'Your papers, please' must never be heard in America
Independent voices from the TWT Communities
Gun control advocates in Maryland were bracing for an inevitable challenge to a law giving the state some of the strictest weapons prohibitions in the nation, even as they gathered Thursday to applaud Gov. Martin O'Malley for signing the bill he shepherded through the General Assembly.
Recently passed laws in Maryland that restrict the number and type of weapons residents can own and that require people purchasing guns to obtain licenses are unconstitutional and will not survive a court challenge planned for October, the National Rifle Association said Thursday.
Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley has yet to sign his gun control bill, but gun rights supporters are already gearing up for a referendum that would let voters decide whether they want to keep the sweeping legislation.
Maryland's House of Delegates on Wednesday passed a package of gun restrictions making its laws among the toughest in the country and reinforcing what analysts say is a trend toward states with strict gun regulations passing laws making them stricter.
The Maryland House of Delegates gave final approval Wednesday to a package of gun control legislation that will give the state among the most restrictive laws in the country.
Smokers in Maryland pay one of the nation's highest tax rates on cigarettes, and they could pay even more next year if state health advocates get their way.
D.C. Mayor Vincent C. Gray doesn't speak Chinese. Not a big deal, but it made for some good times on a trip to the Far East earlier this year.
Liquor sales in Maryland have stagnated in the past year, a change the industry attributes to an increased alcohol tax driving Marylanders to cross state lines in search of cheaper booze.
Maryland health advocates are celebrating an upcoming tax increase on cigars and smokeless tobacco, but they aren't stopping there.
Maryland health advocates are lauding Gov. Martin O'Malley's proposal to increase the state's cigar tax, but critics say such an increase would create another financial burden for consumers and business owners.
Maryland, Virginia didn't adjust gas tax for inflation; D.C. clinic accused of fraud; Va. votes on adoption regulations that could affect gay couples; Maryland advocate wants tax increase on smokeless tobacco; D.C. campaign finance office releases latest report; Md. Delegate O'Donnell to challenge Hoyer; Metro: Crime dropped in 3rd quarter; Microsoft eyes St. Elizabeths property; Report finds Prince George's among Md.'s unhealthiest counties.
The price of cigars in Maryland could go up soon if one of the state's most prominent health advocates has his way.
A Maryland health advocate who fought successfully this year for an increase in the state's alcohol sales tax is pushing for a tax increase on cigarettes.
Maryland health advocates are lauding the state's alcohol tax increase as a boon for public health, but some business owners worry it could hurt sales - or at least cause some managerial headaches.
Maryland's leading gay-rights organization is fighting to rebound from reported infighting and financial woes after the failure in this year's General Assembly of a much-publicized bill to legalize same-sex marriage.
"Five states have [fingerprinting]," he said. "The more people know this, the more strongly they'll support this."
While a referendum would mean postponing implementation of the law, Vincent DeMarco, president of Marylanders to Prevent Gun Violence, said he was confident that whether it's a ballot issue or a court decision, "whatever they try to do, they will fail."
