Governor-elect Larry Hogan.
Back in October, the National Rifle Association stated the following about then GOP-gubernatorial candidate Larry Hogan (emphasis added):
The National Rifle Association Political Victory Fund (NRA-PVF) is proud to endorse Larry Hogan for Governor of Maryland.
This endorsement is based on Hogan’s support for and commitment to the Second Amendment. Larry Hogan respects the rule of law and the Second Amendment rights of Maryland’s law-abiding citizens. In sharp contrast, his opponent, Lt. Governor Anthony Brown, is a true enemy of gun owners’ rights. Brown has earned an “F” rating for his consistent anti-gun record. Brown and his running mate Ken Ulman have aggressively attacked the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding Marylanders and continue to voice their support for the failed and flawed “Firearms Safety Act of 2013,” the most sweeping and offensive gun ban in Maryland history, which does nothing to address violent crime.
Well, it appears that the NRA may have been overstating Hogan’s commitment to the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding gun owners as Hogan’s administration once again said that the governor-elect will not attempt to repeal the “Firearms Safety Act of 2013.”
“If we get bogged down on tinkering around with law in Maryland on controversial issues, we’re never going be able to work together across party lines to fix our broken economy,” Hogan spokesman Adam Dubitsky told the Diamondback, the University of Maryland campus newspaper, when asked about repealing the law.
The “Firearms Safety Act of 2013″ is a direct assault to one’s Constitutional right to keep and bear arms. It bans many commonly owned and widely popular rifles, including the AR-15, and it limits magazine capacity to 10 rounds of ammunition in addition to requiring licensing, fingerprinting, and safety training for handgun purchases.
Gun owners in Maryland are currently challenging the constitutionality of the law in federal court. But their not alone in the fight. They have the support of 21 state attorney generals from around the country who penned an amicus brief supporting the lawsuit which was spearheaded by West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrissey.
Why are other states helping out Maryland gun owners? Because they realize that if this unconstitutional law remains in effect it could impact how courts nationwide view ownership of certain firearms. Hogan, as the governor to be, is therefore uniquely positioned to help repeal this draconian gun law. But unfortunately he’ll be watching from the sidelines. That’s got to be pissing a lot of people off. Especially, the NRA.
Meanwhile, gun-control advocates in Maryland are celebrating the new status quo.
“It really is none of their business, this law is protecting Marylanders,” said Vincent Demarco, president of Marylanders to Prevent Gun Violence, about the coalition of attorney generals seeking to overturn the law.
“What they’re challenging is the ban on assault weapons, the kind of gun that killed so many kids in Newtown and Aurora, Colorado. … They need to be banned, they were banned and Maryland certainly has the authority to protect its citizens from these guns,” he concluded.
Here’s Hogan saying that he wouldn’t touch the state’s gun laws in late October just prior to the election. Many gun owners were hoping that he would change course once in office. So, he’s not a flip-flopper. But he’s certainly not a friend of the Second Amendment.
How much did he pay to get a glowing endorsement from the NRA headquarters ??
Some one there need a new house or pay raise at the Peoples expense ??
Or just plain greed ??
I am a Maryland resident. AR-15s are not banned in Maryland, the gun stores here have more AR-15s than anything else. New high capacity (more than 10) magazines are prohibited from sale, but old high capacity magazines are grandfathered legal. I recently qualified to purchase handguns, and, other than the fingerprinting, getting the permit to purchase was not onerous. (I’ve been fingerprinted many times before, so nothing new, there.)
Hogan has the option to define G&S as self defense. His MSP Superintendent serves at the pleasure of the Governor. We can listen to all the back and forth from political folks but you all need to stay true and listen to me here. This is the fact. 100% legitimate fact as defined by the Maryland Constitution. If Hogan would define G&S simply by telling the MSP super to accept G&S as self defense there is nothing that can be done to stop it. If democrats get made and try to remove the MSP super all Hogan has to do is nominate the same person as an Interim Superintendent of MSP. It is permanent and has no effect on this position other than Interim being on his title in front of Superintendent. Do not expect all these gun groups to have your back.There are political ties to all of these republicans. The best thing you can do is get after the representatives yourself by sending letters and making phone calls.
