On Saturday, March 28, Senate Bill 267 and Senate Bill 268 passed the full Senate by a vote of 31-16. The bills now head to the desk of Governor Martin O’Malley (D) for his expected signature.
SB267 and SB268 require the subject of a final or temporary protective order to surrender his or her 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.
State Senator Alex Mooney (R-3) introduced an amendment to SB267 but it was defeated by a 17-29 vote. The amendment would have allowed 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 was a step in the right direction toward ensuring that all law-abiding Marylanders could exercise the Right-to-Carry for self-defense.
Domestic abuse is tragic and deplorable, but SB267 and SB268 deny due process to those who have not been convicted of a crime.
Please contact Governor O’Malley today and respectfully voice your concerns about SB267 and SB268. The Governor can be reached by phone at (410) 974-3901 or toll-free at 1-800-811-8336. To email the Governor, please visit http://www.governor.maryland.gov/mail/.
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