As a Hoosier, I believe in commitment to my community. I believe in duty, policy, and accountability. More than 80% percent of Hoosiers believe that a person should have to obtain a permit before carrying a handgun in public. It is the obligation of a state’s elected officials to ensure public safety standards are preserved when people carry guns in public places.

If passed, House Bill 1369 would eliminate any such safety standards by eliminating permit requirements for gun owners. There are a number of people who are not qualified to own a handgun, let alone carry one in public; examples include violent and emotionally unstable people, weapons offenders, alcohol and drug abusers, and those who have not passed applicable background checks. HB 1369 would make our law enforcement’s jobs harder and our state more dangerous. In spite of not being able to buy a handgun until they are 21, 18-year-olds would be able to carry a handgun, without training or vetting.

If the Indiana legislature decides that all people regardless of their qualifications, background, and respect for the law may carry a handgun, Hoosiers will not be safe, and we will be ashamed. The undersigned are demanding that permits be required to carry a handgun - VOTE NO ON HB 1369.