Gov. Eric Holcomb this week signed legislation that makes Indiana the 24th state to recognize one’s untrammeled right to keep and bear arms.
“The Second Amendment has been debated for years, yet time and again our U.S. Supreme Court has reaffirmed this important constitutional right that I fully support,” said Holcomb, a Republican, in a statement Monday.
“Twenty-three other states have laws comparable to HEA 1296. Vermont has had a constitutional carry law in place since it became a state, and several other states have had a similar law for more than a decade,” he continued.
“HEA 1296, which I’ve signed today, entrusts Hoosiers who can lawfully carry a handgun to responsibly do so within our State,” he said.
Holcomb also made it clear that prohibited persons (felons, minors, fugitives, drug addicts, mental defectives, etc.) are still banned from possessing firearms and will be prosecuted if they violate the relevant federal and state laws.
The governor also said that the state’s permitting system will remain in effect, at no charge, should Hoosiers want to obtain a permit for carry reciprocity with other states.
The NRA-ILA, which backed HB 1296, celebrated the move.
Research: Constitutional Carry Does Not Result in Higher Murder or Violent Crime Rates
“The government should not mandate that law-abiding citizens get permission before exercising their fundamental, constitutional right to self defense,” said Jason Ouimet, executive director of NRA-ILA.
“We thank Gov. Holcomb, bill author Rep. Ben Smaltz, legislative leaders, and every lawmaker who supported this landmark legislation,” he added.
On the other side of the aisle, the Democrats panned the notion of permitless carry.
“A majority of Hoosiers told Indiana Republicans directly they opposed permitless carry,” said Indiana Democratic Party Chairman Mike Schmul in a statement.
“State law enforcement echoed their opposition to the measure a year after Republicans defunded their departments,” he said. “But unfortunately, Governor Eric Holcomb decided to put politics ahead of protecting the safety of Hoosier families by signing permitless carry into law.”
As GunsAmerica previously reported, there is no evidence that constitutional carry endangers public safety.
A recent study by the Crime Prevention Research Center (CPRC) examining aggregated crime data from 13 states that passed constitutional carry found no statistically significant change in violent crime, police killings, and firearm homicide after the passage of such laws.
The study also showed a drop in the murder rate, which runs contrary to the “Wild West” narrative spun by critics of expanded 2A rights.
Along with Indiana, the following states have some form of constitutional carry: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, West Virginia, and Wyoming.
HB 1296 takes effect July 1, 2022.