WAMU 88.5 : News

Filed Under:

Supporters Pushing House Committees On Gun Control Bill

Play associated audio
Maryland gun control supporters are waiting for House lawmakers to act on the measure.
Keith Lafaille: http://www.flickr.com/photos/klafaille/6218726857/
Maryland gun control supporters are waiting for House lawmakers to act on the measure.

Supporters of Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley's gun control bill are pressuring lawmakers in the House of Delegates to act on the measure.

The bill has bogged down in the House Judiciary and Health and Government Operations committees after passing the Senate last month. The point of contention is the governor's plan to ban military style assault weapons, which could include the AR-15 rifle that was used in the Newtown mass elementary school shooting last year.

Some weapons, like the AR-15, could be removed from the proposed ban. Lt. Gov. Anthony Brown doesn't want to see that, but concedes the compromise of some kind on the bill is inevitable.

"We certainly want to ensure that we are banning all assault weapons," says Brown. "And we appreciate that we will find compromise in the General Assembly to ban assault weapons."

The measure also outlaws high capacity ammunition magazines and makes all prospective handgun buyers be fingerprinted before they can purchase a weapon.

NPR

Fictional 'Mothers' Reveal Facts Of A Painful Adoption Process

After years trying to conceive, novelist Jennifer Gilmore and her husband decided to adopt. What they thought would be a relatively simple process was instead a long and painful one. In her latest novel, Gilmore channels these autobiographical experiences into fiction.
NPR

In Raw Milk Case, Activists See Food Freedom On Trial

Activists say the case against Wisconsin dairy farmer Vernon Hershberger is about raw milk — and much more. His supporters have turned the case into a rallying cry for personal food freedom and the rights of farmers and consumers to enter into private contracts without government intervention.
NPR

Obama Group's Climate Push Puts President Under Scrutiny

Organizing for Action — a group that formed out of President Obama's re-election campaign — has focused its ire on Republicans it calls "climate change deniers." But some environmentalists are frustrated with the president himself on issues like the Keystone pipeline.
NPR

How That 'Nigerian Email Scam' Got Started

You've probably seen it in your inbox before: Someone who claims to have come into a fortune needs your help. You can share in the profits — if you send along a deposit or your bank account number. Boston Globe correspondent Finn Brunton talks about the history of the "Nigerian prince" or "419" scam, which actually got its start long before email.

Leave a Comment

Help keep the conversation civil. Please refer to our Terms of Use and Code of Conduct before posting your comments.