Teachers unions to my knowledge wanted the democrats – the law abiding citizens GUN OWNERS wanted change. Why is this new Republican Governor not supporting the gun owners when we were the ones that voted him in to office and the teachers unions were trying to vote against him. I think this new Governor is disappointing his true supporters and will not win re-election. You let the people and politicians trash one amendment they won\’t know where to stop they will start working on the others. Be smart people look at history and why our for father\’s said we should have the constitutional amendments in the first place. Their has always been the unjust in the world but never really the full right to ones right to protect themselves and the ones they love think about it. The BIBLE with CAIN even tells us that humans will kill with anything in there grasp a ROCK, a SWORD, a KNIFE, a STICK. the question boils down to the right to ones self to protect themselves and our rights.
The author might need a refresher in Civics. The Governor CANNOT repeal any law. It takes an act of the state Legislature, which, in Maryland, is still Democrat Dominated. What do you think the odds of that happening are now? I am deeply disappointed that a member of the press would write a piece that so clearly lacks any research and frankly, this issue was explained time and time again during the primary to people who are NOT paid to bother to research things that they write.
The article said “attempt to repeal”. This can also be construed as working within the legislative framework to repeal the law. Personally, I don’t think he has a snowball’s chance in hell of getting that done given the communistic, narcissistic leadership in both the house and the senate. However, he could order the state police superintendent to define the term good and substantial so law abiding folks can carry. That alone would make both T.V.M.Miller and M. Busch’s heads explode. I would grab a bag of popcorn and watch that in a heartbeat.
The governor certainly needs to prioritize the economy. The firearms law of 2013 is inconvenient but not debilitating. What is a deep problem is concealed carry. What Hogan CAN change is how concealed carry permits are issued. In Maryland, being one of 7 “may issue” states, “good and substantial reasons” for concealed carry does NOT include personal protection. You must be a lawyer, doctor, business owner who carries cash, retired police officer. Personal protection is a good and substantial reason IF AND ONLY IF you can show evidence of previous harm, i.e., you have to be a previous victim of violent crime. Concealed carry criteria is not Maryland law. It is State Police policy. The governor, without changing any laws, can appoint a new superintendent of the state police who will be free to interpret “good and substantial” to include what most other states issue for: protection. This is many of our hopes. The good guys in Maryland are vastly outnumbered by the bad guys with guns. Simple as that. He can fix that, and he needs to.
Amen!
You cannot trust the Republicans either. This is a prime example. Most politicians are just traitors to our Constitution and Bill of Rights. All they want is votes and to get into office for power, money, retirement package, and out of Obamacare. Politicians want total control, lifetime positions with out election and their children to automatically take their place. Almost all the politicians are liars, cheats and crooks. They are either stupid misfits of society or lawyers on the take.
Civics 101: Laws are passed and repealed by the General Assembly. Anti-2nd amendment politicians hold super-majorities in both the Maryland House of Delegates and Senate. Even if Hogan called for a repeal of SB281, he would be met with ridicule and laughter. So it’s not that he won’t do it, it’s that he can’t do it. There may be things he can do to advance gun rights, but repealing SB281 is not one of him, because it simply is not within his power.
This is a very disappointing article. It displays a lack of understanding of civics and seems to be nothing more than a hit piece designed to shame Hogan and the NRA.
Larry Hogan isn’t going to try to overturn FSA2013 because, as governor (i.e. not king, emperor, or anyone else who has unlimited executive authority), he would need the full support of the legislature in order to do it. He knows damn well that he doesn’t have it. Not even close. He ran on a fiscal platform, so it makes sense to use whatever political capital to make headway there instead of burning it on a futile effort.
He also (hopefully) knows that even if he did somehow manage to overturn FSA2013, a court ruling overturning it is more or less permanent, whereas a repeal can be undone at the whim of the legislature. Repealing the law before the court decision would be, at best, a temporary fix. Imagine the outcome for us all of Heller if DC had folded and changed their laws before the ruling thus nullifying the case. We wouldn’t likely even be having this discussion.
This was his plan all along. He never said he was going after FSA2013. But that doesn’t mean he’s not gun-friendly. He hasn’t changed his tune. He’s a realist, and hopefully he will exert his influence where he can. With one executive order, he can bring concealed carry to Maryland (i.e. allow “self defense” as a “Good and Substantial” reason). With a few state police appointments, he can likely overhaul our outdated and painfully slow background check process. If he doesn’t do what he can in areas like those, only then will he truly not be a friend to Maryland gun owners. I’ll be watching him closely, as should we all.
This one thing is what we really need to have happen. Gov. Hogan can change everthing by just rewording the CC Permit. We will probably not ever see the repeal of SB281. Something we have to live with. But if all law abiding citzens are able to carry, crime will deminish because the thugs will have to wonder if the crime they are about to commit is worth dying for.
