September 29, 2023
A Win for Constitutional Rights in Maryland
Back during the 2023 Legislative Session which ended in April, anti-2nd Amendment Democrats rammed through Senate Bill 1, which sought to ban the permitted carrying of a handgun in virtually all public spaces. This was in response to Maryland’s draconian, unconstitutional wear and carry law being struck down by actions in the U.S. Supreme Court. As passed, SB1 essentially prohibited someone from legally carrying their firearm on any private property unless they had the express permission of the property owner, making big buildings, large rural properties and other locations essentially banned for legal, law-abiding wear and carry owners as well as making it illegal for a wear and carry permit holder to carry at public events or in any restaurant that serves alcohol (even though it is, of course, already illegal to carry a firearm if intoxicated or consuming alcohol).
Immediately after Governor Moore signed this bill into law, several organizations including Maryland Shall Issue which seeks to protect law-abiding gun owners’ rights in the state, filed challenges in court on behalf of Maryland citizens and their 2nd Amendment rights. SB1 was scheduled to go into effect on October 1st – this Sunday.
However, I’m happy to report that today the court granted a “partial preliminary injunction”. This injunction stops SB 1’s restrictions on permitted carrying on private property, in restaurants, and while attending public events.
The Republican Senate Caucus released the following statement regarding this decision:
We need to focus our state’s law enforcement and legislative efforts on stopping the violent criminals who use and traffic guns illegally. When they are caught, they should go to jail for a long, long time.
The courts will have the final say on SB1 in the coming months, and I remain hopeful that this blatantly unconstitutional law will be thrown out. In a state where violent crime is at an all time high, the right to self defense in public should not be taken away.
Feel free to reach out to my office if you have any questions or concerns. I will do my best to keep you updated as the fight over Constitutional freedoms continues.
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