Senate Lawmakers OK Staffers With Guns In The Statehouse

Senate lawmakers approved legislation to allow legislative staffers to carry guns in the Statehouse.

A gun regulations bill was amended in the Senate to include language that would allow legislative employees to carry guns into the building. Currently, only police, judges and lawmakers are allowed to do that.

Sen. Greg Taylor (D-Indianapolis) says he thinks it’s unwise to bring more guns into the Statehouse.

“I don’t have any problem with the staff in this building – heck, I would imagine some of them walk in here with a gun and we don’t even know it,” Taylor says. “But this is one of those issues that I think should have gone through a study committee, if anything, to talk about some of the things that we could put in place to protect us even more if we’re going to have just unfettered firearms in the building.”

But Sen. Blake Doriot (R-Goshen), speaking in favor of the bill, told the story of his sister, who was murdered in her home years ago.

“If my sister would’ve had a firearm, she could have defended herself and we wouldn’t be paying a million dollars for someone to sit in Michigan City ‘til he dies,” Doriot says.

The Senate approved the bill 40-9, along party lines.

A similar bill cleared the Senate but died in the House last year.