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NRA promptly sues Maryland over new gun control laws

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NRA promptly sues Maryland over new gun control laws


The National Rifle Association (NRA) promptly sued Maryland Gov. Wes Moore (D) on Tuesday, after he signed into law several new gun control measures.

The state arm of the NRA, the Maryland State Rifle & Pistol Association, alleged in the suit that the new laws violate the Second and Fourteenth Amendments by placing “unconstitutional restrictions” on where Maryland citizens can carry a gun outside the home and how they can obtain a carry permit.

The lawsuit is challenging Senate Bill 1 and House Bill 824, both of which were signed by Moore on Tuesday, as well as pre-existing Maryland state laws.

The Gun Safety Act of 2023, or Senate Bill 1, restricts people from carrying guns in and around schools, health care facilities, government buildings, universities and stadiums, among other areas, while House Bill 824 created some additional requirements for obtaining a carry permit.

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The NRA’s Institute for Legislative Action claimed in a press release on Tuesday that the measures make “carry[ing] illegal in so much of the state that a law-abiding individual cannot effectively carry for self-defense.”

The new measures come in the wake of the Supreme Court’s ruling last June in New York State Rifle & Pistol Association v. Bruen, which struck down a New York state law that required individuals to show “proper cause” to obtain a concealed carry permit.

Maryland had a similar requirement that individuals demonstrate a “good and substantial reason” for such a permit. However, the laws signed on Tuesday removed this language.

Moore touted the measures as “common sense gun safety legislation” after their signing.

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“The gun safety measures I signed into law today will help keep our communities safe from gun crimes, support [the Maryland State Police] Gun Center to track & trace firearms used in crimes, and help get guns off our streets,” he tweeted. “We are taking action to build a safer, brighter future for Maryland.”

Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.





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Maryland

Supreme Court takes up Maryland parents’ bid to opt kids out of lessons with LGBTQ books

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Supreme Court takes up Maryland parents’ bid to opt kids out of lessons with LGBTQ books


Washington — The Supreme Court on Friday agreed to take up a dispute over whether a Maryland school district violated parents’ religious rights when it declined to allow them to opt their elementary school children out of instruction involving storybooks about gender and sexuality.

The dispute centers around a decision by the Montgomery County School Board to end opt-out requests and notice requirements for the reading and discussion of storybooks that feature LGBTQ characters. The case sets up another clash involving LGBTQ rights and religious rights. It’s unclear whether the Supreme Court will hear arguments in its current term, which ends this summer, or its next term that will begin in October.

The books were approved for the Montgomery County Public Schools language-arts curriculum for the 2022-2023 school year as part of an effort to include new material that better represents the school district’s students and families, it said. Montgomery County is Maryland’s largest county and its school system serves more than 160,000 students.

Books introduced for students include titles like “Pride Puppy,” a picture book about a dog that gets lost at a Pride parade, and “Jacob’s Room to Choose,” about two transgender school-aged children.

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Lawyers for the school district said in court filings that the books “impart critical reading skills through engaging, age-appropriate stories,” and the district follows a “careful, public, participatory selection process” to ensure they meet that criteria. The books are made available for individual reading, classroom read-alouds and other educational activities, according to the school district.

After the books were introduced, some parents sought to have their children excused when they were read or discussed. Some of these so-called out-out requests were religious-based and others were not, according to court filings. Lawyers for the board said that while teachers and principals attempted to accommodate the requests, the number grew and raised concerns about student absenteeism, the feasibility of administering opt-outs throughout the district and the “risk of exposing students who believe the storybooks represent them and their families to social stigma and isolation.”

The district then announced in March 2023 that it wouldn’t allow opt-outs from language-arts instruction that involved the storybooks “for any reason.”

The decision sparked backlash from the community, and more than 1,000 parents signed a petition urging the board to reinstate their notice and opt-out requests. Hundreds also attended school board meetings and said they had religious obligations not to subject their children to gender and sexuality instruction that conflicted with their religious beliefs.

Following the school district’s announcement, in May 2023, three sets of parents sued the Montgomery County Board of Education, alleging their First Amendment and due process rights were violated. The lead challengers are Tamer Mahmoud and Enas Barakat, who are Muslim and have a son in elementary school. Also challenging the board’s move are Chris and Melissa Persak, who are Roman Catholic and have two elementary-age children, and Jeff and Svitlana Roman, who are Roman Catholic and Ukrainian Orthodox and have a son in elementary school.

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They sought a court order that would require notice and opt outs when the books were read or discussed. The parents argued their children’s exposure to the books “necessarily establishes the existence of a burden” on their right to freely exercise their religion.

