State preemption, would make all jurisdictions, like baltimore and ocean city conform to state knife laws. this is a good bill. the hearing is this tuesday 3/1.
Please share the following letter from the Chairman of Knife Rights and testify Tuesday 3/1/16 regarding the Senate knife law preemption bill linked below.
http://mgaleg.maryland.gov/webmga/frmMain.aspx?pid=billpage&stab=01&id=sb0653&tab=subject3&ys=2016RS
Knife Rights: Knife Law Preemption
Over the years many local governments have enacted ordinances and laws banning the possession, use, and manufacture of certain types of knives. These laws are often more restrictive that state law. These include knives that the average person would consider perfectly legal and many knives that are named, but which are not defined in the law. In some instances cities, towns, counties and other political subdivisions have kept laws on the books referring to the possession of knives that seemingly defy definition like “dirk," "dagger," "Bowie," and "stiletto” or which arbitrarily limit the length of certain type knives.
These terms have been on the books for many years and were largely ignored. Today we are increasingly finding jurisdictions that use these definitions to define any knife they, or a particular law enforcement officer on the beat, simply don’t like. They make an arrest for possession and then let the judge sort it out causing the defendant legal problems, significant expense and contributing to the backlog in our courts. Poorly thought-out or biased judicial determinations referencing these undefined knife types often create legally difficult precedents and serious problems for knife owners. Those arrested for violating local knife ordinances are disproportionately lower income and minorities.
It should be noted according to authorities, that the vast majority of crimes committed with a knife are committed with common kitchen knives, which nobody suggests should be banned or regulated.
Knife Law Preemption repeals and prevents local ordinances more restrictive than state law which only serve to confuse or entrap law-abiding citizens traveling within or through the state. Preemption ensures citizens can expect consistent enforcement of state knife laws everywhere in a state.
Firearms preemption is the law in 48 states. These laws preempt the ordinances and laws of local jurisdictions making the state the sole authority on gun laws.
The same must be done for knife laws. Knife Rights passed the nation's first Knife Law Preemption bill in Arizona in 2010 and has since passed preemption bills in Alaska, Georgia, Kansas, New Hampshire, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, Utah and Wisconsin.
Knife law preemption is needed in all 50 states to protect law abiding knife owners from inadvertently violating some obscure local knife law and causing themselves a mountain of legal headaches.
Contact: Doug Ritter
Knife Rights Chairman
Email: DRitter@KnifeRights.org
Please share the following letter from the Chairman of Knife Rights and testify Tuesday 3/1/16 regarding the Senate knife law preemption bill linked below.
http://mgaleg.maryland.gov/webmga/frmMain.aspx?pid=billpage&stab=01&id=sb0653&tab=subject3&ys=2016RS
Knife Rights: Knife Law Preemption
Over the years many local governments have enacted ordinances and laws banning the possession, use, and manufacture of certain types of knives. These laws are often more restrictive that state law. These include knives that the average person would consider perfectly legal and many knives that are named, but which are not defined in the law. In some instances cities, towns, counties and other political subdivisions have kept laws on the books referring to the possession of knives that seemingly defy definition like “dirk," "dagger," "Bowie," and "stiletto” or which arbitrarily limit the length of certain type knives.
These terms have been on the books for many years and were largely ignored. Today we are increasingly finding jurisdictions that use these definitions to define any knife they, or a particular law enforcement officer on the beat, simply don’t like. They make an arrest for possession and then let the judge sort it out causing the defendant legal problems, significant expense and contributing to the backlog in our courts. Poorly thought-out or biased judicial determinations referencing these undefined knife types often create legally difficult precedents and serious problems for knife owners. Those arrested for violating local knife ordinances are disproportionately lower income and minorities.
It should be noted according to authorities, that the vast majority of crimes committed with a knife are committed with common kitchen knives, which nobody suggests should be banned or regulated.
Knife Law Preemption repeals and prevents local ordinances more restrictive than state law which only serve to confuse or entrap law-abiding citizens traveling within or through the state. Preemption ensures citizens can expect consistent enforcement of state knife laws everywhere in a state.
Firearms preemption is the law in 48 states. These laws preempt the ordinances and laws of local jurisdictions making the state the sole authority on gun laws.
The same must be done for knife laws. Knife Rights passed the nation's first Knife Law Preemption bill in Arizona in 2010 and has since passed preemption bills in Alaska, Georgia, Kansas, New Hampshire, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, Utah and Wisconsin.
Knife law preemption is needed in all 50 states to protect law abiding knife owners from inadvertently violating some obscure local knife law and causing themselves a mountain of legal headaches.
Contact: Doug Ritter
Knife Rights Chairman
Email: DRitter@KnifeRights.org
