Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan (R) on Tuesday ordered his administration to relax the state’s licensing rules for carrying a concealed handgun, saying a recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling makes it unconstitutional to require applicants to show “good and substantial reason’ to seek it. a permit. In response to the high court’s June 23 ruling that makes it more difficult for governments to restrict the carrying of guns outside the home, Hogan ordered the Maryland State Police to immediately suspend the “substantial reason” provision in the gun rules. obtaining a concealed carry permit. Absent this rule, applicants could obtain concealed carry permits without citing personal circumstances that create an increased need for armed self-defense. In New York State Rifle & Pistol Association v. Bruen, The Supreme Court’s conservative 6-to-3 majority ruled that New York’s concealed-carry law — which required applicants to show “adequate cause” for needing the gun for self-defense — prevented people from exercising their rights under of the Second Amendment. “It would be unconstitutional to continue to impose this provision in state law,” Hogan said of Maryland’s “substantial speech” requirement. He said the rule is “virtually indistinguishable” from New York’s “good cause” provision, which the Supreme Court found flawed. The suspension of Maryland’s provision “is consistent with actions taken in other states in response to the recent ruling,” it said in a statement. Maryland lawmakers could change gun law after Supreme Court ruling About 39,000 concealed carry permits have been issued in Maryland. The Supreme Court ruling prompted New York Gov. Kathy Hotchul (D) to call a special legislative session in which lawmakers approved tough new restrictions on where guns can be carried concealed. In Maryland, Senate President Bill Ferguson (D-Baltimore City) said Tuesday that lawmakers in his state will consider similar legislation. “It makes me angry that we’re talking about people being able to walk around with guns on their hips and that’s how we should act in Maryland to try to reduce violence,” Ferguson said at a news conference on a different issue. “It’s crazy. It’s crazy. We have to follow the law — and we will — but we’re going to do whatever it takes to make sure Marylanders are safe.” He later promised in a statement that Maryland lawmakers “will pass legislation that upholds the new precedent set by this Supreme Court while ensuring reasonable restrictions to keep our families and communities safe.” Mark W. Pennak, president of the gun rights group Maryland Shall Issue, applauded Hogan’s “decision to comply with the Supreme Court’s decision in bruen,“, he says in a statement, “For the first time in decades, ordinary, responsible, law-abiding citizens in Maryland will have their Second Amendment right to self-defense outside the home respected.” Gun owners are suing DC, demanding they bring firearms on the subway Maryland House Speaker Adrienne A. Jones (D-Baltimore) tweeted: “Between now and January, the Maryland House of Representatives will consider every option to limit the proliferation of guns on the street. … More guns don’t make us safer.” Hogan spokesman Michael Ritchie said that on June 27, four days after the Supreme Court’s decision, the Maryland State Police sought guidance from state Attorney General Brian E. Frosch (D) on the legal implications. of the decision. On June 30, Ricci said, Frosh’s office notified state police that the “substantial reason” provision was unconstitutional. Under this rule, an applicant had to prove, for example, that he had been threatened and was in physical danger, or that he was running a business that could be robbed. Frosh’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment Tuesday. Hogan, who is term-limited governor and considering a run for president in 2024, has taken a cautious approach to gun policies during his tenure in Maryland, a state with some of the toughest gun laws. gun control in the country. This year, Hogan let the ghost gun ban become law without his signature. He has previously signed a ban on bump stocks and a “red flag” law that allows judges to confiscate firearms from people deemed a threat to themselves or others. He also vetoed an effort to limit who can get a concealed carry permit, rejecting a plan to let administrative judges decide who gets such permits.
