Please Contact Your Delegate Today!

On Friday, March 6 the Maryland House Judiciary Committee approved three bills of interest to firearm owners.  These bills now head to the House floor for consideration. 

House Bill 296 and House Bill 302, both dealing with domestic violence and protection orders, were high priority items for Governor Martin O’Malley (D) and Lieutenant Governor Anthony Brown (D). 

These bills require subjects of final and temporary protective orders to surrender their firearms to law enforcement until the order expires. Unlike federal law, which allows a person to find other places to dispose of his firearms while an order is in effect, these bills would require law enforcement to seize someone’s firearms, even if the subject of the order had no opportunity to participate in the hearing.

Domestic abuse is tragic and deplorable.  These bills, however, deny due process to those who have not been convicted of a crime. Under this legislation, a victim of false allegations who had no opportunity to contest those charges in court cannot defend himself at home or simply possess his own guns for any other lawful purpose. Simply put, HB296 and HB302 trample upon Marylanders’ due process rights.

Also heading to the House floor is House Bill 359, sponsored by Delegate Tony McConkey (R-33A). This NRA-backed bill would allow an eligible citizen who has had a temporary or final protective order issued on their behalf to be issued a concealed handgun permit by the Secretary of State Police.  This is a step in the right direction toward ensuring that all law-abiding Marylanders can exercise the Right-to-Carry for self-defense.