ANNAPOLIS, Md. -- State lawmakers took aim at assault weapons Tuesday in Annapolis, introducing legislation to ban rapid-fire, military-style guns.

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Federal Assault Weapons Ban To Expire, Md. Debates Local Bill

Federal legislation expires later this year and there are no guarantees Congress will act -- but gun advocates are digging in for a battle, WBAL-TV 11 News reporter David Collins reported.

A coalition of state lawmakers painted a bulls eye on the weapons as a pre-emptive strike, introducing the Maryland Assault Weapons Ban of 2004, (Senate Bill 288).

Fifty-three lawmakers are backing state legislation that does what gun control advocates fear Congress will not -- extend the rules of a federal assault weapons ban that is set to expire next year.

"We have a federal ban that is going to expire Sept. 13," said Montgomery County Sen. Rob Garagiola, D-District 15, a former Army reservist and one of two chief sponsors. "On Sept. 14, Uzis, AK-47s, and Street Sweepers are going to be back on the streets."

Howard County Delegate Neil Quinter, D-District 13, filed a companion bill Tuesday that would expand the state's assault pistol ban to include what he calls 45 "weapons of war." The bill has the support of 33 co-sponsors. It also aims to close loopholes in the federal law that allowed gun manufacturers to skirt the intent of the law by making weapons with similar characteristics to those banned.

"I don't believe in the Easter bunny, I also don't believe the Republican Congress is going to renew the Assault Weapons Ban," Quinter said.

Maryland already has a ban on assault pistols that bill proponents claim has led to a 55 percent decline in the criminal use of such weapons in Baltimore City alone. Bill sponsors also cited a federal Department of Justice study that found a 20 percent reduction in the use of assault weapons during the first year the federal ban took effect.

"This is not about taking weapons away from hunters, this is not about taking weapons away from anybody. If you currently legally own these types of weapons, no one is going to be knocking on your door and taking them from you," Garagiola said.

Montgomery County Sen. Brian Frosh, D-District 16, who is the chairman of the Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee that handles gun bills, said military-style semiautomatic weapons aren't needed either for hunting or for self-defense.

Meanwhile, gun enthusiasts are calling for a ceasefire.

"What we have is a small body of people who have decided that they are the people who will decide what free citizens can own or can't own," said John Josselyn, a representative from the Associated Gun Clubs of Baltimore.

Critics contend these weapons are used for target practice and "adequate self defense," Collins reported.

Opponents of the legislation say it is an attempt to ban the sale of all guns. Carroll County Sen. Larry Haines, R-District 5 said he instead supports more stringent punishments for those who use the assault weapons when committing crimes.

He has introduced a bill to expand a state law that mandates a minimum five-year sentence for using a handgun in the commission of a crime. His legislation would include shotguns and rifles under the law, (Senate Bill 318).

According to the governor's press office, Gov. Bob Ehrlich is reserving comment about the legislation to if or when the bill reaches his desk. While a member of Congress, Ehrlich voted against the federal ban.

Maryland gun owners had hoped that Ehrlich would move quickly to repeal state laws, which are among the strongest in the country. He said during the 2002 campaign that he would look at existing state gun laws to see if they have been effective in fighting crime and would try to repeal laws that don't work.

Stay with TheWBALChannel.com and WBAL-TV 11 News for the latest Session 2004 updates.

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