As a Democrat in Talbot County, I used to say “There’s one thing I hate about Johnny Mautz: I like him so much.” It’s his charm and this can be a real asset in an elected official because they seem so caring and accessible.
In this case, Johnny is dangerous to gun safety in our communities. In 2015, he co sponsored HB 0306 (The Firearms Decriminalization Act) which would repeal the gun safety laws put in effect by Maryland’s historic Firearms Safety Act of 2013. In 2018, Johnny voted for and then within a week opposed the Red Flag law that allows a judge to remove firearms from individuals shown to be a dangerous to themselves or others due to emotional instability.
Our likeable Johnny can be expected to opposed common sense gun safety laws. His flip flop on the Red Flag Law shows the power and control the opponents of gun safety have over him.
It’s hard to keep track of what Delegates like Johnny Mautz are doing when they go to Annapolis. This is because unlike Congress where behavior in Washington is visible to people in their districts because of the national media, on the Mid Shore, what we know about them is largely local happy new about their presence at community events.
Whether Johnny Mautz believes in common sense gun laws or not, he has shown himself not to be strong enough to resist the gun rights advocates. For this reason, the one thing we can do to address gun violence is to vote against Johnny Mautz and in favor of candidates who are strong enough to support common sense gun safety.
Holly Wright
Easton
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