handguns

A bill that would fund specialized, optional firearm safety training for teachers in certain districts has been sent to the governors desk.

An Indiana man whose neighbors last weekend saw his child point a loaded handgun at them outside their apartment appeared in court Thursday, where a judge entered not-guilty pleas to felony charges on his behalf.

Hoosiers will no longer have to get a permit to carry a handgun in public under a bill headed to the governor’s desk.

A Senate committee took eight hours of testimony on so-called “permitless carry” legislation, HB 1077, last week. And at the end of it, the committee voted to overhaul the bill, keeping the permit system in place.

House Bill 1077, as it now stands, keeps Indiana’s handgun carry permit system in place. And it adds a new, “provisional” license – a temporary permit a person can use to carry a handgun in public while the state processes their application for the permanent handgun license.

A section of both the House and Senate policies say employees are prohibited from bringing handguns into any meeting related to personnel matters, including evaluations, disciplinary action and human resource discussions.

Currently Indiana residents wish to carry a handgun must fill out an application, get fingerprinted and pay a fee. Several police organizations support keeping the current licensing.

A joint committee heard lengthy testimony on the issue of whether or not to eliminate Indiana's handgun license requirement.

The issue of whether to repeal a law that requires Hoosiers to be permitted to carry a handgun will likely come up next session.

The study committee looked at laws are being adopted by other states allowing people to carry a handgun without a permit.