Maryland ‘ghost gun’ ban to become law without Gov. Larry Hogan's signature

Maryland bill looks to ban ghost guns

Montgomery County State's Attorney John McCarthy will testify before the Maryland senate Wednesday in support of a bill banning ghost guns. [ORIGINAL AIR DATE: FEB. 16, 2022]

MARYLAND (AP) - A Maryland measure to ban guns without serial numbers will go into effect without Gov. Larry Hogan’s signature, the governor announced Friday.

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The Republican governor made the announcement on the first of more than three dozen bills he is expected to make decisions about Friday. He has the options of signing the bills, vetoing them or letting them go into law without his signature.

Hogan said while he appreciated the work lawmakers did to ban so-called ‘ghost guns,’ the legislation doesn’t do anything to penalize people who actually use them in violent crimes. He urged lawmakers to pass crime-fighting measures he supports.

"It is my hope that in the last days of this session, the General Assembly will do the right thing and pass the Violent Firearms Offender Act, so that we can ensure those who use guns to commit violent and heinous crimes remain off of our streets and out of our communities," Hogan said in a news release.

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The measure banning untraceable firearms requires guns made after Oct. 22, 1968, to have serial numbers. Law enforcement officials have said the weapons, which are often purchased over the internet, have become more common in Maryland.