Emails from Annapolis

My State Senator, Richard Madaleno Jr. said:

'The 434^th Legislative Session of the Maryland General Assembly is officially underway.  Throughout the 90-day session, I look forward to continue working for and with you on advancing a range of legislative priorities, including balancing the state budget, comprehensive gun control, job creation, education funding, improving transportation infrastructure, environmental protection, and advancing civil rights.  During the session, I plan to send regular updates about developments in Annapolis, the progress being made, and ways that you can participate in the decision making process to help keep moving Maryland forward.'

The Governor said we need:

"We need a comprehensive approach. That's why in the next few days, I'll unveil a three-pronged strategy focused on gun safety, school safety and mental health.

  1.) Gun safety: We should ban military-style assault weapons, limit large ammunition capacity, and require licenses for handgun purchases. We respect the rights of hunters and sportsmen (?!) and that's why our licensing requirements will NOT apply to shotguns or rifles.
2.) School safety: We will invest in security upgrades for schools, including cameras at entrances, automatically locking doors, shatterproof glass and buzzer entrance systems. We will also establish a "Maryland Center for School Safety," which will amplify our efforts by gathering meaningful data and serving as a central hub for collaboration between our federal, state and local law enforcement partners. 
3.) Mental heath: We will improve data sharing practices between federal and state officials. In addition, we will invest more to improve mental health services so we can intervene early and reduce the potential for violent behavior. We'll expand crisis intervention teams, expand response services and establish a center for excellence on early intervention for serious mental illness. 

This is a complex problem and we need a comprehensive approach. I look forward to hearing from you in the days ahead as we work to build a stronger, safer Maryland."

I can get on board with two and three.