Good Legislation: A Product of Good Discussion (Part 2)

The Joint Committee on Judiciary and Public Policy held its first Interim committee meeting this past Tuesday, August 22. 

The topic: Changing the law requiring a permit to carry a handgun in public.

Whether you are supportive of no handgun carry laws or want to leave the law the way it is, in this meeting we got a good insight what arguments will be made going forward.

Representatives of organized law enforcement agencies stood to say “the process works”.  “The law isn’t broken”. Bill Owensby, President of the Indiana State Fraternal Order of Police, said: ”We have 14,000 active police officers that I represent and we are opposed to the legislation that we’re discussing today..”

The legislators wanting change responded: the process really doesn’t work. People who get denials, i.e. shouldn’t have handguns, eventually get permits anyway.

These same legislators wanting change also focused on 2^nd Amendment Rights. Their position was that if you make people have a permit you are making it difficult for those who can’t afford the cost; also, you are making it a burden for law abiding citizens.

The “let’s not change” side said we make laws around Constitutional rights that don’t place a burden but give parameters and do not contradict the Constitution. Steve Bushman, Indiana State Police Alliance, gave a good example. He said consider that a permit is needed for a public rally, even though, the right to assemble is guaranteed in the Constitution.

Changing law to “Constitutional Carry”, the slogan, is definitely closer to reality today than when I was in the legislature. Coupled with all the alcohol changes to come in this next session, these interim committees promise a lot of good discussion.

Check the legislative website for the Joint Committee on Judiciary and Public Policy, Sept 7. http://iga.in.gov/legislative/2017/committees/interim

Check the same website for the Alcohol Code Revision Committee meetings on Sept 11 and 22, Oct 10 and 24, and Nov 14. (There was an afternoon Alcohol meeting on the 22^nd of August but I had stared at the screen long enough.)

Preparing this review I have concluded I have got to get a life!  All of the issues on the state level are important and I could spend hours watching the streamed meetings.

So, this is my last review. Thank you to the City-County Observer for being that voice that refuses to compromise integrity for the story. Thank you for allowing me to write with the hope that a few people have found something in these reviews to stir their interest.

Remember, what happens in Indy doesn’t stay in Indy…..

This is just my view from the outside.

Gail Riecken

Former State Representative District 77