Maryland defied the Supreme Court. FPC is going to make them answer for it.
What: Firearms Policy Coalition (FPC) petitioned the United States Supreme Court in Novotny v. Moore, seeking to strike down provisions of Maryland’s Gun Safety Act of 2023 (Senate Bill 1, 2023 Reg. Sess.), which imposed new bans on the constitutionally protected right to carry firearms in public. The district court previously ruled that parts of the challenged laws were unconstitutional, followed by the Fourth Circuit wrongly ruling that all provisions but the state’s “Vampire Rule” are constitutional.
Who: The plaintiffs challenging the ban include three FPC members, Maryland Shall Issue, and the Second Amendment Foundation. The plaintiffs are represented by David H. Thompson, Peter A. Patterson, and William V. Bergstrom of Cooper & Kirk, PLLC, along with Mark W. Pennak.
When: The petition was filed on May 20, 2026, with the government’s response to be due one month after it is docketed at the court.
Where: The petition was filed at the Supreme Court of the United States in Washington, D.C., and a decision in this case would affect the entire country.
Why: Maryland’s public carry bans unconstitutionally deprive individuals of the right to keep and bear arms in what are indisputably public places where the need for self-defense may arise. The bans clearly contradict the Supreme Court’s holding in Bruen by attempting to declare nearly every public location a “sensitive place” where guns can be banned.
Quote: “When the Supreme Court held that states must issue carry licenses, Maryland simply banned carry everywhere people actually go instead. Same result, different method. That’s not following the law-that’s open defiance of the Supreme Court, and we’re going to make them answer for it. We will end these carry bans in Maryland and throughout the United States.” -Brandon Combs, President, Firearms Policy Coalition
About Firearms Policy Coalition
Firearms Policy Coalition (FPC) is a nonprofit membership organization that exists to create a world of maximal individual liberty and eliminate unconstitutional gun control laws. FPC works—and wins—for the People through high-impact strategic litigation, groundbreaking research, legislative and regulatory advocacy, grassroots activism, education, and public engagement. FPC’s legal division, FPC Law, is the nation’s leading initiative dedicated to restoring the right to keep and bear arms across the United States. To learn more about how FPC is working—and winning—for the People, sign up for FPC news alerts at firearmspolicy.org and follow FPC on X, Instagram, and Facebook.
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