A growing revolt in rural counties against the state’s new gun control law has spread to far Western Maryland, where the Garrett County sheriff declared the measure unconstitutional this week and said he would enforce only the provisions he believes are valid.
The declaration by Sheriff Rob Corley follows the adoption of resolutions by the governing bodies of Carroll and Cecil counties saying those jurisdictions will not use any county resources to enforce the Maryland Firearms Safety Act, passed by the General Assembly this year and signed by Gov. Martin O’Malley in May.
Among other things, the law bans the sales of certain guns classified as assault weapons, limits the size of bullet-holding magazines and requires new handgun purchasers to be licensed and fingerprinted to deter illegal purchases.
Corley’s statement is a full-throated assertion of gun owners’ rights, declaring that the new state law “violates the Second Amendment to the Constitution” and the sheriff “will make every effort to protect our citizens’ constitutional rights.”
