Smith Enterprise has been stopping the sales of Smith’s products to state and local law enforcement agencies in states pushing for unconstitutional firearms laws such as New York, Connecticut, Colorado and California. The latest is the State of Maryland whose proposed laws not only threaten the liberty of their citizens, but the livelihoods of over 400 workers from Beretta USA.
Effective immediately, Smith Enterprise will no longer sell any products to state and local law enforcement agencies located in Maryland.
Ron Smith, the President of Smith Enterprisesaid today,"Make no mistake about it, the gun grabbers are declaring war on the law-abiding. We will not run from this fight, we will not retreat.We stand beside Beretta in this fight and will not make our products available to agencies employed by the enemies of all we hold dear. I sincerely hope that more people will lend support to Beretta when they make their move out of Maryland by buying their products and making these politicians pay for their actions in the next election cycle.”
The US division of the world’s oldest gun manufacturer (in business since 1526) is considering moving its Maryland manufacturing plant and roughly 400 jobs out of the state in light of legislation passed on Thursday night.
In a 28-19 vote, Maryland's Senate gave final approval to Governor Martin O'Malley's sweeping gun control bill, sending the legislation to the governor for his promised signature.
State House minority leader Anthony J. O’Donnel (R) said,“We are pushing a legitimate manufacturer and good neighbor out of Maryland. Losing them would be a big disappointment. Maryland has a reputation for having a horrible business climate, and this would be one more nail in the coffin.”
The legislation bans the sale of so-called assault weapons (used in less than 1 percent of Maryland homicides since 2004), requires fingerprints and a license to buy a handgun, empowers state police to audit gun dealers and limits magazine capacity to 10 rounds, mirroring the regimes of New York, California and Connecticut. Other provisions of this bill would bar gun ownership for people convicted of certain violent crimes but given probation before judgment and increase the amount of information about people with mental illnesses sent to a national database for background checks.
Opponents have vowed to petition the bill to referendum. If they are successful, the law would be delayed for a year and be on the ballot for Maryland voters to consider in November 2014.
Before the vote, Sen. Nathaniel McFadden,(D-Baltimore), demonized the state's law-abiding that authorities would crack down on them.
"Wherever you are, especially if you are in the city of Baltimore, please don't have a comfort level," McFadden said. "We're coming to get you."
Smith's response was,"The audacity and brazenness of these politicians is repugnant. They turn their citizens into potential criminals with the stroke of a pen and then issue threats like this. You can 'come for them', but you will not use our products to do it.”
Once signed, the law takes effect on October 1, 2013. Gun dealers would be allowed to sell their existing inventory of the 45 makes and models of banned so-called assault weapons. Residents of Maryland who place an order before that date would still be able to purchase them.