The Maryland Legislature is trying to pass HB302. This bill will take away the ability of a private school administrator to decide their own school safety policies. This bill prohibits any person from carrying a firearm or other weapon on PRIVATE school property. The only exceptions are law enforcement and security guards hired by the school. This means that parents (or teachers, depending on the school's policy) will be criminals if they cross the threshold with any sort of weapon, including knives. Parents or staff will subject to a 3 year jail sentence for this offense.

We are most concerned that this bill will prohibit responsible parents who have Maryland concealed carry permits. Obtaining a Maryland carry permit means that you are one of the most well-trained, responsible, and vetted individuals who owns and carries a firearm. The licensing process requires a rigorous 16-hour training course, with an 8-hour refresher every two years. It also requires a thorough background check, including character references and an in-person interview with the State Police.

(For Jewish Schools: Many members of our community have obtained a carry permit due to the violence that engulfs our city. The recent attacks on Jewish communities have spurred even more Jewish community members to obtain carry permits to protect their synagogues and even the very schools from which you want to ban them. There are parents with children in every Jewish private school that have a carry permit. They carry when they do carpool, at parent-teacher meetings, and at other school events. They carry to their child's school to protect themselves, their families, and their school community.)

This bill will make our schools LESS safe. It will remove responsible, trained, and vetted individuals who can respond to an incident. The criminals and terrorists who prey on our community will not be deterred by yet another law. It is already illegal for a criminal to even possess a firearm, no less on school property. This bill makes our parents criminals and turns our school into a softer target.

We ask that you reconsider your sponsorship of this bill. It overreaches by taking away our ability to determine school safety policy. It makes out schools less safe. It criminalizes our parent body.