Schuette Lists MI in Brief Challenging Maryland Gun Law

Attorney General Bill Schuette has added Michigan to 19 other states in a brief challenging a Maryland gun control law that limits certain kinds of automatic weapons and the size of ammunition magazines. The legislation was passed after the 2012 mass murder of school children and teachers in Newtown, Connecticut. In a statement, Schuette says he believes the Maryland law “goes too far in restricting the types of weapons citizens may own.” The amicus brief is led by West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey. Michigan is one of the few non-southern, non-western states to join the brief. Among the weapons that would be essentially banned in Maryland is the AR-15, one of the more popular semi-automatic weapons. The law also says that magazines can only hold 10 rounds. A federal district court has upheld the law, rejecting a lawsuit filed by individuals and gun shops. The plaintiffs have filed an appeal, Maryland has not yet filed its response.