Moore ‘considering all options’ in ruling on 2023 gun law

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.

Judge says state cannot ban gun owners from carrying in bars, near demonstrations

U.S District Judge George L. Russell III  handed down an opinion Friday that voided portions of Maryland’s Gun Safety Act of 2023 while leaving intact other provisions.

Russell said the state could not ban guns in bars, on private property without the property owner’s permission, or within 1,000 feet of a public demonstration. But he ruled that the state can prohibit firearms in schools, state parks, government buildings and more.

Moore initially declined to comment on the case on Monday.

In a statement issued Tuesday, a spokesperson for the governor applauded Russell for preserving prohibitions on carrying weapons in some public spaces.

“The Gun Safety Act of 2023 demonstrates a common sense approach to gun safety and preventing harm. The Court did not disagree,” Carter Elliott, a Moore spokesperson, said in a brief email.

“Judge Russell’s ruling upheld the law’s approach to restricting the carrying of firearms in museums, healthcare facilities, state parks and forests, mass transit facilities, school grounds, government buildings, stadiums, racetracks, amusement parks, and casinos.”

The email went on to say that Moore has concerns about Russell striking down other parts of the law.

“The Moore-Miller Administration respectfully disagrees with the Court’s opinion that similar restrictions in the law for private buildings, public demonstrations and locations selling alcohol for onsite consumption should cease to exist, and is considering all options as the case continues through the judicial system that will prevent harm to Marylanders in these locations,” Elliott wrote in the email.