RICHMOND, VA – Today, Firearms Policy Coalition (FPC) announced the filing of an important appellate brief, joined by FPC Action Foundation and Independence Institute, in Maryland Shall Issue v. Hogan, a case that challenges Maryland’s gun licensing and training requirements. The brief can be viewed atFPCLegal.org.
“No law during the colonial, founding, or early republic periods required any American citizen to obtain a license before possessing a firearm,” argues the brief. “Only overtly racist licensing laws existed, which targeted slaves, free African Americans, and Indians—all of whom were denied Second Amendment protections. These discriminatory laws do not justify Maryland’s licensing law, and to the contrary, reveal its unconstitutionality.”
“Under the standard for applying the Second Amendment recently articulated by the Supreme Court, this case is straightforward,” said FPC Law’s Director of Constitutional Studies and brief author, Joseph Greenlee. “Because Maryland’s licensing and training requirements burden Second Amendment rights and are inconsistent with America’s tradition of firearm regulation, they are unconstitutional. We’re hopeful that the Fourth Circuit will reverse the district court’s judgment and strike down these unnecessary and unduly burdensome impediments to the right to keep and bear arms.”
Individuals who would like to Join the FPC Grassroots Army and support important pro-rights lawsuits and programs can sign up at JoinFPC.org. Individuals and organizations wanting to support charitable efforts in support of the restoration of Second Amendment and other natural rights can also make a tax-deductible donation to theFPC Action Foundation. For more on FPC’s lawsuits and other pro-Second Amendment initiatives, visit FPCLegal.org and follow FPC on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube.
