Lt. Gov. Brown to Focus on Domestic Violence, Military Issues

Lt. Gov. Anthony G. Brown (D) announced today that his legislative priorities this session will be bills to help victims of domestic violence and military families.

With the announcement, Brown, whose cousin was fatally shot last year by an ex-boyfriend in Montgomery County, becomes the point person on two domestic violence bills introduced by Gov. Martin O'Malley (D) earlier this week.

Both address the use of firearms in protective orders limiting contact with an abused spouse or partner. One bill would require judges to include a firearms prohibition when issuing a final protective order. That restriction is now at the judge's discretion.

The other would tighten the state protective order law to include all firearms. Currently, handguns are subject to protective orders, for example, but rifles are not.

Brown, an Army reservist, is also continuing to serve as the administration's leading voice on veterans issues. He will push bills this session that would seek to ease the transition of military families moving to Maryland and to expand behavioral health services to vetarans.