“Dangerous & Misguided Decision”: Maryland Democrats Angered By Federal Court Overturning Handgun Licensing Law | ZeroHedge

Democratic lawmakers in Maryland expressed discontent following a decision by a federal appeals court to overturn a firearm regulation in the progressive state, which mandated that residents must acquire a license before purchasing a handgun.

In a 2-1 ruling, a panel of the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that Maryland lawmakers can no longer pile on additional regulations for purchasing handguns. The court said the law was unenforceable following the pro-2A ruling in the Supreme Court last year. 

Circuit Judge Julius N. Richardson wrote in an opinion with Judge G. Steven Agee, "The challenged law restricts the ability of law-abiding adult citizens to possess handguns, and the state has not presented a historical analogue that justifies its restriction; indeed, it has seemingly admitted that it couldn't find one." 

The judges continued, "Under the Supreme Court's new burden-shifting test for these claims, Maryland's law thus fails, and we must enjoin its enforcement."

They said the Supreme Court's 2022 ruling in the case New York State Rifle & Pistol Association v. Bruen has led to a "sea change in Second Amendment law."

Firearms blog website Bearing Arms provided a summary of just how complex Maryland Democrats have made it for law-abiding taxpayers to purchase a pistol for self-defense: 

How absurd? Democrats have imposed some of the strictest gun restrictions in the country while failing to enforce 'common sense' law and order in metro areas like Baltimore City as violent crime spreads to surrounding counties. 

Meanwhile, local media outlet The Baltimore Banner received a statement from Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, a Democrat, who was truly disappointed in the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals' decision: 

Moore said his team would "continue to fight for this law." The state could appeal the case to the Supreme Court. 

The media outlet, of course, reached out for comment to anti-gunner Everytown for Gun Safety, who called the ruling a "dangerous and misguided decision." 

"Requiring handgun purchasers to pass a background check and undergo gun safety training prior to purchasing a gun is not only common sense, it is entirely consistent with the Second Amendment and the new test established by the Bruen decision," William Taylor, a deputy director with Everytown Law, said in a statement.

It should also be noted that billionaire Michael Bloomberg funds Everytown with the goal of disarming America. 

"Today's decision is crazy," Senate President Bill Ferguson, a Baltimore Democrat, said in a statement.

Crazy, how? Throwing up barriers to deter law-abiding folks from owning guns while Democrats fail to enforce law and order is crazy. People want to defend themselves from the chaos in Democrat cities. 

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