By Rose Horowitch
(Reuters) – Maryland Governor Larry Hogan loosened his state’s restrictions on carrying concealed firearms on Tuesday, citing the U.S. Supreme Court’s recent decision that allows people to carry handguns in public.
The Supreme Court’s newly assertive conservative majority struck down limits in New York state on carrying concealed handguns outside the home. Last week the court threw out other rulings that had upheld other restrictions in Maryland, New Jersey and California.
Lawmakers in New York have quickly moved to put other restrictions in place.
Hogan, a Republican who is seen as a possible 2024 presidential candidate, said those decisions require him to roll back permitting requirements in his state.
“It would be unconstitutional to continue enforcing this provision in state law,” he said in a statement.
Hogan said he has directed the state police to suspend the “good and substantial reason” provision for obtaining a concealed-carry permit, which requires that applicants present a legitimate reason to carry a gun in public, such as facing threats or being a law enforcement officer.
Hogan’s directive does not change other criteria, which bar people who have served more than a year in prison or those who are deemed a risk for violence or instability from receiving a permit. People between 18 and 21 may only receive a permit if required by employment.
Hogan’s announcement comes one day after a shooting at a Fourth of July parade killed six and injured dozens more in Highland Park, Ill.
(Reporting by Rose Horowitch; editing by Andy Sullivan, Alexandra Hudson)
