Beretta’s future in Maryland tied to state’s gun-control debate (may leave the People's Republic)

Washington Post ^

[Perdogg]

On the production floor of Beretta USA sits a hulking new barrel-making machine ready to churn out the next object of obsession in America’s love-hate relationship with guns: a civilian version of a machine gun designed for special operations forces and popularized in the video game Call of Duty.

Beretta, the nearly 500-year-old family-owned company that made one of James Bond’s firearms, has already invested more than $1 million in the machine and has planned to expand its plant further in Prince George’s County to ramp up production.

[dfwgator]

It’s near to USF’s Engineering building.

You get your letters mixed up, USF is in Tampa, FSU is the one in Tallahassee.

[demkicker]

"Liberalism triumphs over economics and jobs every time. ",

While I sympathize with what happened to your community, I would hardly call this a "liberal win".

The devastation liberalism caused in Tallahassee left many victims in its wake, but capitalism moved on to survive elsewhere - and will continue doing so as long as people spread the truth of stories like this and fight for what is right.

[OneWingedShark]

Isn’t NM, like CO, lost?

Not necessarily.

This should be grounds to prosecute the legislature, on multiple levels. You see the State Constitution comes into play.

ART II, Sec. 6. [Right to bear arms.]
No law shall abridge the right of the citizen to keep and bear arms for security and defense, for lawful hunting and recreational use and for other lawful purposes, but nothing herein shall be held to permit the carrying of concealed weapons. No municipality or county shall regulate, in any way, an incident of the right to keep and bear arms.

Let me reiterate the key portion here: NO LAW SHALL ABRIDGE THE RIGHT OF THE CITIZEN TO KEEP AND BEAR ARMS FOR SECURITY AND DEFENSE. Such a ban does indeed bar the right to keep and bear arms, but let us look further into the Constitution.

Art XVIII, Section 1. [Composition, name and commander in chief of militia.]
The militia of this state shall consist of all able- bodied male citizens between the ages of eighteen and forty-five, except such as are exempt by laws of the United States or of this state. The organized militia shall be called the “national guard of New Mexico,” of which the governor shall be the commander in chief.

Art XVIII, Sec. 2. [Organization, discipline and equipment of militia.]
The legislature shall provide for the organization, discipline and equipment of the militia, which shall conform as nearly as practicable to the organization, discipline and equipment of the regular army of the United States, and shall provide for the maintenance thereof.

So the militia in Sec 2, which *isn’t* restricted to the organized militia, by law is supposed to be equipped as the US Army is. — That necessarily includes the “assault rifles” which are in question here. Also note that ALL able-bodied male between 18 and 45 is, by default, a part of the militia. — This is part of the constitution, which cannot be altered by normal legislative act.

— BUT WAIT, THERE’S MORE!! —

Art II, Sec. 16. [Treason.]
Treason against the state shall consist only in levying war against it, adhering to its enemies, or giving them aid and comfort. No person shall be convicted of treason unless on the testimony of two witnesses to the same overt act, or on confession in open court.

Let us assume that disarming the militia is indeed providing aid and comfort to enemies of New Mexico, which as we just saw is the case and make such an overt act. Then the signatures of the act are, themselves, witness against those passing it. Some will say that the legislature is immune from arrest, shall we see?

Art IV, Sec. 13. [Privileges and immunities.]
Members of the legislature shall, in all cases except treason, felony and breach of the peace, be privileged from arrest during their attendance at the sessions of their re- spective houses, and on going to and return- ing from the same. And they shall not be questioned in any other place for any speech or debate or for any vote cast in either house.
Oh, well there it is, they are NOT exempt of arrests for treason.

[BfloGuy]

“We think getting assault weapons off the streets and keeping this company can both be accomplished,” said Raquel Guillory, O’Malley’s spokeswoman.

Wanting one's cake and eating it, too.

I love seeing these gunmakers making the politicians squirm.

[LegendHasIt]

Not quite, but close. The northern half is leftist, the southern half is pretty darn conservative. Without Albuquerque, Santa Fe and Taos, it would be a solid ‘Red’ State.

We have a halfway decent Governor, and some good State Legislators from that southern half.

If we had some big private sector employers, I think the state would shift back to the conservative one it was in my youth, but the Federal and State governments are the largest employers, so way too many people vote for their own short term benefit.

