INDIANAPOLIS (AP) -
Republican leaders in the Indiana Legislature are backpedaling on gun rights
legislation in the wake of the school shooting in Parkland, Florida -
killing two measures that would have loosened firearm restrictions.
In pro-gun Indiana,
it’s an unusual look for Republicans who dominate the Statehouse, and for
years have championed efforts to loosen gun laws.
Now, instead of
engaging in what could have been a partisan and uncomfortable debate on the
bills, they plan to develop a pared down proposal that will be added to
separate legislation at a later date. Gov. Eric Holcomb, meanwhile, is
calling for a statewide audit of safety procedures at schools.
"The country is
tense and understandably so,” said Republican Senate leader David Long of
Fort Wayne. “So we’ll try to focus on what is doable ... and not try to
allow some gamesmanship.”
While some
Republican lawmakers have long desired to eliminate state handgun licenses,
GOP leaders started the session with the simple goal of eliminating fees
charged for a lifetime handgun license.
Quickly, additional
proposals gained traction. Gun rights supporters wanted to reduce some
point-of-sale background checks and allow worshippers to carry guns in
churches that are also located on school grounds, which is prohibited under
current law without authorization from school officials.
The bills were
moving forward. That is until 17 people were killed at Marjory Stoneman
Douglas High School by a former student with a history of mental illness and
a debate over gun laws reverberated throughout the country.
Democrats, itching
to bring the debate to the floor of the Indiana General Assembly, filed a
raft of gun control amendments to a bill pending in the House. Those votes
would have put some GOP lawmakers in an awkward spot heading into an
election year.
“If there were ever
a time to take a step back and reassess our gun laws, now is that time,”
Democratic Sen. Jean Breaux of Indianapolis wrote in a letter on Friday.
But it wasn’t just
limited to Democrats. Gun rights supporters filed their own amendments,
including one by libertarian leaning GOP Rep. Jim Lucas, of Seymour, who has
repeatedly tried - but failed - to pass legislation eliminating handgun
licenses in Indiana.
“The bill became a
magnet for virtually every measure, pro- and anti-gun,” said House Speaker
Brian Bosma, an Indianapolis Republican.
“We’re under no
compulsion to debate and consider every proposal that someone from the
minority especially might throw up on a bill,” Bosma later added, referring
to a total of 19 amendments filed from both sides of the gun issue.
Long echoed the
idea, saying lawmakers have already debated it thoroughly. “How many more
debates do we have about things that have no chance of passing anyway, that
are being done for political purposes?” he asked.
So what will end up
advancing?
Long and Bosma said
they are not in favor of eliminating or reducing background checks, but both
said they were open to eliminating or reducing permit fees.
But there is some
question about what will happen with the measure that would allow
church-goers to pack guns during worship services held on school property.
Long raised doubts that would pass, but Bosma said he favored the idea.
“I think we are
going to tread very lightly in this area,” Long said.
School safety is
also an issue they plan to deal with. On Thursday, the school safety audit
Holcomb is seeking was added to a bill. Another measure would allow school
staff to temporarily barricade doors in the event of an unplanned fire
alarm, giving officials time to investigate.
Holcomb said he
wants to “make sure drills are occurring, to make sure they have a plan in
place by law, and that we’re not caught flat-footed when something happens.”
With the final
details still to be worked out, whatever consensus proposal emerges will
come in the final days of the session, which is slated to end March 14.
“This issue is on
everyone’s mind,” Bosma said.