O’Malley upsets some with gun bill email

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Gov. Martin O’Malley has rankled some Maryland gun owners by using a state agency email address and a database of hunters’ contact information to explain components of his gun control legislation.

In an email to hunters who registered their addresses with the Department of Natural Resources’ Compass Online Licensing and Registration System, O’Malley tells hunters that while many guns would require a license to own under his bill, hunting rifles aren’t included on that list.

“Our goal is to enact common sense proposals to keep guns out of the hands of dangerous criminals, and to try to reduce the risk of a mass shooting like the one that occurred in Newtown,” O’Malley’s email said. “Let me be clear: We are committed to protecting hunters and their traditions. That’s why we specifically carved out shotguns and rifles from the licensing requirements of our bill.”

Legal experts agree that O’Malley had the right to use the agency email address and database to explain his legislation, which has drawn fire from the National Rifle Association and other gun advocates. More than 1,000 people rallied in Annapolis Wednesday to testify for and against O’Malley’s gun control bill, which also bans assault weapons and high-capacity ammunition clips.

But comments posted to online message boards indicate that some Maryland hunters who received the email were offended.

Allan Ellis, owner of Ellis Outdoors LLC, said in an interview that O’Malley had “no business” using DNR to contact hunters. Ellis said he was sent the email by a friend.

“I have a tremendous problem with it,” he said. “We are told when we purchase our hunting or fishing license that our information will not be used. Obviously, our information has been used by a governor to promote his anti-gun legislation to gun owners

“To me, it is the absolute worst type of pandering I can imagine.”

The fate of O’Malley’s gun legislation is uncertain. Republicans and Democrats are deeply divided on some components of the bill, and there is infighting among Democrats about whether the handgun licensing requirement would be an affront to the Second Amendment.

A member of O’Malley’s staff wrote in a blog post Friday that the NRA was artificially inflating opposition to gun measures.

“The majority of Marylanders, including many responsible gun owners, support common sense legislation to prevent gun violence,” the blog post said. “But the PR wing of the NRA, lobbyists for gun manufacturers, and others who want to block any and all gun safety ideas would have you to believe otherwise.”