By Rosalind S. Helderman
Washington Post Staff Writer
Friday, March 27, 2009

As a child, Prince George's Sen. C. Anthony Muse watched as his mother was beaten by his stepfather.

So did Del. Michael D. Smigiel Sr., who comes from rural Cecil County.

Several generations of women in Baltimore Sen. Verna L. Jones's family suffered abuse. And Del. Cheryl D. Glenn, also from Baltimore, was hit repeatedly by an ex-husband who later accidentally killed himself with a shotgun.

As the Maryland General Assembly has spent several weeks debating difficult bills that deal with domestic abuse, a sad truth has emerged: Even lawmakers have not been immune from the scourge of violence in the home.

And as a long-standing taboo on revealing painful experiences with the issue has been lifted, more and more have stepped forward to share their stories with colleagues.

Yesterday, the state Senate advanced a bill, pushed by the governor, that would make it easier for judges to confiscate firearms from domestic violence suspects. They stripped the measure of an amendment that could have complicated its passage because it would have made it easier for domestic violence victims to get handgun permits.

As they also did when the House of Delegates debated domestic violence measures in recent weeks, lawmakers announced from the Senate floor that their views on the proposal were shaped by personal history.

For Muse, it was the image of his mother facing down a 200-pound abuser armed with an iron. The police were called, his stepfather was taken to jail and Muse was in foster care by age 13.

Muse (D), a pastor at a Prince George's church, went on to tell senators that he has officiated at the funerals of eight congregants killed by abusive boyfriends or husbands.

He ultimately took no position on the amendment, fearing it could bring down a bill he believes is important. But he said he hopes to start a discussion about whether victims should find it easier to get a gun to defend themselves when the law so often proves inadequate.

"There are times a protective order is just a piece of paper, given to an irate man, already going to do whatever he's going to do," he said.

Advocates for domestic violence victims had opposed the amendment, pleading with lawmakers not to encourage the injection of lethal weapons into highly charged disputes. Without the provision, they said, they were hopeful about the chances for the bill's passage when the Senate considers it soon for a final vote.

The House has adopted a similar measure, which requires that judges confiscate firearms when issuing final protective orders.

The bill, along with a separate measure giving judges the option to take guns when issuing a seven-day temporary order, has found a champion in Lt. Gov. Anthony G. Brown (D). He has been driven by the memory of his cousin, who was fatally shot last year by an estranged boyfriend.

"What it shows is that domestic violence is pervasive. That it's found in many households, regardless of income, race, culture, ethnicity or religion," he said. "It's a positive thing that lawmakers stand up on this. What we want to see is more victims and families step forward and acknowledge when there's domestic violence occurring so victims can be connected to the help they need."

Jones (D) told colleagues that she had been "intimately involved at a young age" with domestic violence. She later explained that growing up in an overcrowded and sometimes desperate community, she knew that her grandmother and aunts had been subjected to abuse.

Glenn (D) said she had spoken about her experiences very little in public before revealing them to colleagues in the House. She suffered four years of abuse at the hands of her ex-husband.

Victims' advocates said they have been surprised by the personal stories. They hope the message is that victims do not need to feel ashamed.

"If all these people in our legislature have had these issues in their families, certainly I think it bodes well that they're open to discussion of it, so we can do better for all of Maryland's families," said Cynthia Lifson, legislative counsel for the Maryland Network Against Domestic Violence.