Gun rights advocates view the upcoming legislative session as their best chance yet to get rid of an Indiana law requiring a license to carry handguns.
The controversial legislation didn’t advance during the 2016 session, but supporters believe this time could be different after sweeping Republican wins on Election Day and the appointment of Republican state Rep. Ben Smaltz to the House Public Policy Committee, which acts as a gatekeeper on such bills.
Smaltz has been a staunch advocate of gun rights.
Republican state Rep. Jim Lucas plans to file the bill when lawmakers convene in January.
He and other advocates of the bill, including the National Rifle Association, see licensing requirements and fees as unnecessary impediments to the constitutional right to keep and bear arms.
