I hope you had a great weekend. I wanted to write to give you an update on the recent Supreme Court ruling on concealed carry and also remind you about Early Voting being underway.
Maryland Now "Shall Issue" State:
Last week, Governor Hogan issued a statement following the Supreme Court ruling on NY's concealed carry laws (which are similar to Maryland's). The governor's order directs the Maryland State Police to suspend the current “Good and Substantial” standard for wear and carry permits. Now self-defense is as good a reason for wanting a concealed carry permit as carrying large sums of money or having a threat against you. You can read his full statement here. As a result of this, the Maryland State Police have revised their licensing portal to reflect this change. Applicants are directed to select “Personal Protections/Category Not Listed Above” when applying for their handgun permit. This is a huge victory for the citizens of Maryland and their Constitutional rights. The Maryland State Police have also stated this does not change requirement to obtain a wear and carry permit before you can legally carry a firearm.
Early Voting Continues - Plus Important Note if You Obtained an Absentee/Mail In Ballot:
Early Voting for the 2022 Primary Election is ongoing will continue through Thursday, July 14, 2022 from 7 a.m. until 8 p.m. I've reached out in the past about candidates that I strongly support including Delegate April Rose & Chris Tomlinson for two of the three House of Delegates positions in District 5, Josh Stonko for Delegate in District 42C & Chris West for State Senate in 42, Haven Shoemaker for Carroll County State's Attorney, Tara Battaglia, Jim Miller & Steve Whisler for Carroll County Board of Education and Samuel Jones for Carroll County Republican Central Committee.
Now is the time to make all our voices heard. You can cast your ballot at any of the following locations:
Westminster Senior Center - 125 Stoner Avenue, Westminster
South Carroll Senior Center - 5928 Mineral Hill Road, Sykesville
North Carroll Senior Center - 2328 Hanover Pike, Hampstead
Anyone can vote during early voting. You can update your address during early voting. For more information, visit https://elections.carrollcountymd.gov/electionEarlyVote.aspx. For early vote sites for folks in Frederick County (including those in the new District 5) you can find those here: https://frederickcountymd.gov/6810/Early-Voting
Of course if you prefer to vote Election Day - that is next Tuesday, July 19th - visit the Carroll County Board of Elections (or your local board of elections) for more details.
IMPORTANT Note Regarding Absentee/Mail In Ballots - If you requested and received a mail-in ballot and you show up to vote in person, you will be required to vote a provisional ballot which will not be counted until later in July. The reason for this is actually a good security measure - the County Board of Elections wants to ensure no one votes twice. So, if you have received a mail in ballot, you may want to consider sending it back in or using one of the drop boxes available at the early voting sites and the Carroll County Board of Elections.
Upcoming Events
Mount Airy Volunteer Fire Company Carnival
August 1-6 2022 Carnival Entertainment Announced! - Mt Airy Volunteer Fire Company (mavfc.org)
My staff and I are always available to you. My personal email is [email protected]. My team and I will do our best to get back to you as quickly as possible.