State lawmakers are taking another shot at enacting legislation to allow all adult Hoosiers legally entitled to own a firearm to carry a handgun in public without obtaining a state license.
House Bill 1077 was killed Feb. 24 by the Republican-controlled Senate after the House-approved "permitless carry" plan was revised by the Senate Judiciary Committee to merely make minor modifications to the existing handgun licensing process.
Senate President Rod Bray, R-Martinsville, said at the time permitless carry would be back this year, and state Sen. Eric Koch, R-Bedford, on Wednesday announced his intent to delete the contents of Senate Bill 209 and replace them with House Bill 1077, exactly as it passed the House — ignoring the changes made by the Senate committee following nine hours of testimony and debate.
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That's easier said than done, however.
During the conference committee process, all proposed changes to legislation must be agreed to by a designated Republican and Democratic senator, as well as a Republican and Democratic representative.
Only then can the agreed plan advance to each chamber for final approval.
At this point, it appears unlikely the Democratic conference committee members — state Sen. Rodney Pol, D-Chesterton, and state Rep. Ragen Hatcher, D-Gary — are willing to sign off on reviving House Bill 1077 without changes.
Pol, in particular, said he believes lawmakers should consider the Senate committee testimony of Indiana State Police Superintendent Doug Carter, and representatives of the Fraternal Order of Police, who said eliminating handgun carry permits will make Hoosier police officers less safe because there no longer will be an easy way to confirm a person with handgun is legally entitled to be carrying it.
"If you choose to support this bill you will not be supporting us. You will not be supporting the front-line officer," Carter said. "Shifting the burden from the individual who applied for the permit to the front-line officer is wrong on so many levels. But that's what you're doing."
Hatcher, meanwhile, has long advocated for legislation to develop better systems for licensing gun owners and tracking gun sales to reduce the prevalence of gun violence and the toll it takes on communities, particularly in Northwest Indiana.
"This proposal will put more handguns on our streets and add to the challenges many of our urban communities face in addressing violent crime," Hatcher said. "We are putting politics above public safety."
The Republican supermajorities in each chamber can use their authority to substitute amenable Republicans for the Democratic conferees in coming days if they want the House-approved permitless carry plan to advance for final votes in the House and Senate.
The measure almost is certain to again pass the House since it already was approved Jan. 11 by a 64-29 margin.
Permitless carry supporters, including state Rep. Ben Smaltz, R-Auburn, the original sponsor, said they believe it's wrong for Indiana to condition the constitutional right to keep and bear arms on a requirement that lawful gun owners get permission from the state and submit their fingerprints to the government before carrying a handgun in public.
"This bill is all about the lawful person and trying to respect their rights," Smaltz said. "(It) seeks to level the playing field for the law-abiding Hoosier to defend themselves in public as they can at home."
The outcome in the Senate is less certain since supporting the proposal will mean defying the clearly expressed opposition of professional law enforcement officers and prosecutors across the state — a potentially tricky vote in an election year.
Should the measure pass both the House and Senate with identical language, it then will go to Republican Gov. Eric Holcomb for a decision on signing the proposal into law or vetoing it.
Holcomb has not publicly declared a position on permitless carry. Though it's unlikely Holcomb's state police superintendent would have taken such a strong stance against the legislation unless Carter had an inkling his position accorded with the feelings of his boss.
In any case, it takes in Indiana only a simple majority — the same 50% plus one required to send legislation to the governor in the first place — for the General Assembly to override a gubernatorial veto and enact a measure into law notwithstanding his objections.
Meet the 2022 Northwest Indiana legislative delegation
State Sen. Michael Griffin, D-Highland

State Sen. Michael Griffin, D-Highland
1st Senate District
Represents: Hammond (south side), Munster, Highland, Griffith, Dyer, Schererville
Experience: Former Highland clerk-treasurer; university instructor
Committees: Insurance and Financial Institutions; Local Government
State Sen. Lonnie Randolph, D-East Chicago

State Sen. Lonnie Randolph, D-East Chicago
2nd Senate District
Represents: Hammond, Whiting, East Chicago, Gary (west side), Griffith, Hobart, Merrillville
Experience: State senator since 2008, previously served 1994-98; attorney
Committees: Commerce and Technology; Insurance and Financial Institutions (ranking member); Judiciary (ranking member); Rules and Legislative Procedure; Tax and Fiscal Policy; Utilities (ranking member)
State Sen. Eddie Melton, D-Gary

State Sen. Eddie Melton, D-Gary
3rd Senate District
Represents: Gary, Lake Station, New Chicago, Hobart, Merrillville, Crown Point
Experience: State senator since 2016; community relations manager
Committees: Appropriations (ranking member); Education and Career Development; Health and Provider Services; Joint Rules; Rules and Legislative Procedure
State Sen. Rodney Pol Jr., D-Chesterton

State Sen. Rodney Pol Jr., D-Chesterton
4th Senate District
Represents: Ogden Dunes, Portage, Chesterton, South Haven, Burns Harbor, Beverly Shores, Michigan City, Westville
Experience: State senator since 2021; attorney
Committees: Corrections and Criminal Law (ranking member); Environmental Affairs; Local Government; Pensions and Labor; Public Policy
State Sen. Ed Charbonneau, R-Valparaiso

