Citing changed attitudes since the Newtown, Conn., school mass shooting, State Sen. Brian Frosh (D-Bethesda-Chevy Chase) and fellow lawmakers are making a new push to enact gun control legislation.
Frosh and State Senators Jamie Raskin (D-Silver Spring-Takoma Park), Lisa Gladden (D-Baltimore City) and Bill Ferguson (D-Baltimore City) announced a package of laws they will introduce in the 2013 General Assembly.
Included is an assault weapons ban that would make illegal 45 guns (including the type of Bushmaster rifle used in the Newtown killings), a handgun ban in public places, bars and places of worship and a reduction of clip sizes.
A number of the bills have been introduced before but failed to pass.
This time, Frosh said the terms of the gun control debate have changed.
“The message from the tragic shootings in Newtown, Connecticut is clear,” Frosh said in a prepared statement. “We must act now to protect our children, our families and our communities.
“These are reasonable and common sense proposals that will help law enforcement officials to crack down on illegal gun sellers, restrict the availability of assault weapons, require new gun safety measures, limit the number of rounds in gun magazines, and outlaw carrying a firearm into certain public spaces.”
Flickr photo by mdfriendofhillary