Both sides of the gun control debate do agree on at least one point.
Maryland?s Democratic-controlled General Assembly makes it an unlikely place for passage of a law that would allow residents to carry a concealed firearm as long as they don?t have a criminal record or history of mental illness.
Right-to-carry legislation, which has passed in 38 states, including Pennsylvania and Virginia, has been introduced in Maryland?s General Assembly almost every session for the past decade, but has not made it out of the judiciary committees, said John Josselyn, the legislative vice president for Associated Gun Clubs of Baltimore and gun advocate who frequently lobbies lawmakers to support right-to-carry.
“It probably won?t happen in my lifetime” not until the state legislature is more evenly split between Republicans and Democrats, said Josselyn, 57.
But he said he continues to push for right-to-carry because the “Constitution is forever.”
Maryland is one of 15 states to have a “may-issue” law, which means authorities can refuse to issue a permit even if the applicant meets all the state?s criteria.
Both sides cite statistics to support their positions, but conclusive studies remain elusive.
Right-to-carry advocates often point to research by John R. Lott Jr., author of “More Guns, Less Crime: Understanding Crime and Gun Control Laws,” who says states with the largest increases in gun ownership also have the greatest decreases in violent crimes.
But proponents of gun control also cite statistics, such as the more than 1,000 concealed weapon license holders who had their permits revoked in Florida from 1997 to 2000 for committing crimes after attaining their license to carry, according to the Florida Department of State, Division of Licensing.
“There are not many intensive studies that show one way or another,” said Brian Malte, legislative director for the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence.
Sam Hedenberg contributed to this story.
