Hartford County Close To Legalizing Stun Guns and TASERs

Big doings in Hartford County, one of only a few districts in Maryland that continue to ban stun guns in a state where ownership is legal. The matter has been taken up by the Hartford City council. Councilman Jim McMahan is sponsoring the bill.

The original 1985 bill that made stun guns illegal was initiated by a city of Baltimore councilman who sought to enforce a the ban in the city and surrounding jurisdictions. It was an attempt to ban people from bringing in stun guns to Baltimore city. That statute is being attacked as a violation of the second amendment.

In 2009, the state of Maryland passed a bill legalizing the adult possession of stun guns and TASERs. The new bill would allow residents in Hartford County to own and use stun guns as a means of self-protection.  

Todd Fisher, of Forest Hill, was alone in seeking new legislation to overturn the 1985 ban.

"While Maryland politicians continue to pretend this is not so, the right to self-defense does exist in our once-free state," he said. "Maryland continues to withhold this right to bear arms as if it were a mere privilege to be granted by the state."

Jim McMahan says that the 1985 bill has only put more restrictions on good people. With the legalization, "homeowners will also be able to get personal devices to protect against home invasions and assaults."

If the bill passes, that would leave only Baltimore County, Baltimore and Annapolis banning the devices. McMahan told Councilwoman Mary Ann Lisanti that no one in Hartford has been arrested in recent years for having a stun gun.

Read more: http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/harford/belair/ph-ag-county-council-0319-20140318,0,7514566.story#ixzz2yaMzQMYd