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Maryland governor signs gun-control bills tightening requirements

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Maryland governor signs gun-control bills tightening requirements


ANNAPOLIS, Md. — Maryland Gov. Wes Moore signed gun-control measures into law on Tuesday, after lawmakers passed measures this year in response to a U.S. Supreme Court ruling.

The high court’s ruling in New York State Rifle and Pistol Association v. Bruen last year ended a requirement similar to a Maryland law for people to demonstrate a particular need to get a license to carry a concealed gun in public.

One of the measures Moore signed Tuesday removes the “good and substantial reason” language from Maryland law that the court found unconstitutional in the Bruen case. But the Maryland General Assembly, which is controlled by Democrats, also tightened gun laws to prevent someone from carrying a concealed handgun in certain areas.

“Gun violence is tearing apart the fabric of our communities, not just through mass shootings but through shootings that are happening in each of our communities far too often,” Moore, a Democrat, said at a bill-signing ceremony.

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Moore said the measures he signed into law demonstrate that the state won’t back down from the challenges of addressing gun violence plaguing the nation.

“In Maryland, we refuse to say these problems are too big or too tough,” Moore said. “We will act, and that’s exactly what today represents.”

One of the bills signed by the governor generally prohibits a person from wearing, carrying or transporting a gun in an “area for children or vulnerable adults,” like a school or health care facility. The new law, which takes effect Oct. 1, also prohibits a person from carrying a firearm in a “government or public infrastructure area,” or a “special purpose area,” which is defined as a place licensed to sell alcohol, cannabis, a stadium, museum, racetrack or casino.

The law also prohibits a person carrying a firearm from entering someone’s home or property, unless the owner has given permission. There are exemptions for law enforcement, security guards and members of the military.

Gun-rights activists already are planning to challenge the legislation in court.

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Mark Pennak, president of Maryland Shall Issue, said Tuesday a lawsuit is drafted and “ready to go.”

“It goes way too far,” Pennak said of the legislation.

A separate measure signed by the governor changes and expand requirements and procedures that relate to the issuance and renewal of a permit to wear, carry or transport a handgun.

While it repeals the “good and substantial reason” requirement struck down by the Supreme Court, it raises the age for qualifying for a handgun permit from 18 to 21, which has come under court challenge in other parts of the country.

It also prohibits a permit for someone who is on supervised probation for a crime punishable by up to one year or more in prison, a person convicted of driving while impaired or under the influence, and people who violate a protective order. People with a mental illness who have a history of violent behavior also would be prohibited from carrying a gun, as well as people who have been involuntarily admitted for more than 30 days to a mental health facility.

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The new law also makes changes to requirements for a firearms training course. For example, it specifies that 16 hours of in-person instruction for initial applications include laws relating to self-defense, safe storage and circumstances under which a person becomes prohibited from possessing a firearm.

The law increases the fee for an initial application for a handgun permit from $75 to $125. The fee for renewal or subsequent application for a handgun permit increases from $50 to $75, and a fee for a duplicate or modified handgun permit would go from $10 to $20.

The governor also signed into law another bill that strengthens storage requirements for firearms. Under the law, a person can’t store a loaded firearm in a place where the person knew or should have known that an unsupervised minor has access to a gun. It’s known as Jaelynn’s Law. The law is named after 16-year-old Jaelynn Willey, who was killed in 2018 at Great Mills High School by a 17-year-old student who used his father’s gun.



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Maryland

Student shot in Joppatowne, Maryland high school

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Student shot in Joppatowne, Maryland high school


One teen shot another during a dispute in a Maryland high school bathroom Friday in what authorities called an isolated incident.

The victim, a 15-year-old student at Joppatowne High School, was in serious condition after being airlifted to a hospital, the Harford County Public Schools said in a news release, citing information it received from the county sheriff’s department.

A 16-year-old student whom police identified as the shooter fled shortly afterward but was caught minutes later nearby, according to the news release. Officials said no information would be released immediately about the weapon, which had not been recovered.

The state’s attorney has said the suspect will be charged, the release said, citing Harford County Sheriff Jeff Gahler.

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Shortly after the shooting, the sheriff’s office asked people to avoid the area, but emphasized that the confrontation was an “isolated incident, not an active shooter.” A parent-student reunification center was established at a nearby church. More than 100 personnel responded to the high school about 20 miles (32 kilometers) northeast of Baltimore, Gahler said.

The fight happened two days after a shooter whom authorities identified as a 14-year-old student killed four people at a high school outside Atlanta. Wednesday’s attack renewed debate about safe storage laws for guns and had parents wondering how to talk to their children about school shootings and trauma.



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How to watch, listen and stream Michigan State football at Maryland on Saturday

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How to watch, listen and stream Michigan State football at Maryland on Saturday


Michigan State football heads out east looking to open Big Ten play with a big-time victory.

The Spartans will play at Maryland on Saturday afternoon in their first conference game of the year. Michigan State enters this matchup with a 1-0 record on the year following last week’s win over Florida Atlantic. Maryland is also 1-0 thus far on the season, picking up a blowout non-conference win over UConn last week.

Maryland enters this game as a more than touchdown favorite depending on the sports book. The Terps have won the last two meetings between these two schools.

Below are the details for Saturday’s matchup between the Spartans and Terps:

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Game time: 3:30 p.m. ET on September 7

Location: SECU Stadium (College Park, Md.)

TV: Big Ten Network

Live Stream: fuboTV (try it free)

Listen: Spartan Media Network or MSUSpartans.com

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Contact/Follow us @The SpartansWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Michigan state news, notes, and opinion. You can also follow Robert Bondy on Twitter @RobertBondy5.





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Partial victory in effort to preserve historic Black cemetery in Maryland

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Partial victory in effort to preserve historic Black cemetery in Maryland



Partial victory in effort to preserve historic Black cemetery in Maryland – NBC4 Washington







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