There was a lot of debate as to whether or not Eric Holcomb would sign the Constitutional Carry bill and the chatter was silenced when he signed the legislation.
As reported in IndyStar:
Gov. Eric Holcomb signed a bill into law Monday that eliminates the license requirement to carry a handgun in Indiana, despite initial opposition from the Holcomb-appointed head of state police due to safety concerns.
Starting in July, anyone who legally could carry a handgun with a permit previously now could do so without one moving forward, due to House Bill 1296. That means most Hoosiers 18 years and older can carry a handgun in public without ever having received a background check, unless they had done so to purchase a handgun.
Permits still will be available to those who want one, such as those traveling to another state that has reciprocity with Indiana.
“HEA 1296, which I’ve signed today, entrusts Hoosiers who can lawfully carry a handgun to responsibly do so within our state,” Holcomb said in a statement. “It’s important to note that if a person is prohibited, under federal or state laws, from possessing a firearm before this law goes into effect, that person will still be prohibited. And if a prohibited person has a firearm, he or she can be prosecuted.”
Indiana marks the 24th state to have passed this legislation in the country. This is a significant step in getting this legislation into other states. Most of the traditional conservative states have passed this legislation and now some of the more moderate states are passing the legislation. Next up are states like Virginia, Pennsylvania, and Florida.
