Opinion
U.S.A. -(Ammoland.com)- On 8 March, 2019, joint hearings were being held on SB1000, a bill that would effectively abolish the appeals process to the Maryland Handgun Permit Review Board (HPRB). The sponsors of SB1000 are all Democrats.
A former member of the HPRB wished to testify about claimed inaccuracies about the Board that was printed in a Baltimore Sun editorial. The joint committee only allowed one minute for comments. It was not enough for Shari Judah to finish her comments. She refused to give up the microphone when asked to do so. From mdshooters.com:
Today in the joint hearings in Annapolis, former Handgun Permit Review Board member Shari Judah of Montgomery County was EJECTED by the plainclothes Maryland State Police when she continued testifying past the punitive one-minute time limit set by the Democrats intent on ending the HPRB’s civilian appointee oversight of the MSP Wear & Carry process.
Ms. Judah, who could be regarded as an EXPERT witness on the functioning and value of the HPRB, was rudely treated as if her insights were of NO VALUE to the joint committees attempting to railroad through the disbanding of the Board.
As has been mentioned, the one-minute testimony time limit is a clear indication that MD Democrats have made up their mind that civilian oversight by Governor Hogan’s appointees is to be eradicated because the oversight does not meet Democrat policy demands.
Civilian oversight of MD bureaucracies is the ultimate expression of the process whereby ELECTIONS HAVE CONSEQUENCES!
The video above is the work of our Patriot Picket press representative at the hearings. Please share this superior video version on social media
The video on Youtube, shows MS Judah being physicaly dragged from the meeting.
One minute was not enough. I do not know if the statement was submitted to the joint committee in writing. They often are.
While the video of MS Judah being dragged out of the hearing while shouting “You’re a disgrace! You’re a disgrace” is disturbing, it is not illegal. Committees must control their proceedings or they devolve into anarchy but ripping someone from a chair is not right, that is what a gavel is for. The key here is they only allowed one minute for comments. Participants are always told their time limits. It is a way to limit dissent, but the committee members were voted into power.
We do not know if the bill will pass, or if the governor will sign it into law or veto the bill.
The bill uses administrative procedure to infringe on Second Amendment rights. The problem Constitutionalists face is they work to preserve the rule of law and to defend the Constitution.
Progressives do not believe in the Constitution; that effectively means they do not believe in the rule of law, which handicaps Constitutionalists.
Second Amendment supporters share Shari Judah’s passion and disgust with the proceedings. But the Progressives on the committee will feel no disgrace. They do not admit there should be such a thing as disgrace. Morals, for Progressives, are situational, fluid, and adaptable to the moment.
About Dean Weingarten:
Dean Weingarten has been a peace officer, a military officer, was on the University of Wisconsin Pistol Team for four years, and was first certified to teach firearms safety in 1973. He taught the Arizona concealed carry course for fifteen years until the goal of constitutional carry was attained. He has degrees in meteorology and mining engineering, and recently retired from the Department of Defense after a 30-year career in Army Research, Development, Testing, and Evaluation.