***CALL TO ACTION***
Maryland Handgun Permit Review Board under Attack by Maryland's Progressive Democrats
HPRB Bill Hearings
Senate Bill 1000 (Senator Beidle) - Senate Executive Nominations Committee, March 8, 2019 @ 0900
House Bill 1343 (Delegate Atterbeary) - House Judiciary Committee, March 12, 2019 @ 1300
In 2016, as a part of the Justice Reinvestment Act, Maryland created a Justice Reinvestment Advisory Board with representatives from various government and citizen groups to serve as an independent check and balance on issues related to correctional detainment activities within Maryland.
In 1999, the City of Baltimore was directed, by Maryland statute, to create the Civilian Review Board to allow citizen oversight of the Baltimore Police Department, with local representation from each Police District mandated under law.
In 1998, following compliance requirements under Federal Law, the Citizens Review Board for Children was formed to allow direct citizen participation in the oversight of the activities of the various child protection system elements within the various jurisdictions of Maryland.
Why do I write a historical precis? For purely partisan political reasons, the Maryland General Assembly has decided to attack, with the intention of disbanding, the Handgun Permit Review Board. This board, created by statute in 1972, has a 46 year history of reviewing Maryland State Police decisions concerning the issuance of handgun permits. The more recent iterations of the HPRB have been making decisions that are unpopular with the progressive leadership of the Maryland General Assembly because they have the audacity of holding the Maryland State Police Licensing Division to a plain interpretation of the actual statutory requirements for permit issuance. The progressive leadership refuses to admit that the Licensing Division is using arbitrary, capricious, and highly subjective standards that are not consistent across the application pool when deciding to whom to issue a permit and what restrictions, if any, are to be associated with the issuance.
The Maryland State Rifle and Pistol Association will stand, once again, in strong defense of Constitutional Rights in front of the General Assembly to ensure the voices of law-abiding firearms owners are represented. Please see our Legislation Tracker for ready reference to current bill status and our positions on the issues presented.
Very respectfully,
Michael J. Doherty
2nd Vice President – Legislative Affairs
Maryland Handgun Permit Review Board under Attack by Maryland's Progressive Democrats
HPRB Bill Hearings
Senate Bill 1000 (Senator Beidle) - Senate Executive Nominations Committee, March 8, 2019 @ 0900
House Bill 1343 (Delegate Atterbeary) - House Judiciary Committee, March 12, 2019 @ 1300
In 2016, as a part of the Justice Reinvestment Act, Maryland created a Justice Reinvestment Advisory Board with representatives from various government and citizen groups to serve as an independent check and balance on issues related to correctional detainment activities within Maryland.
In 1999, the City of Baltimore was directed, by Maryland statute, to create the Civilian Review Board to allow citizen oversight of the Baltimore Police Department, with local representation from each Police District mandated under law.
In 1998, following compliance requirements under Federal Law, the Citizens Review Board for Children was formed to allow direct citizen participation in the oversight of the activities of the various child protection system elements within the various jurisdictions of Maryland.
Why do I write a historical precis? For purely partisan political reasons, the Maryland General Assembly has decided to attack, with the intention of disbanding, the Handgun Permit Review Board. This board, created by statute in 1972, has a 46 year history of reviewing Maryland State Police decisions concerning the issuance of handgun permits. The more recent iterations of the HPRB have been making decisions that are unpopular with the progressive leadership of the Maryland General Assembly because they have the audacity of holding the Maryland State Police Licensing Division to a plain interpretation of the actual statutory requirements for permit issuance. The progressive leadership refuses to admit that the Licensing Division is using arbitrary, capricious, and highly subjective standards that are not consistent across the application pool when deciding to whom to issue a permit and what restrictions, if any, are to be associated with the issuance.
The Maryland State Rifle and Pistol Association will stand, once again, in strong defense of Constitutional Rights in front of the General Assembly to ensure the voices of law-abiding firearms owners are represented. Please see our Legislation Tracker for ready reference to current bill status and our positions on the issues presented.
Very respectfully,
Michael J. Doherty
2nd Vice President – Legislative Affairs