INDIANAPOLIS — When Goshen Mayor Allen Kauffman heard about a bill in the Statehouse that would bar local units of government from restricting guns and ammunition, he was alarmed.
His city of 31,000 people has an ordinance that says you can’t shoot a gun inside the city limits. Kauffman feared the legislation, if passed, would wipe out that law.
So he and other mayors across the state began asking their constituents to lobby their legislators. The message they wanted delivered: "Just to say you can shoot your gun anytime is nuts," Kauffman said.
Some key legislators apparently are listening. A House hearing on the bill was postponed this week so that its backers could work out some new language to quell critics.
Those critics include the Indiana Association of Cities and Towns, the Indiana Association of Chiefs of Police, and Indianapolis Colts’ owner Jim Irsay, whose team plays in a municipally owned stadium that has a gun ban that could be impacted by the bill.
Rep. Sean Eberhard, a Shelbyville Republican and co-sponsor of the legislation, said that while some of the criticism is unwarranted, the language of Senate Bill 292 needs to be clarified.
"We don’t want a lot of unintentional consequences," Eberhard said Thursday.
The Senate has already voted to approve the bill, which with few exemptions, would pre-empt local governments "from regulating any matter pertaining to firearms, ammunition, and firearm accessories."
Among the changes in the making now that the bill is in the House: Language that would allow the users of publicly owned venues like Lucas Oil Stadium — where the Colts play — to restrict ticket holders from bringing in firearms.
Eberhard said bill backers also want to make sure the legislation doesn’t negate state laws outlawing the negligent, reckless or careless use and discharge of firearms.
He also said bill supporters want to make sure schools and municipal buildings with courtrooms can continue to restrict firearms.
But those changes may not be enough to satisfy critics.
Local call
Kauffman, a Democrat, doesn’t think the Republican-dominated state legislature should be interfering in local decisions on firearm restrictions. "This is about public safety," Kauffman said. "This is an invasion on local control."
That’s the position of the Indiana Association of Cities and Towns. "Our members believe we need to have maximum flexibility over these public safety issues," said Jennifer Simmons, an association spokeswoman. "These are the decisions that should be made locally."
But Eberhard and other bill backers, including the National Rifle Association, say the legislation is designed to set a statewide standard for legitimate gun owners.
"We don’t want to step on the rights of someone who has every legal right to carry a weapon," Eberhard said.
Eberhard also noted that related gun bills have received support from both Democrats and Republicans.
Another bill
Earlier this week, the House voted 80-17 on Senate Bill 411 which prohibits employers from asking employees or prospective employees whether they own, store, transport or use firearms or ammunition.
The legislation is a follow-up to a bill passed last year that prohibits employers from banning workers from storing guns in their vehicles while at work.
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