As if Maryland didn’t already suck enough as a place to live if you’re a gun owner, it looks like Delegate Terri Hill (you guessed it, a Democrat, from of all places, crime-riddled Howard County) wants to make it even worse for her constituents who only want to protect themselves. According to Fox News, Hill has proposed a bill that would require gun owners who wish to secure a concealed carry permit, to also buy at least $300,000 in liability insurance in order to do so.
The report lays out the following:
Gun owners in Maryland would be required to buy at least $300,000 in liability insurance or forfeit their ability to carry a firearm under a new bill.
The controversial legislation, introduced by Delegate Terri Hill, D-Howard County, would prohibit the “wear or carry” of a gun anywhere in the state unless the individual has obtained a liability insurance policy of at least $300,000.
“A person may not wear or carry a firearm unless the person has obtained it and is covered by liability insurance issued by an insurer authorized to do business in the State under the Insurance Article to cover claims for property damage, bodily injury, or death arising from an accident resulting from the person’s use or storage of a firearm or up to $300,000 for damages arising from the same incident, in addition to interest and costs,” the proposed Maryland legislation said.
Law enforcement and military would be exempt, as would anyone transporting an unloaded firearm.
Hill, used the favorite Democratic Party, anti-gunner buzzwords “common sense” to mask the lack of understanding she has for her own proposal when she told Fox 45 News in an interview the bill was “an attempt to pass ‘common sense’ gun control.”
More from Fox:
She told the local outlet that the idea came after talking to a concerned constituent who said that gun owners should “bear some liability in cases where there is damage because of guns being used in ways that cause harm.”
Hill demonstrates her ignorance of what she is actually proposing since the “gun owners” who create “damage” and use guns “in ways that cause harm” are most often criminals, who rob, attack and shoot people. These are already crimes, many times perpetrated by people who already aren’t legally allowed to carry firearms or are illegally doing so, so it is doubtful they will also go out and buy insurance policies to cover their crimes.
As for concerns of negligent or accidental discharges, there is no evidence there is a wave of those that would constitute a need for such a law nor did the Fox News article address that. But hey, TTAG will look into it.
Frank Duffy, identified as a gun advocate in the Fox News article echoed what most gun owners already know, “the legislation is yet another effort to hinder individuals from carrying their firearms.” Which will only make Marylanders less safe, not more so.