From 2019 to 2020, the number of approved applications for Maryland civilians licensed to buy or own a regulated firearm more than doubled, according to data obtained from a public records request.
In 2019, 47,093 total requests were approved for civilians in the state, while that number rose to 95,502 in 2020, an increase of more than 100 percent.
Capital News Service – Law enforcement agencies in Maryland could be limited from obtaining certain military equipment via a federal surplus program under a bill that passed the state Senate last week.
SB0599, with sponsors Sen. William C. Smith Jr., D-Montgomery, and Sen. Chris West, R-Baltimore, is one legislative piece of the Maryland Police Accountability Act of 2021, which has been a key focus throughout the Maryland General Assembly this session.
Capital News Service – College athletes could be allowed to profit off of their name, image and likeness, and would be better protected under a bill that passed the Maryland House of Delegates this week.
HB0125 and its cross-file, SB0439, with sponsors Del. Brooke E. Lierman, D-Baltimore, Sen. Justin Ready, R-Carroll and Sen. Chris West, R-Baltimore County, are part of a growing conversation nationally surrounding the economic, mental and physical well-being of college athletes.
Capital News Service – Legislation in Maryland could allow senior athletes at public high schools to play sports the year after they graduate, to make up for the challenges and unusual circumstances of the coronavirus pandemic.
Capital News Service – Maryland legislators introduced a pair of bills that could mandate police, judges, state’s attorneys and public defenders undergo implicit bias training in order to recognize and counteract any potential biases they may carry against specific groups.
Implicit bias is the attitudes, or stereotypes that may unconsciously affect someone’s actions and decisions toward a person or group of people.
“I think we can all agree that anyone with a strong recognizable bias against a certain group, might not be the best protector of that group,” Del. Melissa Wells, D-Baltimore said at a Tuesday House Judiciary Committee hearing.
Capital News Service – Maryland legislators introduced a bill that would allow localities throughout the state to place more stringent restrictions on the sale and distribution of cigarettes and other tobacco products.
A bill in the Maryland General Assembly would revise police use of force requirements in the state — part of a growing initiative surrounding police reform nationally.
Capital News Service – Maryland legislators have introduced a bill that could allow public access to police officers’ disciplinary records.
HB0120, the reintroduction of Anton’s Law, sponsored by Del. Gabriel Acevero, D-Montgomery and Del. Erek L. Barron, D-Prince George’s, aims to increase the transparency associated with police misconduct investigations, allowing the public to better understand how complaints against police are carried out.
Capital News Service – Maryland police officers who are dealing with stressors — such as family issues, substance abuse or mass protests — will have access to confidential mental health aid under a bill progressing in the state legislature.
The Police Officers Mental Health Employee Assistance Program, sponsored by Del. Benjamin Brooks, D-Baltimore County, and Sen. Mary Washington, D-Baltimore, would require each law enforcement agency to provide its officers with access to an employee assistance or mental health program at a minimal cost to the officer.
