There are a number of firearms bills currently under consideration in the 2013 Indiana Legislative Session. But I believe one bill needs special notation.
Senate Bill SB555 was proposed by State Senator Brandt Hershman (R, District 7 and also the Majority Floor Leader). You should also know that I’m the guy that asked my Senator to propose SB555. And for only one reason, and that is that I would like my CCW to be recognized by as many other states as possible.
Yes, I have an Indiana Lifetime Carry Permit and I have also a Non-resident Utah Permit. The Utah permit is not a piece of pink paper I could make on my printer at home as is issued currently in Indiana. The Utah permit is like my driver’s license, with my picture, all my valid information such as date of birth and address … and yes it required me to take a class for issue. And, guess what? That Utah permit is valid in 5 more states than my Indiana permit even as a non-resident.
Please understand the request I made of my Senator never intended for a new permit to replace the current Indiana CCW! Nor, was it intended to revoke having an Indiana lifetime issued CCW. It was and is to be an optional permit for those who choose to apply for one. I even suggested that the endorsement could be a symbol placed upon your driver’s license – if cost was the issue.
Why are some states not willing to recognize the current Indiana CCW permit?
- There is no picture proving you are the person listed
- There is no training (or better proof you know how a gun operates) requirement
- Because it is never re-validated, the information could be wrong. And also a person might even have done something that would not allow them to even own a firearm – NOW.
An Indiana CCW permit holder may never travel, but as a consultant I travel constantly so having my CCW recognized by as many states as possible is important to me. And, if other residents of Indiana even vacation outside of Indiana , it might be important to them as well. So I really hope that SB555 passes and we all have access to a second tier Carry Permit!
Two primary concerns seem to be floating around fueled by bloggers in Indiana, so let’s examine both questions:
- If this passes some other states might chose to only accept the upper tier CCW from Indiana!
That certainly is a possibility, but in return if you can travel to a distant state and have your CCW honored in all of the states you pass through and also include the state you wish to visit, would that not be an advantage? Remember you would not lose your funny pink paper lifetime permit honored in Indiana. This would mean not having to unload your firearm and keep the firearm and the ammunition in totally separated locked compartments as required under Federal Transport Regulations. I don’t know about you but I always feel my risk of needing self-defense options is greater when I travel, simply because unlike when I’m home, I don’t always know that a certain area is unsafe.
Ok, so we all know that Chicago is unsafe!
As you are on USA Carry’s site you might access the concealed carry permit reciprocity maps just to see where your CCW is honored and where it is not – then see how many more states are added if your permit is from a state that requires training and qualification, a pictured ID on the permit and recently verified information. Try Indiana resident and then try say Kentucky just to see what states are then added.
- If training is now required that is a reduction of our 2nd Amendment rights!
Consider the following:
- Every time someone deemed to not be a criminal is killed even accidentally with a firearm all “law abiding” gun owners suffer. One need only look at the current situation caused by Newtown/Sandy Hook to see this reaction. But even the guy who kills for example his child when cleaning a gun gets amplified in the media.
- When the only knowledge a person has about firearms comes from the movies, TV and video games – would you trust that person with a loaded firearm around you or your children? I hope not, as “drama” trumps reality every time a show gets created! And consider this, I teach firearms courses at the Linden Conservation Club. One day we had a couple come to the Club with an AR-15 and 4 boxes of .223 ammo that they had just purchased asking some members sitting on the porch, “We just bought this can you show us how to use it?” That is still talked about by Club Members.
- As an NRA Instructor, I have actually refused to certify a couple of individuals because no matter how I tried to get them to understand basic safety – they would fiddle and play with loaded pistols – pointing them toward other class members – load their pistol when others were down range ahead of them – and even try drawing their loaded pistol with others down range of them. Would you seriously like to have those people putting your 2nd Amendment rights at risk, just to say training is an intrusion on my freedoms?
- Finally, YES! There is evidence that a “lack of a training requirement” is preventing Indiana’s CCW from being more widely accepted.
By this time those that think that any attempt to make rules is against the 2nd Amendment are most likely thinking, who is this guy anyway? So let me tell you a bit about myself:
I am a Patron level / Life Member of the NRA. My wife is a member of the NRA and typically hosts a table at the local FNRA Annual Dinner honoring the 4H Shooting Sports Instructors. Two of my sons are Life members of the NRA and my middle son works in the firearms area at our local Gander Mountain store and he also teaches our 4H Black Powder program. So as a family we have a lot invested in preserving our 2nd Amendment rights!
I had one person who was arguing against the new upper level permit now under debate tell me, “I carry in other states that don’t recognize our permit. I just don’t tell them!” I pointed out in many of those state carrying a loaded firearm without a recognized permit is considered a Felony, and if you are convicted of a Felony (no matter in which state) , under Indiana law you would not only lose your Indiana right to carry but even the right to own a firearm.
As for me, I want access to all of my rights and to have them where ever I may have to travel — even Illinois, New York, and California when they re-join the union of states who recognize all of rights illuminated in the US Constitution.
