Gov. Wes Moore (D) is said to be “considering all options” following a ruling by a federal judge in Maryland that struck down portions of the Gun Safety Act of 2023. File photo by Bryan P. Sears
Maryland’s top elected official is “considering all options” following a ruling last week by a federal judge that struck down parts of a 2023 firearms law.
That law, passed in response to the U.S. Supreme Court U.S. Supreme Court’s June 2022 decision in New York State Rifle and Pistol Association v. Bruen, set limits on where firearms could be legally carried. The bill was challenged in court the same day that it was signed into law by Gov. Wes Moore (D).
The landmark Bruen ruling by the nation’s highest court imposed a new standard for determining the constitutionality of firearms laws and regulations. The conservative court majority opined that all such decisions should be viewed through a historical lens, taking into account a “historical analogue” to laws in place in 1791.
The ruling ultimately overturned Maryland’s longstanding and controversial concealed carry laws, which required applicants to provide a “good and substantial reason” before being issued a permit. The policy effectively blocked the majority of Maryland residents who were otherwise legally permitted to purchase and own a firearm under state and federal law from receiving a concealed-carry permit.