House Bill 0583 will be heard in the House Judiciary Committee on Wednesday, February 14th at 1:00 p.m. HB 0583 is legislation that was introduced at the request of the Governor to establish the Center for Firearm Violence Prevention. The Maryland Department of Health will oversee the program that utilizes taxpayer money to fund a state-level program to push the Governor’s gun control agenda in Maryland. This program parallels President Biden’s Office of Gun Violence Prevention, which was created late last year and led by Vice President Kamala Harris. On the surface, Maryland’s new initiative seeks to study mechanisms to reduce gun violence, but the likely reality is the center seeks to employ gun-control advocates and activists and utilize the center as a radical, anti-gun propaganda tool.Senate Bill 0488, introduced by Sen. Waldstreicher and Sen. Smith, will be heard in the Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee on Friday, February 16th at 10:00 a.m. SB 0488 is entitled the Gun Industry Accountability Act of 2024 and has the potential to subject firearm industry members to a flurry of frivolous lawsuits. This bill would allow civil causes of action to be brought against firearm industry members for alleged violations of the Gun Industry Accountability Act of 2024, also created by this legislation. SB 0488 has the potential to bankrupt local firearm industry members or massively inflate business costs in such a fashion that it severely limits opportunities for Marylanders to lawfully purchase firearms, ammunition and components. Senate Bill 0784 will be heard in the Senate Budget and Tax Committee on Wednesday, February 14th at 1:00 p.m. This bill would impose an 11% excise tax on all purchases associated with firearms, ammunition, and firearm accessories. Firearms and ammunition are already subject to an 11% federal excise tax through Pitman Robertson, along with a variety of other state and local taxes and fees. This tax should be seen as nothing more than a “sin tax” as described by California Governor Gavin Newsom when he signed similar legislation last fall.