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House Approves Bill To Give Court Protectees Guns Without Licenses

By Brandon Smith, IPB News | Published on in Politics, Statewide News
(Lucio Eastman/Wikimedia Commons)
(Lucio Eastman/Wikimedia Commons)

The House passed legislation to allow people protected by restraining orders to carry a handgun without a license for up to 60 days.

The vote came after an hour of passionate, sometimes emotional debate on the House floor.

Proponents – including Rep. Woody Burton (R-Whiteland) – say the measure ensures the government doesn’t stand in the way of victims of domestic violence protecting themselves.

“If that person that’s been abused wants to take a protective order and have a permit to carry a gun for protection, they ought to have that right,” Burton says.

Rep. Linda Lawson (D-Hammond) spoke about her experiences with domestic violence as a police officer. She says adding more guns to those situations adds fuel to the fire.

“Allowing a woman to get a license to carry without any other way to handle herself except pulling the trigger is the very worst thing you can do,” Lawson says.

The bill also directs a study committee to investigate eliminating Indiana’s handgun license requirement entirely.

After a 71 to 26 vote, the measure heads to the Senate.