The Indiana House voted Monday to eliminate the license to carry a handgun in the state -- an apparent victory, at least temporary, for supporters of Second Amendment gun rights.

House Bill 1369, which passed the House by a 65-31 vote and now heads to the Senate, repeals a law that requires a person to obtain a license to carry a handgun in Indiana, according to the Indianapolis Star

It allows for any person who is lawfully able to carry and possess a firearm to do so without a government-issued permit or license, reports said. The bill specified that certain offenders still could be prohibited from carrying handguns.

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Police, however, argued that eliminating screening processes would put more guns on the streets, making communities less safe.

"I think we are all very strong supporters of the second amendment," said Lafayette Police Chief Patrick Flannelly with the Indiana Association of Chiefs of Police. "By repealing processes like this that are good screening mechanisms, we are going to put more guns out on the street, and there are going to be people that should not be carrying them will be carrying them."

Currently, to apply for a new Indiana license to carry a handgun, you have to be 18 or older, register online, schedule an appointment to have your fingerprints taken, and complete local law enforcement agency processing within 180 days.

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Out of the more than 120,000 handgun license applicants in 2020, nearly 4% were denied, according to state data. Flannelly said his department denied 55 people from getting carry permits last year based on their background check.

"We are going to remove a tool from our law enforcement officers to help make communities safer and actually help keep our police officers safer," he told the station.

The licenses raise $5.3 million per year to train local law enforcement officers, and taxpayers will be forced to partially pick up the bill, the paper reported.

Critics also argue that it won't be easy for police to check if someone is allowed to carry a firearm. or check on those who try to carry when they aren't supposed to, according to the Indianapolis Star.

https://www.foxnews.com/us/indiana-house-votes-to-repeal-need-for-gun-permits

I really wish they would just come out and say, 1) permit systems allows us to easier bust gang members we catch carrying guns when we don't have any other charges, 2) that sweet permit money is used for funding our pet projects.

Folks who want to travel across state lines with their firearms are still going to get permits.

That is one the things we faced in AL every time this comes up. In states that enact Constitutional Carry permit sales stayed the same or in some cases increased.

The sheriffs worrying about losing their permit fee monies is unfounded.

The bigger issue is your urban police chiefs like having permit required laws because it allows them to easier bust gang members or further investigative stops.

Outstanding!

And sell freedoms.

That's the sheriffs. They control the permit system.

They got their hands spanked about a decade back because a person has to get their permit in the county they reside in. Didn't support the sheriff in the last election? No, permit for you. This got us Shall Issue, instead of May Issue.

Then later on we lost the ability to use CCW permits to go around the NICS checks because sheriffs were issuing permits to felons. Of which I personally believe that was political favors, to my knowledge there has been no official investigation into the matter despite many calls to the State Attorney General Office and absolutely zero fucks given by the local media to look into it.

Sheriff Cochran is that you?