INDIANAPOLIS — Indianapolis is one step closer toward banning assault rifles and raising the minimum age to buy guns.
Wednesday evening, the City-County Council's public safety and criminal justice committee approved Mayor Joe Hogsett's plan, voting to move the proposal ahead to the full council.
But even if the council eventually approves the measure, the plan isn't immediately enforceable.
The proposal is a conditional ordinance. Since state law currently prevents local governments like Indy from regulating firearms in this way, the proposal wouldn't immediately take effect.
But if state restrictions are lifted or the law one day changes by the legislature or by the courts, it would allow Indianapolis to implement these gun safety measures.
The proposal calls for raising the age to buy a gun to 21 years old and would ban assault rifles in Indianapolis.
The plan comes as welcome news for many gathered in the audience from the group Moms Demand Action.
"It's commonsense legislation that is simply saying we have to stop the killing," said Cathy Weinmann, of Moms Demand Action Indianapolis.
And after the violence that injured more than 20 people in Indianapolis just last weekend, Weinmann said she believes action is needed.
"We can't just let 23 people be shot every weekend on the streets of Indianapolis," Weinmann said.
"Young people are losing their lives, or their lives are changed forever because of a firearm," IMPD Chief Randal Taylor said.
Playing the body-camera footage from the April shooting near 30th and Post Road that injured two IMPD officers when a man fired an AR-15-style rifle, Taylor said it demonstrates the real danger officers and the community are in from these weapons.
"It is important, regardless of what you think the possibility of this outcome is — ask the families that have lost loved ones to that," Taylor said. "It's important to me, it's important to our officers, and I believe it's important to this community, that's why we're doing it."
But in the crowd and on the committee, concerns over these plans were raised.
“We have a woke agenda that’s being pushed by a woke prosecutor with a false narrative of systemic injustices, and we’ve seen that plague go through cities like ours, and we’re seeing the result of it now,” Councilor Joshua Bain (R) said.
"This to me is something that's completely unconstitutional. We're talking about banning assault weapons. I could take a water bottle and if I hit you with it, now it's an assault weapon because I used it in an assault," Councilor Brian Mowery said.
But Hogsett said the changes are needed to make Indianapolis a safer community by curbing gun violence and, he said, it's what the people of Indianapolis want.
"These policies were selected because they are supported by the vast, vast majority of the people of the city of Indianapolis who agree that they will make Indianapolis a safer city,” Hogsett said.
“It’s so simple, and yet, it could make such a difference,” Weinmann said.
It's a goal Hogsett said he won't give up on.
"To those who don't want us to be here tonight, I won't be threatened into turning my back on Indianapolis residents. I am not backing down," Hogsett said.
A vote on the proposal by the full council is expected July 10.