ANNAPOLIS, Md. — A federal judge on Friday issued a preliminary injunction preventing portions of a newly passed state gun control law from going into effect.
The National Rifle Association Institute for Legislative Action sued the state of Maryland back in May after Governor Wes Moore signed Senate Bill 1 into law.
RELATED: NRA sues Maryland over newly passed gun control laws
Scheduled to become law on October 1, Senate Bill 1 carries tight restrictions on where citizens can possess a gun in public even with a valid carrier permit.
The following are places prohibited in the legislation.
- a preschool or prekindergarten facility
- a private primary or secondary school
- a youth camp
- a health care facility
- a location that is being used as a shelter for runaway youth
- a building owned or leased by a unit of State or local government
- a building of a public or private institution of higher education
- a location that is currently being used as a polling place or for canvassing ballots
- an electric plant or electric storage facility
- a location licensed to sell or dispense alcohol or cannabis for on-site consumption
- a stadium, racetrack or museum
- a location being used for an organized sporting or athletic activity, a live theater performance, a musical concert or performance for which members of the audience are required to pay or possess a ticket to be admitted, or a fair or carnival
- a video lottery facility
- within 100 yards of a place where a public gathering, a demonstration, or an event which requires a permit from the local governing body is being held, if signs posted by a law enforcement agency conspicuously and reasonably inform members of the public that the wearing, carrying, and transporting of firearms is prohibited.
The bill also places restrictions on carrying on privately owned property.
- A person wearing, carrying, or transporting a firearm may not enter or trespass on property that is posted conspicuously against wearing, carrying, or transporting a firearm on the property
- A person wearing, carrying, or transporting a firearm may not enter or trespass on property after having been notified by the owner or the owner’s agent that the person may not wear, carry, or transport a firearm on the property
- A person wearing, carrying, or transporting a firearm may not enter or trespass in the dwelling of another unless the other has given express permission, either to the person or to the public generally, to wear, carry, or transport a firearm inside the dwelling
Maryland Senate and House Republicans called the judge's decision a win.
“Today’s injunction is a win for public safety in Maryland. Maryland Democrats continue to pass unconstitutional laws to strip away the rights of law-abiding citizens while trying to pass it off as public safety legislation. Maryland citizens demand real legislative efforts to reduce crime. Democrat leadership needs to abandon their political agenda and focus on saving our crime-ridden cities by getting career killers and rapists off the streets.” said Senate Minority Leader Steve Hershey.
The Moore-Miller Administration statement:
“Today the court upheld many of Senate Bill 1’s common sense reforms that Governor Moore has advocated for in order to make communities in Maryland safer from the gun violence epidemic that has plagued this state for far too long.
The governor is committed to working vigorously with the state legislature, community leaders, and all advocates to continue to bring down the scourge of gun violence this state as seen.
As a father, and as the chief executive of this state, this is an issue that is of the utmost importance to the governor and he will continue to fight for the necessary measures to protect Maryland’s children and make this state safer for everyone.”
