The Indiana House voted on Monday to eliminate the state’s firearms license – an apparent victory, at least temporary, for Second Amendment gun rights advocates.
House Bill 1369, which passed the House by 65-31 votes and now heads to the Senate, repeals a law that requires a person to obtain a gun license in Indiana, according to the Indianapolis Star
It allows anyone who is legally able to carry and own a firearm to do so without a government-issued permit or license, according to reports. The bill specified that certain offenders could still be prohibited from carrying weapons.
Proponents of the bill argue that the authorization process punishes law-abiding citizens and residents should not have to pay for a right guaranteed by the Second Amendment.
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“Anything that can make things easier for someone who is a law-abiding citizen is always something I think I will try to support,” said Indianapolis gun owner Eric Housman, according to Indianapolis FOX 59.
The police, however, argued that eliminating screening processes would put more weapons on the streets, making communities less secure.
“I think we all strongly support the Second Amendment,” said Lafayette police chief Patrick Flannelly of the Indiana Police Chiefs Association. “By revoking processes like this, which are good sorting mechanisms, we are going to put more weapons on the streets and there are going to be people who shouldn’t be carrying them.”
Currently, to apply for a new Indiana license to carry a gun, you must be 18 years or older, register online, schedule an appointment to take your fingerprints and complete the processing of your local law enforcement agency within 180 days. .
“This bill is for the legitimate citizen in the state of Indiana,” said the bill’s author, Rep. Ben Smaltz, a Republican. “This project is for the person who obeys our laws and who now has to jump over the obstacles to be the person who gets the license.”
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Of the more than 120,000 applicants for a firearm license in 2020, almost 4% were denied, according to state data. Flannelly said his department denied 55 people permission to transport last year based on their background check.
“We are going to remove a tool from our officers to help make communities safer and really help to keep our officers more secure,” he told the police station.
Licenses raise $ 5.3 million a year to train local police, and taxpayers will be forced to pay part of the bill, the newspaper reported.
Critics also argue that it will not be easy for the police to verify that someone is allowed to carry a firearm. or check who tries to charge when they shouldn’t, according to the Indianapolis Star.
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The project would eliminate the license in March 2022.