[Graybeard58]

Too bad I can’t hype my state in an effort to get the gun makers to come here. I’d be laughed off F.R.

[LegendHasIt]

Thanks Shark... Yeah, I read the thing in the NM forum. I know you are correct legally... I hope that it works out that way in the real world.

So far it is touch and go here with our Mayor and Police Chief in that respect..
They like to make decrees, then when they lose in court, just ignore the court orders.

[BipolarBob]

http://joeforamerica.com/2013/02/shotgun-joe-inspires-a-great-idea-free-ar-15/
Get a free AR-15

[yarddog]

I remember when Beretta first got the military contract. They had to make a certain number in the U.S.

I think they already had a small factory in Maryland but never could understand why. I guess they wanted to be close to D.C.

[2111USMC]

After reading some of the comments at the article link, I'd say Baretta is long overdue in moving out of that state. Regardless of whether the law passes or not. What a bunch of deranged liberal pantywaists.

[OneWingedShark]

Not quite, but close. The northern half is leftist, the southern half is pretty darn conservative. Without Albuquerque, Santa Fe and Taos, it would be a solid ‘Red’ State.

Considering that, it's kinda a shame that the Congress forced us to retract some "anti-populist" provisions in the original draft-form of the State constitution, from Wikipedia:

As originally drafted and sent to the United States Congress, the New Mexico Constitution contained a number of limitations on the process for making amendments. These included

1. a requirement of a two-thirds vote of the legislature in order to propose amendments,
2. that in addition to a bare majority, all amendments must be ratified by at least 40% of those voting in the election, with a 40%+ vote in at least half of the counties, and
3. a limitation on the total number of amendments that could be submitted to the people per election.

Congress was not sympathetic to these anti-populist provisions, and as a prerequisite to admission as a state required that the people ratify an amendment that would provide for a simple majority vote in the legislature, for ratification by simple majority vote of the people, and do away with the limitation on the total number of amendments.

On the other hand, that itself wouldn't make a difference when whole governments [municipal/county/state] ignore the Constitution; but that is going to be inherent in any Constitutional system.

We have a halfway decent Governor, and some good State Legislators from that southern half.

Very much agreed; though I was very very disappointed with my State Representative over her utter hand-wave dismissal of my inquiry into the legitimacy of NMSA 30-7-2.4 [prohibiting firearms on campus].

If we had some big private sector employers, I think the state would shift back to the conservative one it was in my youth, but the Federal and State governments are the largest employers, so way too many people vote for their own short term benefit.

Heck, the state re-elected Gary Johnson who was a pretty solid conservative (and Republican) while the State was going solidly Democrat -- so given it's status as a "purpleish state" it's already begun to swing that way.

[mathurine]

West Virginia would appreciate the employment; I have friends on the Mineral County WV Development Authority who will be looking into this.

[mathurine]

West Virginia would appreciate the employment; I have friends on the Mineral County WV Development Authority who will be looking into this.

[Paladin2]

I looked it up. The Bitter Magnet Lab (at MIT in Cambridge) used to be the National Magnet Lab (when I worked there in the 70’s). Now it’s not. I’ll have to see what happened. (Could be Tricky Dick’s Fault)

[oldplayer]

I’m not big on arrogant Yankee (or Border) states. However, there is something good about Mass.,Conn., Maryland and the like having a firearms industry: while it is there, they like the jobs and taxes.

Once the industry is removed to Texas or Mississippi, the Yankee politicos have absolutely NO vested interest in protecting firearm owners or the industry.

And we know the only interest those politicians have IS there own vested interest! The Constitution is not of the least bit of interest to them.

Oldplayer

[MuttTheHoople]

Come to Mississippi...we love guns more than Democrats love dead babies.

[Bender2]

Come to Texas, big... and bring Lil & Beretta with ya!

[willibeaux]

DON'T come to Colorado. We are becoming @zzholes with our Dem Legislature and Governor

[bubbacluck]

I’m preparing to fire my 92FS for the first time this coming weekend. Looking forward to it! It has a nice feel to it.

[GreyFriar]

and it has a racist name that celebrates the genocide of valiant native americans. Just getting ahead of the PC folks and their spewing of hatred. Indiana is my home state and the Tippecanoe Battleground is a short drive away from where I was born.

And there are some empty factories in the Elkhart area that bh0 visited and promised they would be fully producing electric cars in a couple of years. They went bust before he was re-elected.