Young Democrats of Maryland to Hogan: “We Deserve A Leader For Stronger Gun Safety”

Young Democrats of Maryland to Hogan: “We Deserve A Leader For Stronger Gun Safety”

Annapolis, MD — In the wake of the tragic shooting at Great Mills High School in Lexington Park, MD, Young Democrats of Maryland President Joseph Kitchen is calling on Larry Hogan to stop hiding from the National Rifle Association (NRA) and be a leader in the fight to prevent gun violence. Hogan has repeatedly failed to lead on gun violence and is now attempting to have a “conversation about school safety,” and hide his record of standing with the NRA and gun manufacturers.

“Students deserve to feel safe when they go to school. To keep them safe, we must face the NRA and gun manufacturers head-on,” said Young Democrats of Maryland President Joseph Kitchen. “I am grateful for the bravery and swift action of the school resource officer stationed at Great Mills High School, but two students are now fighting for their lives as a result of gun violence. The time for a conversation on guns has long past, and Governor Hogan is late to the conversation. Maryland Democrats have been leaders on this issue since we banned assault weapons following the Sandy Hook School tragedy. We continue to lead with proposals to close loopholes in this legislative session. Students and Maryland families deserve a leader on this issue and that is not Governor Hogan.”

Hogan, who has an A-minus rating from the National Rifle Association (NRA) and accepted thousands in campaign funding from the group and has a history of obstructing Democrats’ efforts to keep guns out of Maryland communities.

In 2016, he opposed legislation to ban guns on college campuses and keep guns out of the hands of domestic abusers. On February 1st, two weeks before the tragic shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, Hogan dismissed the proposal by Maryland Democratic legislators to ban bump stocks, saying, “I don’t think anyone in the history of our state has ever been killed with a bump stock.”

During the 2014 campaign, Hogan refused to release his answers to an NRA questionnaire, which earned him his A-minus rating and was caught making secret promises to gun activists behind closed doors.

Maryland deserves better from our leaders and Governor Hogan isn’t standing up.