U.S.A. –-(AmmoLand.com)-— On March 8, 2022, the Indiana legislature, on the last day of the session, after byzantine twists and turns of the legislative process, voted to pass Constitutional Carry legislation three hours before the session ended for the year.
Indiana Second Amendment activists have been working to pass similar legislation for years. In 2021, a Constitutional Carry (permitless) bill passed the House 64 to 31, before being killed in the Senate Judiciary Committee chaired by Liz Brown (R -15).
In 2022, Senator Brown worked hard to kill a new bill, and came very close to succeeding. In 2022, the Republican leadership in the Senate appears to have been educated about Constitutional Carry. They used legislative procedures to bring the bill to a vote in spite of the machinations of Senator Brown, who, it is rumored, was working with Republican Governor Holcomb to kill the bill.
The bill was brought to the rules committee after the debacle of the Judiciary Committee hearing chaired by Brown. The rules committee decided it was too late in the session for anything to be done. Then the bill language was substituted for another bill that had already passed the Senate.
This procedure (strike all) is sometimes used to work around a committee chair who blocks a popular bill.
Several other procedures were used before the bill finally came to a vote of the House as HB 1296 at about 5:30 p.m. on March 8th, 2022. It passed, 69 to 30. The full Senate debated, then passed HB 1296 at about 9 p.m.
The vote was 30 to 20. Senator Brown and eight other RINO Republicans voted against the bill. [Can you say House-Cleaning-Primary?] The bill would not have passed without the assistance of the Senate Republican leadership.
Many have asked: Will Governor Holcomb (R) veto the Constitutional Carry bill?
He may, but this correspondent doubts that he will. Indiana limits the power of the Governor’s veto more than most other states. In 2021, the Indiana legislature overrode Governor Holcomb’s vetoes three times.
- If the Governor does nothing, the bill becomes law in seven days.
- If the Governor vetoes the bill, a majority vote in both chambers is necessary to override the veto.
The legislature has until the end of the next legislative session to override the veto, or they can call a special session to override a veto earlier.
New laws generally take effect on July 1 of the year they are passed.
Indiana is well on the way to becoming the 22nd, 23rd, or 24th state to join the Constitutional Carry club. Ohio and Alabama are very close to passing Constitutional Carry, so the sequence is uncertain.
At the beginning of 2022, there were 21 members of the Constitutional Carry (permitless) club. They were:
Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, West Virginia, and Wyoming.
This correspondent predicted 2 – 4 states would pass Constitutional Carry bills in 2022. That prediction still holds. If four states pass Constitutional carry, then half of all states in the United States will have restored the state of law to where no permit was required to carry a loaded handgun, concealed or openly, in most public spaces, as it was in 1791.
Long experience has shown that violent crime and suicides do not rise when people who have not shown themselves to be a danger to themselves or others, carry firearms without government permission.
The requirement to obtain a government permission slip to carry a firearm, is an infringement on the right to bear arms, as stated in the Second Amendment. Did you read that New Jersey?
About Dean Weingarten:
Dean Weingarten has been a peace officer, a military officer, was on the University of Wisconsin Pistol Team for four years, and was first certified to teach firearms safety in 1973. He taught the Arizona concealed carry course for fifteen years until the goal of Constitutional Carry was attained. He has degrees in meteorology and mining engineering, and retired from the Department of Defense after a 30 year career in Army Research, Development, Testing, and Evaluation.
RINO’s will do that, they are as worthless as their fellow travelers of the Commiecrat party.
dino’s too, they are democrats in name only. Really they are marxists.
You misapprehended the meaning of DINO. A DINO is a Dem who is conservative and often will vote with the GOP. Of course we all know that DINOs are an endangered species!
All other leftists are commiecrats because of their love for all things marxist. They can only be characterized as commies and are enemies of liberty!
need to post signs in front of their homes , these people do not believe in your rights
don’t be a doxxer, just let people alone, and fight with words in debates and votes at the ballot boxes. of course, be prepared for as many scenarios as you can.
A safe full of guns and crates full of ammo doesn’t equal the value of one vote. People want their Constitutional right to own and carry firearms but don’t exercise their right to vote. Equally as bad is they don’t use their minds to educate themselves on the position of candidates running for office. Ignorance is not bliss. Better our voice be heard at the ‘ballot box’ and in phone calls, emails, petitions, peaceful demonstrations and letters than possible violence.
If governor Holcomb vetoes this then the next time he is up for re election , VETO him out of office . Good bye RINO Holcomb you will soon be a member of the private sector !
Thank you Mr. Weingarten, appreciate these posts learning about my fellow citizens residing in other states.
Maybe Holcomb will not cave to the intense lobbying of many Indiana law enforcement agencies who do not want permitless carry in Indiana.
However, they provide a politically safe way for him to veto the bill:
“I spoke with numerous law enforcement agencies, all of whom indicated that permitless carry would make Indiana residents less safe, and more importantly, it will make law enforcement officers less safe. I’m pro 2nd Amendment (I deer hunt), but we can’t just have any Tom, Dick, or Harry walking around bearing arms.”
how about that down voted for cheering the gun grabbing leos instead of , pointing out which groups need to be fired for violating their oath.