INDIANAPOLIS — Two Indiana lawmakers attempted to push through a gun reform bill as the state legislature prepared to end its session.
State Representative Ed DeLaney (D-Indianapolis) and State Senator Eddie Melton (D-Gary) were hoping to revamp Senate Bill 413 as a new gun reform bill in response to the mass shooting at the FedEx facility in Indianapolis.
The changes to the bill would have mandated universal background checks for gun sales and set legal penalties for failure to comply. They would also have instituted a ban on the sale of assault weapons, as defined by the report as selective-fire firearms capable of fully automatic, semiautomatic or 35-burst fire at the option of the user.
“Our community has once again been rocked by a horrific act of violence and it demands a response from us,” DeLaney said. “This is our chance to listen and take swift action. They deserve to know that we are doing whatever we can to keep this from happening again.”
The changes were rejected by the bill's author. DeLaney and Melton said the bill's author said it would not be able to pass the Senate.
"...I’m disappointed to see the General Assembly, after last week’s tragedy, turn around and continue to reject common-sense gun safety legislation that Hoosiers have requested," Melton said. "Indiana residents have already voiced their desire for gun safety laws, like universal background checks, to reduce the violent cycle that has become the norm in our nation. All Hoosiers want is the freedom to do everyday tasks like go to work, attend school and run errands without fearing for their lives because elected leaders have once again failed to act on the issue of gun violence."
Republicans in the Senate recently passed a resolution April 9 that they would oppose any restrictions on the type of guns sold in Indiana and to refuse compliance with any federal gun control legislation.
