Maryland
JESSUP, Md. (AP) - Opponents of Maryland s recently passed gun-control measure say they will seek to overturn it in court, not on the ballot.
Delegate Neil Parrott, a Washington County Republican, made the announcement Wednesday evening in Jessup.
Representatives from gun-rights groups said they support going to court instead of trying to petition it to the ballot.
They say they are confident the measure is unconstitutional.
The measure, proposed by Democratic Gov. Martin O'Malley, makes the state's already-strong gun laws among the toughest in the nation.
Under the bill, Maryland would become the first state in nearly 20 years to require people who buy a handgun to submit fingerprints to state police. The measure also bans 45 types of assault weapons, although people who own them now will be able to keep them.
Delaware
DOVER, Del. (AP) - A bill expanding criminal background checks on gun purchases in Delaware to include most transactions between private sellers and buyers is headed toward a final vote in the legislature.
The Senate Judiciary Committee voted Wednesday to send the bill to the full Senate for a vote. The measure, part of a package of gun-control proposals by Democratic Gov. Jack Markell, cleared the House last month.
Among those who testified Wednesday in support of the bill was former astronaut Mark Kelly, husband of former Arizona congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords. Giffords was critically injured in a 2011 shooting in Tucson that left six people dead and 13 others, including Giffords, wounded.
Opponents say criminals will ignore an expanded background check system, just as they ignore current laws prohibiting certain people from possessing firearms.
