It's coming, you know: the Big Day! Come 1 July, if you have an Indiana "carry permit"* you can have your gun in your car in the parking lot at your work (with a few Federal-type exemptions). Whoopee!
--Not, mind you, out of your car, not one fraction of an inch. But still, hooray, right?
Kind of.
If you work at a place that's even a little gun-unfriendly, unless you have lawyered up and are ready for a long slog, it might not be too great an idea to stuff that hogleg in the glovebox come the first of next month. The Indiana Chamber of Commerce loathes the notion and they appear to be making sure business-owners know it. I won't be surprised to hear of "voluntary" car searches at some businesses and after that.... Somebody will get to be the test case.
Be ready for it.
As for me? I'm not sayin'. It's nobody's business but mine. True, I know lawyers; on the other hand, I'm not especially well-off and even if they were good, good friends, willin' to work pro bono ab initio ad infinitum, it would be a big burden. Flip side, I haven't been really, really annoying near enough lately. In either instance, what's mine is mine and it stays outta sight. Read the law (Senate Bill here, no time for a better link, sorry) -- you're able to keep in that parking lot but it doesn't offer any protection if you bear. Let's get this run through the courts before we throw a party.
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* License To Carry Handgun. I don't know if this law applies to similar permits from other states and nations, all of which Indiana otherwise honors. You should maybe ask your lawyer.
A very good post, Madame X. And it would be a good idea to start a defense fund - now. Because someone will need it, and it might be you.
ReplyDeleteStranger
The day after it passed the police at at my workplace sent out a missive saying that we would not be able to have our firearms in our vehicles.
ReplyDeleteThat's one of the benefits of Missouri implementation of CCW. That law allows anyone, regardless if you have CCW or not, to possess a loaded weapon in your car if you can legally own a weapon.
ReplyDeleteWhen included in the original Missouri law, it was known as "Carjacker's beware" clause.
Still, with the new Indiana law, it a step forward.
How is it that a state that got it so right with Once-and-done Lifetime License and Guns-in-Bars stumble so badly on Guns-in-Cars?
ReplyDeleteAnd isn't there an "Employer's property rights stop at the bottom of my tires" case wending its way through the court system?
Still in most states, I believe, educational institutions are exempted, which in the light of things like Northern and Virginia Tech make less and less sense.
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