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Monday, March 08, 2010
Ind. Law - "Timing was terrible on guns at work bill"; what of "open carry"?
Updating this lengthy ILB entry from March 5th, Jon Seidel of the Gary Post-Tribune has a story today that includes these quotes:
Just before the General Assembly devolved into bitter end-of-session politics, lawmakers passed a bill with fairly overwhelming and bipartisan support.The NY Times today has an article by Ian Urbina asking whether "open carry" is the next big thing. Some quotes:House Bill 1065 makes sure gun owners can bring their weapons with them to work as long as they are kept out of sight in a locked vehicle.
As a lobbyist from the National Rifle Association watched from the gallery Thursday, the House voted 75-20 in favor of the bill. A few hours later, the Senate voted for it 41-9.
They couldn't have timed it any worse. The next day, an angry worker at the Department of Workforce Development in Portage walked out to his car, grabbed a 12-gauge shotgun, and fired into his office. No one was hurt.
"All of the arguments against this are now coming true," Rep. Charlie Brown, D-Gary, said when he was told about the shooting Friday. "I'm sorry to hear that. I really am." * * *
Finally, the bill prohibits Indiana governments from declaring an emergency and restricting Hoosier gun rights.
Supporters say the bill protects the Second Amendment rights of Hoosiers, making sure they are able to protect themselves while they are at the workplace. * * *
Gov. Mitch Daniels didn't commit to signing the bill when he met with reporters Friday. He said he wants to read it first. Republican Daniels is flirting with the idea of a presidential bid in 2012. It'll be interesting to see how he handles a bill championed by the NRA.
But Brown called out the powerful lobbying group before the House's vote on the bill. He joined local lawmakers who included Smith and Randolph in speaking out against it, saying the NRA's influence cuts across party lines.
"I think once and for all we need to tell the NRA, 'Hell, no, you don't have a stranglehold on this chamber,'" Brown said. "I'm not afraid of the NRA."
For years, being able to carry a concealed handgun has been a sacred right for many gun enthusiasts. In defending it, Charlton Heston, the actor and former president of the National Rifle Association, used to say that the flock is safer when the wolves cannot tell the difference between the lions and the lambs.Here is the Wikipedia entry on gun laws by state - Indiana.But a grass-roots effort among some gun rights advocates is shifting attention to a different goal: exercising the right to carry unconcealed weapons in the 38 or more states that have so-called open-carry laws allowing guns to be carried in public view with little or no restrictions. The movement is not only raising alarm among gun control proponents but also exposing rifts among gun rights advocates.
The call for gun owners to carry their guns openly in the normal course of business first drew broad attention last summer, when opponents of the Obama administration’s health care overhaul began appearing at town-hall-style meetings wearing sidearms. But in recent weeks, the practice has expanded as gun owners in California and other states that allow guns to be openly carried have tested the law by showing up at so-called meet-ups, in which gun owners appear at Starbucks, pizza parlors and other businesses openly bearing their weapons. * * *
Gun control advocates say the open-carry movement’s real aim is to push the envelope and to force companies to take a public stand on the issue.
”You have to wonder where their next frontier will be,” said Paul Helmke, president of the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence. “Will gun owners start trying to carry firearms openly into banks, on subways and buses, in schools?”
Posted by Marcia Oddi on March 8, 2010 09:40 AM
Posted to Indiana Law