One of the biggest surprises – and announcements – from Mayor Tom Henry’s State of the City address had little to do with city government at all.Legislation allowing employees to have guns in their locked vehicles while at work passed the Senate 41-9 Monday.
House Bill 1065 now heads back to the House, where the chamber can agree to changes in the bill or send the bill to a conference committee for further negotiation.
The bill is a result of employers in the state and around the nation prohibiting employees from having firearms anywhere on their property – even in their cars. Advocates say the bill is needed so that Hoosiers can protect themselves going to and from work.
Opponents say a person’s right to carry a firearm shouldn’t overrule a business’s right to control its property.
The only area lawmaker who cast a “no” vote against the measure was Sen. Tom Wyss, R-Fort Wayne.
Study committee to address ‘sexting’
The issue of young people sending sexually explicit photos of themselves and others via text message or other technology will be referred to a summer study committee.
That language was added to Senate Bill 224 in a House committee Monday morning. Language also was added setting up a process in which sex offenders can file to have their names taken off the sex offender registry under a recent Indiana Supreme Court decision against ex post facto punishment.
That means offenders can’t be punished further by having their name added to the registry if that wasn’t in the law when they committed the offense.
The legislation now heads to the full House for consideration.
