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: Jones bill targets transfers of guns : by Joseph C. Anselmo : Staff Writer : Jan. 31, 2003 : ANNAPOLIS -- Marylanders who do not report lost or stolen firearms within two days could spend up to three years in jail under a bill that will be introduced in the state Senate today. : The bill by Sen. Verna L. Jones (D-Dist. 44) of Baltimore is one of three proposals that would tighten the state's restrictions on firearms. The other bills would seek to strengthen a ban on assault weapons and make Maryland the first state in the nation to require the ballistic fingerprinting of all new guns to help police trace weapons used in crimes. : But expect the measures to run into opposition from Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. (R) and key lawmakers. : "Maryland has plenty of gun laws, but Baltimore is the most dangerous city in the country," said Ehrlich spokesman Paul E. Schurick. : Senate President Thomas Mike V. Miller (D-Dist. 27) of Chesapeake Beach is skeptical of new restrictions. : "I believe we have enough gun control legislation on the books at the present time," Miller said, adding that he is also wary of easing current restrictions. : Hoping to capitalize on the October sniper shootings, Marylanders Against Handgun Abuse will hold a news conference in Annapolis on Thursday to promote the bills. Montgomery County Police Chief Charles A. Moose has agreed to speak, said Eric Gally, a lobbyist for the organization. : Jones said her bill would bust people who buy guns legally and pass them on to convicted felons and others who are banned from purchasing weapons. Nine of every 10 traced gun crimes in Baltimore in 2000 involved firearms that changed ownership at least once, according to statistics compiled by Johns Hopkins University. : "You can't just give your firearm to somebody, let them commit a crime and not be responsible," Jones said. "We definitely need this in Baltimore city." : The bill would require state police to inform gun buyers of the reporting requirement when they obtain their firearm permits. Violators would be subject to a misdemeanor penalty of up to three years in jail, up to a $5,000 fine, or both. Del. Salima Siler Marriott (D-Dist. 40) of Baltimore has agreed to sponsor companion legislation in the House. : Sen. Robert J. Garagiola (D-Dist. 15) of Germantown plans to introduce a bill on Monday to tighten the state's ban on the sale or transfer of assault weapons. The goal of the bill is to have strong state restrictions in place in case Congress does not renew a federal ban set to expire in September 2004. State law already bans the sale of some assault weapons, but a loophole allows the sale of similar but not identical firearms. : "I suspect we would oppose [the bill] rather vigorously," said Schurick, noting that Ehrlich voted against an assault weapons ban when he was in the General Assembly. : Garagiola's bill, which is modeled on a law passed in California in 1999, would not require owners who legally purchased assault weapons before the ban to give them up. : Del. Neil Quinter (D-Dist. 13) of Columbia plans to introduce a similar bill in the House next week. Quinter said the legislation targets weapons that are designed to kill large numbers of people at once. "Nobody needs to have a forward pistol grip to go deer hunting," he said, referring to a design that makes it easier for a shooter to spray bullets across a wide area. : Greg Costa, Maryland lobbyist for the National Rifle Association, said he is taking a "wait-and-see" approach until he could study the bills. : "I'm not sure whether this is nothing more than political posturing by people whose positions we already know on firearms," Costa said. : A third bill, introduced by Sen. Jennie M. Forehand (D-Dist. 17) of Rockville, would require ballistic fingerprinting -- recording and logging the unique signature each gun leaves on a bullet casing -- for all new firearms. Ballistic fingerprinting has been required for all new handguns sold in the state since October 2000. : "What we would like to do is have each gun traceable back to its owner," Gally said. "When a shell casing is found at the scene of a crime, police would be able to track it." : But Schurick said the $2 million already spent on the handgun fingerprinting program has not helped police solve a single crime. : "No science or law enforcement justification has ever been brought forward to suggest that it works," he said, adding that Ehrlich would be willing to support the bill if he were shown proof that the program made a big difference in solving crimes. : Supporters of the bills have an ally in Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee Chairman Brian E. Frosh (D-Dist. 16) of Bethesda, whose panel will be the first stop for the bills in the Senate. : "I think they're all reasonable," Frosh said. "We need to take some steps toward reasonable gun control." But he cautioned that passage is far from assured. : Frosh's counterpart in the House, Judiciary Committee Chairman Joseph F. Vallario Jr. (D-Dist. 27A) of Upper Marlboro, is skeptical of the new bills. : "I've said all along that we have enough gun laws on the books, and I'm not sure why we would need to add anything new," Vallario said. : The state's last major gun control legislation was passed in 2000, when the General Assembly required the ballistic fingerprinting of new handguns and built-in trigger locks in new guns to help reduce accidents. A 1996 state law limited purchases of guns to one per month per person.

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