gun owner at the hands of the police. https://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/crime/bs-md-aa-shooting-20181105-story.html Senator Young was also the sponsor of SB 707, the so-called bump stock bill, that banned the possession of any device (undefined) that could increase the rate of fire (undefined) of any firearm by any amount, all without affording existing lawful owners any just compensation, as required by the federal and state constitutions. In sum, Senator Young has demonstrated a consistent contempt for the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding citizens in Maryland – no legislator in the Maryland General Assembly has a worse record on that score.

    3. Delegate Deb Rey, Maryland District 29B, St. Mary’s County. It is hard to imagine a truer friend of the Second Amendment than Delegate Rey. She sits on the House of Delegates Judiciary Committee, which, like its Senate counterpart, most often will be the committee in the House that will consider proposed gun legislation. Her opponent this election is Brian M. Crosby, who reportedly is in favor of banning magazines with a capacity in excess of 5 rounds (which is pretty much all detachable magazines). Enough said.

    4. Jack Bailey, candidate, Maryland District 29, St. Mary’s County. Jack Bailey is a newcomer, having defeated Senator Steve Waugh in the Republican primary. Jack Bailey is a retired from 30 years as a police officer with the Maryland Natural Resources Police. He has publicly expressed support from Second Amendment rights. His opponent, Thomas Brewer, has worked as a pharmacist, lab instructor, sustainability coordinator, and bartender and has refused to take specific positions on Second Amendment issues. Bailey has an “AQ” rating from the NRA (AQ= an A on the basis of a questionnaire) while Brewer has a “F” rating from the NRA. http://www.thebaynet.com/articles/1...for-maryland-state-senate-in-district-29.html

    FINALLY: Regardless of your district, VOTE!!!

    Thank you for taking the time away from your busy schedule... to provide information to the community. I trust this information will assist some people in their search for truth today as they vote.
     

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