ANNAPOLIS, Md.  Maryland Shall Issue, Inc. congratulates the General Assembly on handing Governor O'Malley his first defeat Yesterday, Governor O'Malley had his veto overturned for the first time. The General Assembly earlier this year unanimously passed a bill to allow police to recycle their used guns back to the manufacturer for credit on new guns. Through this arrangement typically police can get brand new guns at no cost.  Without this legislation police had to destroy their used guns and then buy new guns outright. While this bill SB497 was simply concerned with saving money for the state, Governor O'Malley, facing the biggest budget shortfall ever, decided to make it into a gun control issue -- as if destroying the guns used by police to protect and save lives might somehow make us safer.

So, in the Special Session O'Malley called to raise taxes, the Senate supported him with a razor thin 24 to 23 vote, with all but 5 of those pro-tax votes coming from just Baltimore City and two counties.  However, in overriding O'Malley's veto, the Senate was unanimous.The arrogance. To veto a bill unanimously passed by the General Assembly shows a flagrant disregard for the legislative process and the will of the people. Did O'Malley really think he could get more than a third of the assembly to change their votes?

The irony. Though Maryland's legislature has been one of the least gun-friendly in the nation, O'Malley's first overturned veto is one that he re-framed as a gun control issue. While claiming the largest tax hike in our history is necessary, O'Malley would prefer to destroy valuable state property rather than recycle the property for significant savings.