Gansler

In the face of a threatened lawsuit by the National Rifle Association, Attorney General Douglas F. Gansler has formally advised Gov. Martin O'Malley that he can sign the bill next week without fear of any part of it being overturned in the courts. In a detailed 25-page letter, the attorney general laid out the reasons he believes all of the provisions of Senate Bill 281 that the NRA might challenge are “constitutionally and legally defensible.” Among the provisions Gansler said federal courts would uphold are a ban on the sale of guns classified as assault weapons, restrictions on the sale of gun magazines holding more than 10 bullets and licensing and training requirements for handgun purchasers.

Millions of people put their lives on Facebook, but thanks to the site's convoluted and ever-changing privacy policies, they often have little idea who else can see the information they provide or what the company itself is doing with all the personal data it collects. For that reason, Attorney General Douglas F. Gansler's effort as president of the National Association of Attorneys General to partner with Facebook on a public information campaign is welcome - so long as it doesn't give the public the impression that the problem of Facebook privacy has been solved.

On Monday, Maryland Attorney General Douglas F. Gansler is expected announce a partnership with Facebook on a national campaign to educate teens and parents about safety and privacy when using social media. Gansler, president of the National Association of Attorneys General, will discuss the initiative as he kicks off the NAAG Presidential Initiative Summit, "Privacy in the Digital Age. " The summit is being held at National Harbor, in southern Prince George's County. According to a release from the attorney general's office, the goal of the summit is to bring together attorneys general and representatives of the information technology industry, government and education and others to explore privacy risks and how to limit them.

Maryland Attorney General Douglas F. Gansler and nine other attorneys general sent a letter Monday to President Obama and the U.S. Senate's leaders demanding new management at the government entity that oversees Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. The housing finance firms, which have been controlled by the federal government since 2008, have become an “obstruction” to economic recovery, said the letter signed by Gansler and the attorneys general of...

Gov. Martin O'Malley's licensing proposal that calls for a $100 fee, fingerprinting and safety training before someone can buy a handgun does not violate the U.S. Constitution, according to a legal opinion released Tuesday by Maryland Attorney General Douglas F. Gansler. The opinion came at the request of state Sen. Brian E. Frosh, a Montgomery County Democrat who chairs the Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee. Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller has questioned whether the licensing provision goes too far. “Law-abiding gun owners have nothing to fear,” Gansler said in a statement, adding that “the qualifications do not allow for confiscation of guns nor could they.” The opinion, written by Dan Friedman, counsel to the General Assembly, rests on a 2008 Supreme Court decision and says the state has the authority to limit the right to possess a handgun.

Maryland Attorney General Douglas F. Gansler, who is eyeing a run for governor, has $5.2 million in his campaign account, a formidable sum more than a year out from the 2014 primary election. Gansler, a Democrat, raised $1.2 million over the past year, aides said Tuesday. Potential candidates to succeed Gov. Martin O'Malley will file formal finance reports with the State Board of Elections on Wednesday. Early money is often viewed as a measure of strength for candidate -- a lot of it can ward off potential challengers.

It has been one month since the devastating tragedy in Newtown, Conn., and most of us are still trying to come to grips with the events of that terrible day. When gun violence rips through a community it is always hard to bear, but when the victims of the violence are innocent children, it is unbearable. We are left wondering how so many young lives could be taken so quickly, and how we can prevent it from happening again. In our national search for answers, many have understandably been drawn to solutions that might reduce a perpetrator's ability to kill multiple people in short order: restrictions on high-capacity magazines and semi-automatic assault rifles like the Bushmaster .223 used by Adam Lanza.

Attorney General Douglas F. Gansler and officials from the Department of Housing and Community Development on Thursday awarded $6.2 million from the national mortgage settlement to nine legal aid groups in order to expand the availability of low-cost and pro bono legal services to Maryland homeowners facing foreclosure. Recently, DHCD has been setting aside about $1 milllion per year for foreclosure legal services, so the settlement funds greatly expand available financing, said Carol A. Gilbert, a DHCD assistant secretary.

If you believe in the American promise - that hard work leads to opportunity - then you should support the Maryland Dream Act. The American promise rewards us with a real opportunity to build a better future for ourselves and our children - a real shot at the American dream - no matter where we started out in life, provided we apply ourselves and pay our taxes. It is the promise our country makes to us when we make a promise to contribute to our country. Core to that promise is our public education system, which empowers children of all backgrounds to achieve at high levels and graduate ready to compete in the American workforce and give back to the country.

Maryland Attorney General Doug Gansler has reached a settlement with California-based CleanWell Company and OhSo Clean Inc, the makers of a hand sanitizer that claimed it was "proven to kill 99.99 percent of germs that can make you sick. " Gansler's investigation revealed no actual proof that those statements were true. CleanWell must pay $100,000 in penalties and costs, and will no longer be allowed to assert that its hand sanitizer can prevent disease or infection. “Companies that make unsubstantiated claims about their products deceive consumers into spending their hard-earned money on something that may not live up to its billing,” Gansler said in a statement.