Attention Hoosier Gun Owners: 2nd Amendment Patriots Keep Watchful Eye on General Assembly

Jim Tomes with the 2nd Amendment Patriots in southwest Indiana sent the following email today regarding legislation to watch in the upcoming session of the Indiana General Assembly. Gun owners should pay attention and communicate with their legislators often about the below bills and issues.

The proposed bills in this Indiana General Assembly are starting to stack up.

It’s going to be a short session and after talking with several of our legislators it’s a sure bet that property tax reform is going to be the dominating issue.

Reading the news reports it also looks like it’s going to be very contentious. But, that’s still not stopping from legislators filing bills for a whole spectrum of issues.

I keep getting asked if we have a chance of getting any of our pro gun bills to the Governor’s desk. Well the answer is yes, but, it all depends if we can get enough gun owners in this state to come alive to make it happen.

We have over 6 million people in Indiana. There are over 300,000 licensed handgun carry holders. There’s no telling how many total gun owners we have in Indiana.

But shaking many of them out of their sleep to join the rest of us to help the legislators on our side is a monumental task. Those of us who made the Lifetime Handgun License a reality know full well the determination it takes.

The Honorable Senator Nugent has two bills, SB 65. This bill will allow for carry on campus. In a phone conversation I had with the Senator last week he told me that he is going to introduce another version of this bill.

It will be comprised of language that he received from Joel Partridge, the NRA liaison. Sen. Nugent sent me copies of that language and we both agree it contains a more comprehensive approach.

Remember, that getting a bill passed into law requires a lot of strategy in order to get it passed those who will oppose us. Those who have accompanied Margie and me to the state house to testify on behalf of pro gun bills can relate to that.

SB 66, is the other bill currently listed by Sen. Nugent. It will provide for citizens to carry their firearms to the work place and keep them in their cars.

Sen. Drozda has introduced SB 29. This measure will protect shooting ranges and property owners from local units of government setting up restrictions on the size of their property in order to discharge a firearm.

Remember last year when that restriction almost became a reality in the Marion county area because of a county council member who was under the delusion she was doing something good?

SB 29, unfortunately, looks like it’s going to be sent to House Committee on Local and Government Elections which is Chaired by one of Indiana’s fiercest anti gun legislators, Rep. Vernon Smith. Getting that bill out of committee will be difficult, I’m afraid.

Our good friend Representative Koch, along with Rep. Cheatham has introduced HB 1043. This is another fine measure that would prevent what happened in New Orleans from taking place here in Indiana.

It would keep government from confiscating firearms during a declared local emergency disaster.

This effort was tried last session, but did not get enough support. HB 1043 has been referred to the Interstate and International Corporation Committee, which is Chaired by Rep. Harris.

As far as Sen. Nugent’s bills, they have been referred to Committee on Judiciary. The committee Chairman is Sen. Bray (R) and the members are Senators Zakaz (R) R.M., Alting (R), Drozda (R), Ford (R), Lubbers (R), Steele (R), Lanane (D) R.M.M., Arnold (D), Broden (D) and Smith (D).

We have some friends on this committee, but remember we won’t know where these bills will wind up over in the House if they make it out of the Senate.

There will be work to do at the first of the year. In the meantime it will be up to each of you to light up these gun owners who are normally only good for a 3 second burn before their rockets flame out.

Open their eyes and get them on their feet. We’ll need them to make a phone call or two.

I know these are the heroes that are going to whip the world if anyone tries to take their guns, but they just can’t bring themselves to take any action outside of flapping their gums.

So if we can get them to a phone to call a legislator, maybe they can do the one thing they’re good at, talking.

We have a group in Lafayette, IN. that is just getting started and they have the fire and spirit we are always looking for.

They call themselves IN Self Defense/Second Amendment Patriots of Central Indiana. Their Co-Founder is Diana Vice. She is on this e-mail list and I know we can count on them to stand with us. If we can get others across the state to join up we CAN get what we want.

This group also did a Bill Of Rights Day event. They got media coverage too. We wish them continued success and hope that our groups can meet each other.

Speaking of Bill Of Rights, anyone who had one of the B.O.R.D. yard signs please turn them in, they were kind of pricey. Thanks.

Jim and Margie
2nd Amendment Patriots
STAY UNITED
www.2ndamendmentpatriots.org