Maryland ––(Ammoland.com)- In this issue:
1.) SB 512 (Currently being heard in House of Delegates) OPPOSE!
The law is being sold as a bill to keep criminals from running gun shops. As laudable an effort as that it, this bill – among other things – requires Maryland dealers to collect personal information about each and every individual who purchases a firearm in the state of Maryland, along with details about the firearm purchased.
This bill also gives the state the power to demand your records from the dealers at any time, without a warrant, probable cause or even a showing of suspicion that any crime was committed. It is gun registration. These records would have to be made available within 24 hours of the request. This would complicate things if a dealer was away or closed.
SB 512 also violates provisions of the Firearm Owners Protection act; which forbids agencies from inspecting a licensed dealer’s records when not conducting a criminal investigation or ATF audit.
It is essential we make a strong showing in order to avoid this bad bill from becoming law. As the Supreme Court and many lower Federal Courts have reminded us time and time again, the right to bear arms does not need a permission slip from the state. This bill gets the state one step closer to the thing they want most: a list of every firearm and every firearm owner in the state. Such a list is a dangerous thing in the hands of those obsessed with guns and lawful gun owners.
SB 512 was heard in the House Judiciary Committee on 3/29. We urge everyone to contact the House Judiciary Committee and tell them to vote NO on SB 512. MSI Action Plan
2.) HB 618 (Currently being heard in Senate) OPPOSE!
House Bill 618, creating a task force to study mental health and firearm ownership in Maryland passed the Maryland House of Delegates 91-45. It received a favorable report from the Senate Judiciary Committee. Its goal is to determine whether more regulations are required in the area of firearms ownership and your personal mental health. It forms a committee of representatives to study whether, in part, “…existing law adequately protects the public” and to increase police access to your private medical history.
MSI shares a desire to prevent dangerous individuals from having access to firearms. We are in a favor of laws that prevent those who have been deemed a danger to themselves and others from having access to arms. But…Maryland law already prohibits this. So what is the real aim of this task force?
This bill fits a pattern used by anti-rights groups nationwide. Maryland is a trial run because many believe we will sit back and let the state erode our rights. The first version of this bill was plainly intended to create further limits on the right of ownership among Maryland residents – it openly admitted that goal. The current version – after much work by MSI, Associated Gun Clubs, and others – at least forces the state to go through the pretense of explaining why additional restrictions are required.
Maryland Shall Issue and Associated Gun Clubs were added to the list of required representatives on the committee, and we have Delegate Simmons to thank for this effort. MSI still has grave concerns about this bill. Frankly, we’re outnumbered and our voice will be easily overcome by some of the well-known groups on the committee that have been averse to your rights all along.
The state is not looking to create a committee to consider ways to assist doctors in identifying and treating serious mental illness, they will look instead for ways to blame inanimate objects instead of dangerous people. The state already requires the release of significant medical history for the transfer of regulated firearms; this task force could easily suggest not only an expansion of those checks but also a requirement that you divulge the names of all medical providers, drugs taken, and other detailed medical histories – for all transfers.
- Postpartum Depression? Denied
- Mild Depression? Denied
- Post-Traumatic Stress Issues? Denied
They could ban transfers for these and more. No court adjudication is required. Nationwide, anti-rights leaders openly talk about requiring persons to undergo a psych review before the purchase of arms. Anything is possible when you let people come up with ways to deny your rights.
There is also concern that this bill could be used to limit the second amendment rights of returning veterans who suffer from disabilities incurred during ongoing operations in the Middle East and yet no representatives of veterans groups are included within the task force. This is a serious oversight that the legislature should correct before they consider advancing this bill.
You can see where this could go. MSI worked to stop this bill last year and we need your help to stop it again this year. Tell your Senators in plain terms that taxpayer money is better spent finding ways to help doctors identify and treat serious mental illness. Our money shouldn’t be spent finding ways to restrict fundamental rights from people without Due Process. Again, this is a big dream for those associated with anti-gun groups. Don’t let it move forward.
Contact your State Senator and urge them to vote NO on HB-618 MSI Action Plan
3.) SB 588 (Currently being heard in House of Delegates) SUPPORT!
SB 588 protects the rights of Maryland gun owners to carry a firearm for personal protection while bow hunting. SB 588 passed the Senate 37-7 and was heard in the House on 3/27.
This bill is consistent with MSI’s mission of advancing the rights of all firearms owners and your support is encouraged.
Maryland Shall Issue, Inc.1332 Cape Saint Claire Road #342
Annapolis, Maryland 21409
240-446-6782
About Maryland Shall Issue
Maryland Shall Issue is an all volunteer, non-partisan effort dedicated to the preservation and advancement of all gunowners’ rights in Maryland, with a primary goal of CCW reform to allow all law-abiding citizens the right to carry a concealed weapon; and to the education of the community to the awareness that ‘shall issue’ laws have, in all cases, resulted in decreased rates of violent crime.
