Indiana gun rights organizations are celebrating the implementation of the state’s new permitless carry law, which ensures residents no longer need a permit to carry a handgun.
The new law would not affect those already prohibited from carrying a handgun, such as felons, nor would it affect how guns are bought.
Will Fite, regional director for National Association for Gun Rights and director of legislation for Hoosier Gun Rights, called the movement a win for Hoosiers.
“We look at those permits as a tax on your second Amendment right,” Fite said. “We were determined to continue fighting for full constitutional carry for all Hoosiers that are proper persons.”
But other Hoosiers are concerned how this law will affect public safety and police investigations.
LISTEN TO: New laws for Indiana residents effective July 1
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Indiana ranks 15th in firearm deaths this year with 1,159.
Many gun reform advocates have criticized the General Assembly for making it easier to carry guns in the wake of deadly shootings in Texas and New York. In 2018, the General Assembly stopped pursuing looser gun restrictions after the Parkland shooting.
Fite said he understood the push for increased gun reform after this year’s mass shootings, but that many gun rights organizations, including his, tend to oppose stronger red flag laws on the grounds of due process.
“When it comes to red flag, you don’t get to stand in front of a judge and they don’t have you there when they decide that you are unfit to possess firearms,” Fite said.
Indiana State Police say they have been training officers on how to navigate the new legal landscape created by the permitless carry law.