That is one of the reasons I have not joined the NRA. They all to often put their money where it is against the 2nd ammendment and they know very well what they are doing… So they can use your money for this type of politics as usual type of stuff but not mine!
Everybody is just a little bit jumping the gun, pardon the pun.
A GOVERNOR CAN’T REPEAL A LAW! Sorry, but he needs the legislature to vote on a bill first, then he signs off executing the bill into a state law. Direct your misplaced anger to the legislature- where’s the bill to repeal? Isn’t one? Then back off until he refuses to sign one.
People get the gov’t they deserve and sometimes even more.
“Be thankful we’re not getting all the government we’re paying for.” Will Rogers
Editorial responsibilities are lacking. The use of the word “their” was incorrect. “But their not alone in the fight.” should have been, But they’re not alone in the fight. Makes me crazy to see there, their and they’re used incorrectly. As well, to, too and two drive me up a tree when used incorrectly. Their’s moore I am just two busy to bring them too you’re attention.
Ken 🙂
I have to wonder how many of the banned guns were used to kill people in Maryland before they passed these laws. How many (formerly) law abiding citizens have been turned into criminals for failing to register and/or turn in their ‘illegal’ weapons.
Finally, do laws passed by left-wing Democrats EVER make sense?
I expect that weapons ban goes well beyond weapons that look like military assault weapons (Defined when I was in the army as a “Shoulder or hip fired weapon capable of firing semi or automatically through the use of a selector switch.”) Furthermore, no weapons ban of any kind would have stopped most of those nut bags committing mass shootings.
Bragging those up as “firearms safety” (something encouraged and taught by the NRA by the way) are as big of lies as this politician’s support for the second amendment. Yeah he supports it, in the sense of holding up citizens long enough to drape a liberal noose around our necks.
Just so everyone knows who does not live here …Maryland’s house and senate is controlled by democrats, the people who passed this law so our new governor who is 2a friendly CANNOT I repeat CANNOT just repeal the law himself. He can change our CCW rules but until the people of this state push out those in the house and senate with more 2a friendly politicians then there is not much he can do .
As for not being able to do anything with the state’s house and senate packed against him is no doubt true, that isn’t the reason he gave as why he would not try to do anything about the law. What he said was; [quote]”If we get bogged down on tinkering around with law in Maryland on controversial issues,…”[end quote] the “controversial issues,” no doubt being Maryland’s gun control laws. If he had any dedication to the 2nd Amendment and Maryland’s citizens Rights, He could have said so. But no, he didn’t. He stated his position quite clearly.
HE is 2a friendly and he ran on an economics platform ..enough said … and brown would have been worse
I concur. And that is why this Democrat voted for Hogan.
There you have it, from the people that live there.
Good luck you guys.
Hope you turn things around before you end up like my State.
California
I think everyone is making saying the big picture. First of all, even the article says he wasn’t going to overturn the law prior to his election, so he ISNT a liar or a POS. Secondly, do you people realize how significant Hogan being elected in a BLUE state is? Shit isn’t going to change overnight. If he can’t make a positive impact on the citizens of Maryland, then we’re going right back to oppressive Democrat politics and we’re REALLY screwed. Let’s crawl before we walk. Don’t expect sweeping changes right from the git-go!
Signed, a Benefactor Life Member and Hogan Supporter.
Well said. People just don’t understand how the political process works. Congrats on having a 2a supporting governor with veto power to at least draw a line in the sand. Baby steps and the courts will ultimately decide the legality of the various unconstitutional laws. No single politician can do it alone.
The NRA our first civil rights organization is there to keep a record of all of the fools who think the second amendment still is valid. Your courts and justice department say voter id is an infringement on the right to vote. That taking a class and test to see if you can get permission to vote like one has to do to carry an arm to defend ones self. Most people in the firearms community believe in the illegal infringements imposed on them by their benevolent government.
Well, I see I wasted a vote, won’t happen again
Hogan voids American values and the constitution when he supports unconscionable laws, rather than the Constitution.
Fund a campaign to have the lying cheating hypocrite recalled as soon as possible,
The NRA is not perfect..I drop that my membership when the NRA supported the 1986 gun law.The law that banned certain weapons from being produced for sale to non dealers.That law stop new production of title 2 or C 3 firearms for sale.
The NRA our first civil rights organization is there to keep a record of all of the fools who think the second amendment still is valid. Your courts and justice department say voter id is an infringement on the right to vote. That taking a class and test to see if you can get permission to vote like one has to do to carry an arm to defend ones self. Most people in the firearms community believe in the illegal infringements imposed on them by their benevolent government.
