Friday, March 31, 2023

Play

Donald Trump indicted by Manhattan grand jury, Georgia campaign fights to reopen local hospitals, and New Mexico creates first-ever $100M conservation fund.

Play

Former President Donald Trump is indicted by Manhattan's district attorney, House Republicans take aim at renewables in new energy bill and House Dems introduce the Women's Protection Health Act.

Play

Small towns respond to a hidden housing and homelessness crisis, a new national weather prediction system will help close the gap between urban and rural forecasting, and more rural communities are eligible for a design project to boost economic development.

Concerns Raised Over IN's New Permitless Handgun-Carry Law

Play

Friday, April 1, 2022   

Indiana's new law allowing people to carry a handgun without a permit is raising concerns from the state's gun-safety advocates.

Under the law signed by Gov. Eric Holcomb last month, it'll still be illegal for folks who were barred from carrying a handgun before the measure passed to do so come July, when the law takes effect. But without the permitting process, said Jerald King, president of the Indianapolis-based group Hoosiers Concerned About Gun Violence, that's a safeguard without any enforcement mechanism.

"It seems to us," he said, "that large numbers of people who would not have passed background checks will now go to gun shops and buy guns."

Several law-enforcement agencies also have raised concerns that the measure would streamline the process to acquire a gun, potentially flooding the state with deadly weapons. With the passage of Indiana's law, nearly half of all U.S. states now allow permitless carry in some form.

King said a previous version of the bill contained compromises to make it more agreeable to critics. However, he added, the compromise version approved by the Senate Judiciary Committee was referred to the Senate Rules Committee, where it stagnated and died. The Indinapolis Star reported that the bill's original language then was inserted into a separate bill on the final day of the legislative session, and passed.

"Not only was it a horrible policy, but it came about through connivance and disingenuous arguments," King said. "So, it was a pretty bad experience all around."

Jen Haan, a volunteer leader for the Indiana chapter of Moms Demand Action, said the new measure will have serious consequences for Indiana's kids and teens. According to a January report from the gun-control advocacy group Everytown for Gun Safety, an average of 110 Hoosier children and teens die each year from gun violence, and one-third of those deaths are suicides.

"We are in a gun-violence crisis here in the state of Indiana," she said. "The leading cause of death for children and teens in Indiana is gun violence, and the majority of those are gun homicides."

The report said overall gun deaths in Indiana hit a ten-year high in 2020. The gun-death rate during that period also increased by nearly 80% in Indiana, compared with 33% nationally.

Haan said Moms Demand Action offers online gun-safety resources through its "Be Smart for Kids" initiative. For Indianapolis residents, she said, the Marion County Sheriff's office offers free gun locks.


get more stories like this via email
Parents, students and teachers are raising concerns over proposed education policies in the Sunshine State. (Pixabay)

Social Issues

Some students, parents and educators plan to rally to send a message to Gov. Ron DeSantis on April Fools' Day. The group of unions, parents and …


Health and Wellness

Small-business owners in North Carolina are reaching out to legislators for help, citing hospital mergers as one reason their health-care costs are …

Environment

A REASONS TO BE CHEERFFUL/SOLUTIONS JOURNALISM NETWORK/WISCONSIN NEWS CONNCECTION COLLABORATION Milwaukee is tied to a wave of freeway removals in th…


Initial money through the American Rescue Plan Act provided education funding to 140 school districts in Tennessee to support post-pandemic academic recovery, student mental health and schools' ability to reopen safely. (f11photo/Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

Tennesseans aren't the only ones mourning the tragic loss of three children and three adults at this week's shooting at Nashville's Covenant School…

Health and Wellness

Doctors in Iowa are studying the brains of babies to learn more about sleep patterns in adults and teens. The United Health Foundation reports one-…

While more than 3,500 people have been awarded the Medal of Honor since it was created by President Abraham Lincoln, only 65 of them are alive today. (The White House)

Social Issues

While National Medal of Honor Month is ending, plans to develop a museum and monument for the award are continuing. Numerous Medal of Honor …

Social Issues

Construction of the Medal of Honor Museum and Foundation is under way in Arlington, Texas - a place to pay tribute to those who've earned the …

Social Issues

Labor leaders in various industries recently celebrated the 85th anniversary of a federal law that laid the groundwork for registered apprenticeship p…

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021