“I needed medical attention and I was hurting and he was hitting and pushing me and calling me fat."INDIANPAOLIS – Several firearms-related bills have gained traction in the General Assembly this year, largely due to a gun-friendly citizenry and an important election.
One of the bills – House Bill 1065 – previously was blocked in the Democratic-controlled House, but this year it passed with 76 votes.
“It’s an election year and it’s an important one, so they may be looking for some things to hang on their mantel and get extra credit,” said Sen. Mike Young, R-Indianapolis.
The legislation would allow employees to have firearms in their locked vehicles at work. Many companies have prohibitions on bringing guns onto the parking lot.
The other – House Bill 1068 – shuts down public access to the database showing Hoosiers who have a license to carry a handgun. Residents don’t need a permit to have a gun in their own home or private business, but they do need a license if they want to carry the handgun in public.
The bill is a reaction to two recent newspaper stories based on information in the database.
Both newspapers put parts of the database online, including one that allowed a search for licenses by ZIP code; it did not make names and addresses available.
Rep. Win Moses, D-Fort Wayne, said he thinks legislators are especially frustrated with material published by the Indianapolis Star as well as other issues, and are using their votes on this bill to express that. But he also noted that many lawmakers “feel very strongly about Second Amendment rights” and are simply following their convictions.
Moses voted for the parking lot bill and against the public access bill.
Moses noted there has been no additional presence from the National Rifle Association during the session.
An NRA lobbyist covering three states has been around most of the session and has regularly testified and explained amendments on the parking lot bill.
“It’s fairly normal legislative activity,” said Rachel Parsons, spokeswoman for the NRA. “Indiana hasn’t passed very many pro-gun bills in the last several years. While they weren’t passing bills many states across the country were, so we are just trying to catch Indiana up.”
She said that it’s difficult to say why the bills are moving now.
“There may just be more of a political climate for it,” Parsons said. “When you see so many states passing pro-gun and self-defense pieces of legislation with no problems, it makes more sense to legislators to also fall into line.”
Both bills advanced from committee Tuesday and now head to the full Senate, which has already approved similar measures.
