Maryland Democrats are introducing a ban on bump stocks, the device used in the Las Vegas shooting in October that enables a semi-automatic gun to fire continuously without repeatedly pulling the trigger, they announced Thursday.
The legislation also bans other similar devices, such as trigger cranks and hellfire triggers.
The bill would not take guns away from competitive shooters, said House Speaker Michael Busch.
“Now if anybody thinks that what took place in Las Vegas, Nevada was a good thing for the country or a good thing for any state, I’m sorry. But we’re here to protect the general public,” he said. “We don’t want anyone making a semi-automatic weapon into an automatic weapon. That’s the bottom line.”
The lawmakers also announced a bill to eliminate the Handgun Permit Review Board, which fields appeals of handgun licensing decisions by the Maryland State Police. Democrats want those decisions taken away from the board, whose members are appointed by the governor, and given instead to an administrative law judge.
Gov. Larry Hogan said he would consider supporting the bump stock ban, but he questioned the wisdom of both bills.
“Neither one of these pieces of legislation are going to have much of an impact on Maryland,” Hogan said. “I don’t think anyone in the history of our state has ever been killed with a bump stock.”