INDIANAPOLIS — Indiana lawmakers approved a bill to address the increasing amount of gun violence in Indianapolis and surrounding areas.
The bill, now headed to Governor Eric Holcomb's desk, would establish the Indiana Crime Guns Task Force, which would come up with a strategy to trace guns used to commit crimes in and around Indianapolis. The central Indiana counties that have chosen to participate include Boone, Hamilton, Hancock, Hendricks, Marion, Morgan, Johnson and Shelby counties.
"The Indiana Crime Guns Task Force will track and remove firearms from the cycle of violence and gather data to help us prevent crime in the future," said Rep. John L. Bartlett (D-Indianapolis), who co-authored the bill.
The proposed bill would also establish an executive board to direct and oversee the task force.
The bill overwhelmingly passed in both the House and the Senate with the Senate approving the bill in a 49-0 vote and the House on Tuesday approving the bill in a vote of 91-1. Now the bill goes to the governor's desk for his signature.