Well, the least unacceptable candidate won the election. Now the fools of Maryland are stuck with him until they can remove him.
Fool me once, shame on you! Fool me twice, shame on me! Another wolf in sheep’s clothing! What a lying POS!
This bum is a Liar, he should step down and be made to reimburse the NRA. As far as other states intervening into this matter it is about time Americans stand together and protest these anti Americans who wish to destroy our great Christian nation. Even The Lord himself told his disciples, “if you do not have a sword, then sell your coat and by one”. This just proves how ignorant this administration is.
I can’t say I’m shocked. Actually I could, but then the NRA might say I have “support for and commitment to” the truth.
With all the other things screwed up in this state, unfortunately overturning SB281 should be a lower priority to Hogan. We have to fix all the nickle and dime taxes and refulations that are killing jobs first and get the States budget fixed. Also Hogan has little to no control over what happens to existing law. A repeal has to come from the legislature, still tightly controlled by the same people that wrote and passed SB281 in the first place.
Exactly correct. I live in MD and hate the anti-gun environment here. But the truth is that the Dems still control the legislature and the prospect of wasting time trying to get a repeal passed is a non-starter in my book. So Hogan is right in not pursuing such repeal and instead focusing on other matters with a better chance of compromise. Let the courts determine the legality of the new law; probably a better course of action anyway.
Hogan is a typical politician, He gets your vote, money and endorsements. Now he forgets why we the people voted for him. During the Maryland Republican primary, one of his challengers said that he was a Annapolis insider. They were right. He’s just another democrat in sheep’s clothing. Our vote really doesn’t count in Maryland.
Two things in the world I hate.
Liar and thieves.
He took the NRA money.
Now he wont support the NRA.
A LIAR AND THIEF ALL IN ONE!
He really needs to flip sides and go to the dark side
and go liberal.
just shorten it to one thing,POLITICIAN!!!! the slimy scum of the earth.
how many times times a million before people understand governments function. Government is highly inefficient and grossly abusive of power, period end.
It’s up to the people to keep their rights and government at bay so their is no need to depend upon this entity that is what it is to repeal what the people have empowered them to do.
What eludes the vast majority is how people empower government, it’s entirely caused when people abuse the freedoms of another. Government has one function, to regulate freedom so that it’s equal for all. Sounds noble and would be if the entity empowered wasn’t what government is. It regulates the freedom away that one person used to abuse another, drinking and driving is an example. Because of the abusive drunk who doesn’t give a crap if they kill another gobernment gets the ability to regulate as it does… just one way is you can’t be found with an open container because you “might” drink it.
Government is not know nor will it ever be the answer to the peoples problems except that it slows the people desires to destroy themselves. It is basically incarceration, a rat poison that is only needed because the people are so bad and the trash so deep.
When the people clean up their act and start abiding by freedoms only demand, to keep yours you must not use yours to abuse anothers freedom for personal gain. (the idea there’s no law against something so your free to do it is totally false since freedom has it’s demand) Government will be reduced and freedoms restored. Looking to government to do it while the abuse remains will only bring about worse days, obviously, were trickling down from the lessor evil to true evil aren’t we?
It boils down to what the military teaches you in boot camp. If anyone screws up. You will all be punished. So you work together. Something the dems republicans have never understood. Oh wait! 90 0/0 never were in the military anyway. Go figure
You get what you pay for. The NRA choose to support the best choice on the ballot.
When you only have the choice of who’s on the ballot, would you be happier having an anti gunner in that position??
Living in New York State I would be estatic to have a Gov. that would choose to remain neutral,
It seems a lot of people need to go back to school and learn basic civics. Governor elect Hogan CANNOT repeal FSA 2013. It is already a law, it would take the legislative branch to repeal it through proposed legislation. The executive branch has no power to do this. My God people learn how your government works.
Here Here!
It is refreshing to read an intelligent comment from an educated person! Thank you, Rob! Hogan said what he would do all along, and it is the correct action on his part. If you work to bring a better law to his desk, and as a neutral Governor, he will sign it. The SB 281 law is already being fought, and is likely to be overturned, or forced into considerable modification. Let Mr. Hogan focus on fixing the economy, the place the last liberal democrat administration did the REAL damage to the State, making them the REAL enemy of the people of Maryland!
One word RINO ~!
I AM getting sick of posting and EVERY-TIME I’m sent to the words “You’ve already said that”= then NO POST.
Somethings wrong here or I’m not welcome ~!
He is called a RINO ~!