ANNAPOLIS, Md. — Maryland has new gun laws taking effect starting Sunday. State lawmakers celebrated passing Senate Bill 1 on the last day of the April 2023 session, which was a series of limitations on where people could legally go with concealed firearms.
"Studies show that more guns everywhere don't make us safer, if that was the case, we'd be the safest country in the world because we have more guns per capita than any other country," said Moms Demand Action's Melissa Ladd in response to the bill passing.
But opponents of the bill filed a lawsuit before new gun laws went into effect Sunday.
"There's going to be a lot more environments where good guys and gals with firearms aren't going to be allowed to carry," said Republican State Senator Michael McKay during a legislative debate.
A federal judge on Friday temporarily paused some of the bill from going into effect, believing opponents would likely be successful in overturning it. Here's an up-to-date rundown of where firearms are now forbidden:
- You can no longer carry guns into any Maryland school, or health care facility, or museum, or park, stadium, or casino.
But a federal judge rejected Maryland's attempt to ban guns within 1,000 feet of any public demonstration. That federal judge also rejected Maryland's attempt to ban carrying guns at any place that sells alcohol. The most controversial of attempts was this: Maryland lawmakers tried to ban bringing in a gun to any business that didn't post a sign explicitly allowing guns inside. The federal judge rejected that because he wasn't convinced of the state's argument.
That's because Maryland cited a 1715 colonial law. It imposed criminal penalties against anyone of "evil fame, or dissolute liver, seen to carry a gun upon any person's land without the owners leave."
The Maryland Attorney General's office wrote in a statement: “We are pleased that the court upheld many of S.B 1’s common-sense provisions aimed at keeping Marylanders safe from the scourge of gun violence. The Office of the Attorney General will continue to vigorously defend all provisions of S.B. 1.”
Opponents of the bill tell us they will decide within two weeks whether to press a judge to lift more firearm restrictions.