Perry announces tour of local gun factory

Texas Gov. Rick Perry announced that on Wednesday he will tour the facility of the largest gun manufacturer in Maryland. Executives of Beretta USA have apparently talked about moving out of Maryland ever since Martin O’Malley pushed harder for an assault weapons ban. Perry used the opportunity to approach the company and promote Texas’ tax incentives for businesses. It is fairly certain that Beretta will remain in Prince Georges County though, since the state’s gun laws do not prohibit the manufacturing of the weapons.

Beretta is only one example of Perry’s nation-wide effort to lure businesses to Texas, and he will meet with other Maryland business leaders on Wednesday as well. He has also run a number of pro-Texas ads in various states, but specifically those with Democratic governors. Perry is running a Maryland ad right now that criticizes O’Malley’s tax decisions, and says that he is slowing job growth. However, political advisor to O’Malley, Liz Smith, thinks Perry is wasting his time in Maryland. “While Texas leads the nation in the percentage of workers making minimum wage or less and citizens without health insurance, Maryland ranks first in schools, median income, and innovation and entrepreneurship,” Smith said in an email. “Hopefully Gov. Perry takes some notes on the better choices that Gov. O’Malley has made, and the better results that he’s been able to achieve.”