URGENT Maryland ACTION ALERT - CALL or WRITE TODAY!

[Critter]

[Post in general approved by Spark]

Knife Rights' bipartisan Maryland Knife Law Preemption bill, SB 653 has been scheduled for a hearing in the Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee on Tuesday, March 1 at or after 1:00 PM.

If you live, work or travel in Maryland, please CALL or EMAIL the Committee Members TODAY and ask them to please vote Yes on SB 653. That's all you need to do, keep it simple and polite. If you would like to show up and testify in support of the bill, we'd love to see you there. Anyone wishing to testify must sign the witness register before 12:30 PM. on Mar. 1

CONTACTS for the Judicial Proceedings Committee after the break.

Emails: bobby.zirkin@senate.state.md.us, lisa.gladden@senate.state.md.us, jim.brochin@senate.state.md.us, bob.cassilly@senate.state.md.us, michael.hough@senate.state.md.us, susan.lee@senate.state.md.us, anthony.muse@senate.state.md.us, wayne.norman@senate.state.md.us, victor.ramirez@senate.state.md.us, jamie.raskin@senate.state.md.us, justin.ready@senate.state.md.us

Senator Bobby A. Zirkin (Chair) bobby.zirkin@senate.state.md.us
Phone: 410-841-3131 | 301-858-3131 | Toll-free in MD: 1-800-492-7122 ext. 3131

Senator Lisa A. Gladden (Vice Chair) lisa.gladden@senate.state.md.us
Phone: 410-841-3697 | 301-858-3697 | Toll-free in MD: 1-800-492-7122 ext. 3697

Senator James Brochin jim.brochin@senate.state.md.us
Phone: 410-841-3648 | 301-858-3648 | Toll-free in MD: 1-800-492-7122 ext. 3648

Senator Robert Cassilly bob.cassilly@senate.state.md.us
Phone: 410-841-3158 | 301-858-3158 | Toll-free in MD: 1-800-492-7122 ext. 3158

Senator Michael J. Hough michael.hough@senate.state.md.us
Phone: 410-841-3704 | 301-858-3704 | Toll-free in MD: 1-800-492-7122 ext. 3704

Senator Susan C. Lee susan.lee@senate.state.md.us
Phone: 410-841-3124 | 301-858-3124 | Toll-free in MD: 1-800-492-7122 ext. 3124

Senator C. Anthony Muse anthony.muse@senate.state.md.us
Phone: 410-841-3092 | 301-858-3092 | Toll-free in MD: 1-800-492-7122 ext. 3092

Senator Wayne Norman (Bill Sponsor) wayne.norman@senate.state.md.us
Phone: 410-841-3603 | 301-858-3603 | Toll-free in MD: 1-800-492-7122 ext. 3603

Senator Victor R. Ramirez victor.ramirez@senate.state.md.us
Phone: 410-841-3745 | 301-858-3745 | Toll-free in MD: 1-800-492-7122 ext. 3745

Senator Jamie Raskin jamie.raskin@senate.state.md.us
Phone: 410-841-3634 | 301-858-3634 | Toll-free in MD: 1-800-492-7122 ext. 3634

Senator Justin Ready justin.ready@senate.state.md.us
Phone: 410-841-3683 | 301-858-3683 | Toll-free in MD: 1-800-492-7122 ext. 3683

Last year's tragic Freddie Gray arrest highlighted the kind of problems that arise without preemption. Under Maryland law, Freddie Gray's assisted-opening knife was clearly not a switchblade by standard legal definitions. Even if it was, switchblades are legal to open carry in Maryland and from the arresting officer's account the knife and clip were clearly visible. However, Baltimore has both a complete prohibition of "switch-blade knives" and a unique and unusual definition of a switchblade that might conceivably include Gray's assisted-opening knife, although we would contend that it does not. In any case, if knife law preemption had been the law in Maryland, then only state law would count and there clearly would have been no knife law violation upon which to arrest Gray. (Click for more details on the Freddie Gray knife, his arrest on the switchblade charge and Baltimore's switchblade law.)

Not to be outdone by Baltimore, Ocean City, Maryland, is ranked third in our listing of the 10 Worst Anti-Knife Cities in America. They made news in 2014 by specifically outlawing assisted-opening knives via an emergency ordinance that in a classic Catch-22 also made it illegal to even dispose of one if you were unfortunate enough to own one of the newly made illegal knives in the city at the time.

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.

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.

Be the first to know. Get the latest Knife Rights updates:





And, sign up for our FREE News Slice™ Newsletter for more news you need to know.



Knife Rights is making a difference!
Invest a modest sum in a Sharper Future™ to protect your tools and rights.
JOIN KNIFE RIGHTS TODAY!

​

 

[Happy Hunting]

Might be able to help with this... local and involved, but on the House side.

 

[Critter]

Might be able to help with this... local and involved, but on the House side.

Thanks! We can certainly use all the help we can get!

 

[SW-EDC]

As Liberal as California is, our knife laws are fairly decent.

 

[Happy Hunting]

http://mgahouse.maryland.gov/mga/play/15e8a214-ff30-457d-a0b5-322f889f1b0f/?catalog/03e481c7-8a42-4438-a7da-93ff74bdaa4c&playfrom=27391000

This is a link to the short discussion on the knife bill followed by testimony from Doug Ritter of Knife Rights.
Sen. Raskin: "I've heard of civil rights... I've heard of human rights... But I've not heard of knife rights."
There was no opposition, and no trying questions, but that was mostly due to the fact that almost everybody was gone as it was lllaaaaaaaate.

 

[mauser9]

Whats with Maryland. I hear the gun laws really stink too. Gettin as bad as Ma. N.J. and Conn. Just because of one incident they try to ban a lousy knife.

 

[Critter]

http://mgahouse.maryland.gov/mga/play/15e8a214-ff30-457d-a0b5-322f889f1b0f/?catalog/03e481c7-8a42-4438-a7da-93ff74bdaa4c&playfrom=27391000

This is a link to the short discussion on the knife bill followed by testimony from Doug Ritter of Knife Rights.
Sen. Raskin: "I've heard of civil rights... I've heard of human rights... But I've not heard of knife rights."
There was no opposition, and no trying questions, but that was mostly due to the fact that almost everybody was gone as it was lllaaaaaaaate.

It was after 9:00 PM before we got to our bill. And, I had to catch a 5:20 AM flight this morning. UGH! We will be now lobbying to get the bill actually voted on.

 

[mqqn]

Thanks for your efforts, Doug!

best

mqqn

 

[arskrg]

Wish I'd seen this sooner

 

[Happy Hunting]

This was a pro-knife bill that stops cities/counties from enacting any laws more strict than state law.

And yes, the gun laws are ridiculous. I haven't bought anything since October 2013 so everything is grandfathered. I highly doubt the name-ban is keeping anything off the streets as a 6920 has looked the same for 15 years.

This "may-issue" unconstitutional BS is what I'd like to change the most.

 

[jackknife]

This is just one of the reasons that we sold our house and moved to Texas this past October. I may have grown up in Maryland, but it's turned into such a socialist state that I sure ain't gonna die there. Now I'm in Texas and can actually practice ALL of my second amendment rights!!