A federal district court denied the request, and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit upheld the decision.

The divided three-judge panel found that there was no evidence at that time that the families were compelled to change their religious beliefs or conduct, or what they taught their children.

The parents then appealed to the Supreme Court, arguing that the 4th Circuit’s decision effectively requires parents to “surrender their right to direct the religious upbringing of their children by sending them to public schools.”

“Under the Fourth Circuit’s reasoning, parents cannot be heard until after the damage has been done to their children. But there is no unringing that bell — by then, innocence will be lost and beliefs undermined,” they wrote in a filing.

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But the school board urged the Supreme Court to turn away the case.

They said the parents “seek to unsettle a decades-old consensus that parents who choose to send their children to public school are not deprived of their right to freely exercise their religion simply because their children are exposed to curricular materials the parents find offensive.”

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Northwestern beats Maryland 76-74 on Nick Martinelli’s jumper just before the OT buzzer – WTOP News

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Northwestern beats Maryland 76-74 on Nick Martinelli’s jumper just before the OT buzzer – WTOP News


Nick Martinelli made a baseline jumper just before the overtime buzzer to help Northwestern snap a three-game losing streak with a 76-74 victory over Maryland on Thursday night.

Northwestern forward Nick Martinelli (2) celebrates with teammates after scoring the winning basket during overtime of an NCAA college basketball game against Maryland in Evanston, Ill., Thursday, Jan. 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)(AP/Nam Y. Huh)

EVANSTON, Ill. (AP) — Nick Martinelli made a baseline jumper just before the overtime buzzer to help Northwestern snap a three-game losing streak with a 76-74 victory over Maryland on Thursday night.

Northwestern led 64-56 with 4:43 left in regulation before Maryland closed on an 11-2 run, capped by Ja’Kobi Gillespie’s layup with 6.9 seconds left to tie it at 68-all. Northwestern guard Brooks Barnhizer had a layup hit off the back iron at the other end and Derik Queen secured the defensive rebound.

In overtime, Gillespie made a layup with 6.9 seconds left to tie it at 74-all and he poked it away from Ty Berry at the other end. The ball deflected off Maryland forward Julian Reese, giving Northwestern possession with 0.7 seconds left.

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Martinelli broke free on a screen and sank a runner in front of the Northwestern bench as his teammates came onto the court to celebrate.

Martinelli finished with 22 points for Northwestern (11-6, 2-4 Big Ten). Barnhizer had 20 points, 10 rebounds and five assists, and Berry scored 15.

Reese led Maryland (13-5, 3-4) with 23 points. Gillespie added 14, Rodney Rice had 13 and Queen grabbed 14 rebounds to go with nine points. The Terrapins were hurt by 16 turnovers.

There were 11 lead changes and nine ties in the first half that ended with Northwestern leading 38-37 after Martinelli beat the buzzer with a shot in the lane. The game finished with 16 ties and 15 lead changes.

Maryland hosts Nebraska on Sunday, while Northwestern plays at No. 20 Michigan.

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© 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, written or redistributed.



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Northwestern beats Maryland on Nick Martinelli's jumper just before the OT buzzer

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Northwestern beats Maryland on Nick Martinelli's jumper just before the OT buzzer


Nick Martinelli made a baseline jumper just before the overtime buzzer to help Northwestern snap a three-game losing streak with a 76-74 victory over Maryland on Thursday night at Welsh–Ryan Arena in Evanston.

Northwestern led 64-56 with 4:43 left in regulation before Maryland closed on an 11-2 run, capped by Ja’Kobi Gillespie’s layup with 6.9 seconds left to tie it at 68-all. Northwestern guard Brooks Barnhizer had a layup hit off the back iron at the other end and Derik Queen secured the defensive rebound.

In overtime, Gillespie made a layup with 6.9 seconds left to tie it at 74-all and he poked it away from Ty Berry at the other end. The ball deflected off Maryland forward Julian Reese, giving Northwestern possession with 0.7 seconds left.

Martinelli broke free on a screen and sank a runner in front of the Northwestern bench as his teammates came onto the court to celebrate.

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Martinelli finished with 22 points for Northwestern (11-6, 2-4 Big Ten). Barnhizer had 20 points, 10 rebounds and five assists, and Berry scored 15.

Reese led Maryland (13-5, 3-4) with 23 points. Gillespie added 14, Rodney Rice had 13 and Queen grabbed 14 rebounds to go with nine points. The Terrapins were hurt by 16 turnovers.

There were 11 lead changes and nine ties in the first half that ended with Northwestern leading 38-37 after Martinelli beat the buzzer with a shot in the lane. The game finished with 16 ties and 15 lead changes.





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