We had a major piece of 2nd Amendment-related legislation pass through the Senate earlier this week and I wanted to be sure to update you. Protecting the rights of law-abiding citizens is extremely important to me, however the focus of the General Assembly is much different. In the face of violent crime perpetrated by repeat offenders - often using illegally obtained guns - the out-of-touch, extreme liberal majority is targeting...law-abiding citizens who have concealed carry permits.
On Monday night, SB 1 passed 31-16 on the Senate floor, meaning it will now head to the House of Delegates for their consideration. Three Democrats joined the 13 Republicans in voting no. I spoke against this bill, you can see my floor speech by clicking on the picture below:
This bill is of course a reaction to the Supreme Court’s decision on the New York State Rifle & Pistol Association, Inc. v. Bruen case, which made all 50 states “shall-issue.” The decision stated that citizens have the right to protect themselves outside of their homes.
SB 1 originally dramatically limited where individuals with wear and carry permits may carry their firearm. After several committee amendments, some of the most over-the-top restrictions that essentially said you couldn't carry on any private property without express consent were removed, but a number of restrictions remain that fly in the face of the Supreme Court's Bruen decision.
This bill is unconstitutional on its face and the courts will certainly have the final say. If the House of Delegates vote favorably on this bill, and the Governor signs it into law, it would go into effect on October 1st.
Once again - while the Democratic Party majority in Annapolis want to restrict the Constitutional rights of law-abiding citizens, they refuse to move tough-on-crime legislation that would target repeat offenders, firearm thefts, or violent juveniles. As I said in my speech above, THAT is where our focus should be as it relates to public safety and firearms. You can count on me to continue pressing this issue.