Maryland, home to Baltimore, one of the most violent cities in the nation, has voted to eliminate the state's Handgun Permit Review Board last week. Republican Gov. Larry Hogan would still have to sign the bill, but he has taken no position on it yet.
Like most Restricted States, Maryland is considered a "may issue" state, allowing the state police to decide whether law-abiding citizens have a "good and substantial" reason to carry a firearm. Wanting to defend yourself and your family doesn't qualify.
The Baltimore Sun reports:
Since Hogan was elected and began appointing board members, the board has grown more permissive, routinely granting requests from gun owners to overturn permit denials or to remove restrictions, and its caseload has grown.
Of 269 cases the board reviewed from December 2017 through November 2018, the board reversed state police decisions 77 times and modified them 145 times. Combined, that’s a rate of overturning or modifying state police decisions 83 percent of the time.
Hundreds of gun owners now appeal their denials each year.
If the measure becomes law, and supporters say they have enough votes to overcome a Hogan veto, then unaccountable administrative law judges would hear appeals. Legislators believe that they will be more likely to side with the State Patrol and further restrict citizens 2nd Amendment rights.
As we've noted before, the criminals running riot in Baltimore will continue to carry guns no matter what the politicians do.
