Maryland House Republicans call on Justice Department to review "Glock ban" law before it goes into effect
Maryland House Republicans are urging the Department of Justice to review the state's "Glock ban" law before it goes into effect on Jan. 1, 2027.
The law would prohibit the manufacturing, selling, buying or receiving of Glocks that can be converted into semi-automatic weapons with an attachment.
WJZ has reached out to the governor's office for comment.
Republicans request DoJ review
Members of the Maryland House Republican Caucus sent a letter to the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division, requesting they review the law for Second Amendment violations.
"This bill, passed by the Maryland General Assembly during the 2026 Legislative session, brings similar concerns of constitutionality and potential violations of the Second Amendment rights of Marylanders," the lawmakers said in their letter.
The letter comes after the Department of Justice sent a warning to the state of California about potential legal action regarding a similar law that goes into effect on July 1, the lawmakers said.
"As written, SB 334 imposes significant restrictions on widely owned firearms possessed by thousands of law-abiding Marylanders," the lawmakers wrote. "The bill also gives the Department of State Police broad authority to determine which firearms are banned, without clear standards or legislative oversight, creating uncertainty for lawful firearm owners and businesses."
"Like California's ban, we do not believe the Maryland ban will withstand constitutional scrutiny," the letter continued.
NRA lawsuit
In May, the National Rifle Association (NRA), Firearms Policy Coalition and Second Amendment Foundation filed a lawsuit alleging the law is unconstitutional.
"In effect, the law bans nearly every Glock and Glock-style pistol on the market," the NRA said.
The lawsuit cites a previous Washington, D.C. case in which the Supreme Court said that common firearms cannot be banned.
"Maryland's prohibition on many of the most popular handguns in America blatantly defies the court's precedent," the NRA said.
In a statement shared with WJZ about the lawsuit, the governor's office said, "This law is focused on public safety and gives Maryland State Police a clear process to identify firearms that can be readily converted into fully automatic weapons, while maintaining commonsense exceptions for law enforcement and other lawful uses. The Governor will always defend Maryland's right to pass laws that keep our communities safe."
