Kim Hairston/Baltimore Sun/TNS
On the eve of October 1st, Maryland is set to implement new gun regulations, reshaping where and how firearms can be carried and stored in the state. These changes come in response to the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision, which overturned Maryland’s previous gun control rules, and have already sparked challenges from those who perceive them as excessively restrictive.
Senate Bill 1, sponsored by Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee Vice Chair Jeff Waldstreicher, is at the center of these changes. Effective this Sunday, it will prohibit individuals with concealed carry permits from bringing firearms into a wide array of locations, including schools, healthcare facilities, government buildings, polling places, and venues serving alcohol or cannabis for on-site consumption. This law has been welcomed by gun control advocates, particularly in Maryland’s majority-Democratic General Assembly.
Melissa Ladd, a campaign lead for the Maryland chapter of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America, expressed gratitude for the legislature’s swift response to the Supreme Court’s ruling and the collaborative efforts to pass the new legislation.
However, not everyone is content with the legislature’s reaction. Two federal lawsuits have been filed in opposition to the law. One, filed on behalf of the Maryland State Rifle and Pistol Association Inc. and Susannah Warner Kipke, the owner of a gun storage facility, argues that Senate Bill 1 unconstitutionally restricts the locations where Marylanders with concealed carry permits can carry their firearms. The other lawsuit, filed on behalf of several individuals and gun rights organizations, challenges specific provisions of the law, including restrictions in healthcare facilities, museums, establishments serving alcohol, and privately owned public-accessible buildings.
These legal battles stem from the 2022 Supreme Court decision in New York State Rifle and Pistol Association v. Bruen, which disrupted gun licensing policies in several states, including Maryland. The ruling stated that states could only prohibit guns in places analogous to those considered sensitive when the Second Amendment was ratified in 1791, such as courthouses and polling places. Critics argue that many places designated as sensitive in Maryland’s new law, such as schools and bars, existed at the time of the nation’s founding but did not have firearm prohibitions, challenging their classification as sensitive.
While the legal battle continues, Kirk Evans, an attorney and president of U.S. LawShield, points out that the Supreme Court’s ruling did not precisely define what constitutes sensitive places. He also notes that similar designations exist in other states, where their constitutionality has yet to be determined. Removing the “good and substantial reason” standard, which Maryland has done, aligns the state more closely with other states’ gun laws, making it less burdensome, albeit still more restrictive.
In addition to changes in where guns can be carried, Maryland will also implement new regulations on concealed carry permits and gun storage. House Bill 824, sponsored by House Judiciary Committee Chair Luke Clippinger, mandates that concealed carry permit applicants must be at least 21 years old, or members of the military, and meet certain eligibility criteria. The law also increases penalties for carrying handguns without a permit.
Maryland’s firearms storage policy will likewise evolve, with fines and restrictions for those who fail to store their firearms securely, particularly if accessible to minors.
Given the complexity of these new laws, experts emphasize the importance of Marylanders acquainting themselves with the changes to ensure compliance and understanding of their rights and responsibilities in this evolving landscape.
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