No permit? No problem.
No permit? No problem.By Princess Kimbrough
5 Rights | staff writer
Senate bill 506 Indiana
No permit? No problem! There’s a new gun law effective July 1 that will in some cases legally allow gun owners to carry their weapons in their vehicles- and they don’t need the states written permission.
The Indiana General Assembly passed Senate bill 506 in May. Authored by Republican senators Dennis Kruse and Jim Tomes The law allows a person, in some cases, to carry a gun without a permit if they are on their own property. The law also allows going to a shooting range for practice or for legal hunting. But the law requires the gun be unloaded and securely wrapped. A person convicted of domestic battery can not have or carry a handgun unless the court has restored their right to carry a firearm.
Indiana State Police Sgt. Dave Bursten does not think the new gun law will mean trouble for local police.
“If it’s in a secure wrapper and it’s unloaded and in the trunk and not in the passenger compartment it’s not an issue, there’s no threat to the officer,” Bursten, an ISP spokesperson, said.
With a 5.5 percent decrease in violent crimes, according to Indiananewscenter.com, some Hoosiers question the need for such a law.
“I think it’s a big mistake. I don’t think everybody should be running around with a gun,” said George Putt, a gun owner practicing at POPGUNS, an indoors shooting range.
Gun owner Jennifer Scott, also at POPGUNS, said the new gun law is “probably not a good idea.” She said a gun should not be carried without a permit no matter where or if the gun is loaded or unloaded.
But some gun owners have no strong opinion about the change. Scott’s husband Phillip Scott, another gun owner, said he’s not opposed to the law if it allows a person to carry a gun on their own property and with permission on someone else’s.
Bursten said the new law does have gray areas. He explained that the gun could be in a secure wrapper and unloaded but if it was in the passenger seat that could be a problem. He went on to say if the person was arrested because an unloaded gun was in the passenger seat, it would then be up to the judge to decide what to do.
Check out this follow up video!
Princess: No permit? No problem.
Filed Under: News
