Md. Delegate Looks To Close Loophole In New Gun Legislation

ANNAPOLIS, Md. (WJZ) -- A Maryland delegate launches a campaign to close what he calls a loophole in Maryland gun laws.

Pat Warren reports--the problem affects getting firearms out of the hands of convicted criminals.

New legislation signed into law this month bans assault-style weapons and requires gun purchasers to be licensed and fingerprinted.

But according to Montgomery County Delegate Luiz Simmons, it skipped one common sense point he plans to address next year.

"It doesn't matter what the penalties are and what the prohibitions are if you're not effectively enforcing the law," Simmons said.

Simmons explains the issue on his website.

The Department of Corrections and the state police computers are incompatible, so, he says there's no common database for making sure people convicted of certain crimes surrender their guns. That includes assault-type weapons purchased before October 1, when the new ban takes effect.

"We're going to have Maryland armed to the teeth because we grandfathered all of the owners and the weapons in," Simmons said. "And that's why we need to get these two computers to speak, because the weapons will be here and we have to make sure people don't get convicted of crimes and still go back to their guns at night."

Simmons has a petition on his website, asking for support of his proposed legislation.

Simmons says getting the Department of Corrections and state police computers on the same page would cost an estimated $350,000.

The Department of Corrections computer works on fingerprints, while state police use social security numbers and birth dates.