Jim Sr
R.I.P.
(House Passed 138 / 0)
(Senate Passed 45 - 0)
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SB 497
Synopsis:
Authorizing a law enforcement agency to dispose of a handgun owned by the agency by selling, exchanging, or transferring the handgun to a manufacturer; and defining "manufacturer".
Entitled: Public Safety - Disposal of Handguns Owned by a Law Enforcement Agency
Fiscal and Policy Note
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Sen. Larry E. Haines, a Republican who represents Baltimore and Carroll counties, said he is disappointed that his handgun proposal is not expected to get the governor's backing. Haines said the measure is cost-effective and promotes public safety by returning guns to the manufacturer.
"The best plan is for the manufacturer to handle the guns and the disposal of them," Haines said. "This bill will save a lot of money."
Opponents of the measure argue that it recirculates firearms in the marketplace and could make it more difficult to track those guns if they're used in crimes.
The governor said he feared that the gun bill, which passed the Democrat-led Senate and House of Delegates unanimously, would put more weapons on the street. Under current law, police must destroy the guns, transfer them to other agencies or sell them to a current or retired officer.
"Marylanders are all too familiar with the tragic effects of gun crimes,"
O'Malley said in his veto message to legislative leaders. 
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