WBAL-TB 11 Reporter: The NRA believes the law is unconstitutional. While Governor Westmore says it's needed. As Maryland takes an all of the above approach to combating gun violence.
Governer Wes Moore: We have to attack the issue of crime from every angle.
WBAL-TB 11 Reporter: At the seventh Bill signing of the Moore Miller administration, governor Westmore signed the Gun Safety Act of 2023, otherwise known as the state's conceal carry law. It prohibits a person from wearing, carrying, or transporting a gun onto certain property without the owner's permission, like schools, government buildings, and certain healthcare facilities.
Anthony Brown, Attorney General: With what the Supreme Court did recently in terms of the Bruin case, Maryland is staying at the front edge, the cutting edge of everything we can do to make sure that we're keeping guns in the hands of lawful gun owners and out of the hands of those who have no business owning guns In Maryland,
WBAL-TB 11 Reporter: Moments after the concealed carry expansion, bill was signed into law. The NRA announced its new lawsuit against the state. In a statement, an NRA spokesperson writes in part, Maryland previously had one of the most restrictive wear and carry permit schemes in the country. Now, in order to carry legally, Marylanders have to go through a process that's somehow more burdensome, lengthy, and expensive to get a permit, yet effectively doesn't allow them to carry anywhere in the state. The NRA is suing because this is illegal under the US Constitution, but it's also important to note these laws defy common sense. Baltimore City State's attorney Ivan Bates says since the general assembly passed the bill, 26 people have been killed in Baltimore. He says, the governor's signature on this bill is evidence that the surge in gun violence across the state is one of the most pressing issues for Maryland leadership, and that bill will now become law on October 1st.
Credit: WBAL-TV 11 Baltimore