State Sen. Ed Charbonneau, R-Valparaiso
5th Senate District
Represents: Valparaiso, Hebron, Kouts, Jasper County
Experience: State senator since 2007; attorney
Committees: Appropriations; Ethics; Health and Provider Services (chairman); Rules and Legislative Procedure; Tax and Fiscal Policy
State Sen. Rick Niemeyer, R-Lowell

State Sen. Rick Niemeyer, R-Lowell
6th Senate District
Represents: St. John, Cedar Lake, Crown Point, Winfield, Lowell, Newton County
Experience: State senator since 2014, state representative 2012-14; small business owner
Committees: Environmental Affairs; Local Government; Tax and Fiscal Policy
State Sen. Mike Bohacek, R-Michiana Shores

State Sen. Mike Bohacek, R-Michiana Shores
8th Senate District
Represents: LaPorte County
Experience: State senator since 2016; consultant
Committees: Corrections and Criminal Law; Insurance and Financial Institutions; Judiciary; Local Government
State Rep. Carolyn Jackson, D-Hammond

State Rep. Carolyn Jackson, D-Hammond
1st House District
Represents: Hammond, Whiting
Experience: State representative since 2018; retired Cook County, Ill., probation officer
Committees: Environmental Affairs; Family, Children and Human Affairs; Natural Resources
State Rep. Earl Harris Jr., D-East Chicago

State Rep. Earl Harris Jr., D-East Chicago
2nd House District
Represents: East Chicago, Gary (west side)
Experience: State representative since 2016; small business owner
Committees: Government and Regulatory Reform; Roads and Transportation; Ways and Means
State Rep. Ragen Hatcher, D-Gary

State Rep. Ragen Hatcher, D-Gary
3rd House District
Represents: Gary (downtown and east side), Lake Station, New Chicago, Hobart
Experience: State representative since 2018; attorney
Committees: Commerce, Small Business and Economic Development; Courts and Criminal Code (ranking member); Government and Regulatory Reform
State Rep. Ed Soliday, R-Valparaiso

State Rep. Ed Soliday, R-Valparaiso
4th House District
Represents: Valparaiso
Experience: State representative since 2006; aviation safety consultant
Committees: Elections and Apportionment; Roads and Transportation; Utilities, Energy and Telecommunications (chairman)
State Rep. Pat Boy, D-Michigan City

State Rep. Pat Boy, D-Michigan City
9th House District
Represents: Michigan City, Chesterton, Beverly Shores, Long Beach, Westville
Experience: State representative since 2018; retired small business owner
Committees: Environmental Affairs; Natural Resources (ranking member)
State Rep. Chuck Moseley, D-Portage

State Rep. Chuck Moseley, D-Portage
10th House District
Represents: Portage, Chesterton, Ogden Dunes, Burns Harbor, South Haven
Experience: State representative since 2008; financial solutions associate
Committees: Employment, Labor and Pensions; Roads and Transportation (ranking member); Veterans Affairs and Public Safety
State Rep. Mike Aylesworth, R-Hebron

State Rep. Mike Aylesworth, R-Hebron
11th House District
Represents: St. John, Cedar Lake, Lowell, Schneider, Hebron, Kouts
Experience: State representative since 2014; farmer, former state environmental regulator
Committees: Agriculture and Rural Development (vice chairman); Courts and Criminal Code; Environmental Affairs
State Rep. Mike Andrade, D-Munster

State Rep. Mike Andrade, D-Munster
12th House District
Represents: Munster, Hammond (south side), Highland, Griffith
Experience: State representative since 2020; small businessman
Committees: Commerce, Small Business and Economic Development; Employment, Labor and Pensions; Veterans Affairs and Public Safety
State Rep. Vernon Smith, D-Gary

State Rep. Vernon Smith, D-Gary
14th House District
Represents: Gary (south side), Merrillville
Experience: State representative since 1990; education professor at Indiana University Northwest
Committees: Education (ranking member); Judiciary; Local Government
State Rep. Hal Slager, R-Schererville

State Rep. Hal Slager, R-Schererville
15th House District
Represents: Dyer, Schererville, St. John, Griffith
Experience: State representative 2012-18, reelected 2020; small business owner
Committees: Environmental Affairs; Ways and Means
State Rep. Douglas Gutwein, R-Francesville

State Rep. Douglas Gutwein, R-Francesville
16th House District
Represents: Newton, Jasper counties
Experience: State representative since 2008; small business owner
Committees: Agriculture and Rural Development; Environmental Affairs (vice chairman); Veterans Affairs and Public Safety
State Rep. Julie Olthoff, R-Crown Point

State Rep. Julie Olthoff, R-Crown Point
19th House District
Represents: Crown Point, Merrillville, Winfield, Lakes of the Four Seasons, Hobart
Experience: State representative 2014-2018, reelected 2020; small business owner
Committees: Family, Children and Human Affairs; Public Health (vice chairwoman); Veterans Affairs and Public Safety
State Rep. Jim Pressel, R-Rolling Prairie

State Rep. Jim Pressel, R-Rolling Prairie
20th House District
Represents: LaPorte County
Experience: State representative since 2016; small business owner
Committees: Commerce, Small Business and Economic Development; Roads and Transportation (chairman)