As Hoosiers prepare to celebrate America’s Independence Day and the freedoms we enjoy, gun owners have something else to celebrate: five important gun law reforms took effect in Indiana on Friday, July 1.

2011 was the most successful pro-gun legislative session in the Hoosier State’s recent history, as the Indiana General Assembly passed and Governor Mitch Daniels signed into law five NRA-supported bills that will expand and protect the rights of lawful gun owners.

As of July 1, Hoosiers:

Are protected from employer anti-gun workplace discrimination;
have the ability to purchase a long gun in any state that allows such sales;
can transport a firearm to a shooting range without a state-issued permit;
know that wherever one might travel throughout Indiana, the same firearm laws and freedoms apply evenly across local boundaries; and
are able to carry a loaded firearm on their person on off-road vehicles on private property.

Senate Enrolled Act 292, the “Firearm Preemption Reform” bill, mandates a strong and meaningful statewide standard for all firearm laws in Indiana, prevents municipalities from restricting firearm purchases, ownership and lawful carry that are allowed by state law, and removes existing special exemptions for particular communities.

This bill was authored by state Senator Jim Tomes (R-49) and was coauthored by Senators Jim Smith (R-45), Scott Schneider (R-30), Jim Banks (R-17), Brent Waltz (R-36), Brent Steele (R-44), Dennis Kruse (R-14), John Waterman (R-39), Brandt Hershman (R-7), and NRA Board Member Senator Johnny Nugent (R-43). The measure was sponsored in the House by state Representative Mike Speedy (R-90) and cosponsored by Representatives Sean Eberhart (R-57), Eric Koch (R-65), Heath VanNatter (R-38) and Terry Goodin (D-66).

Senate Enrolled Act 506, the “Firearm Transport Permit Reform” bill, makes important reforms to current Indiana law. Until SEA 506 becomes effective Friday, July 1, state law bans the transport of a handgun in your vehicle without a state-issued permit for any reason unless driving from the point of purchase to your home or fixed place of business, or from your home or fixed place of business to a gunsmith for repair.

The “Firearm Transport Permit Reform” bill was authored by state Senator Jim Tomes (R-49) and coauthored by Senators Dennis Kruse (R-14), Jim Smith (R-45), Scott Schneider (R-30), Brent Waltz (R-36), Michael Young (R-35), John Waterman (R-39), Travis Holdman (R-19), Jim Banks (R-17) and NRA Board Member Johnny Nugent (R-43). The measure was sponsored in the House by state Representative Heath VanNatter (R-38) and cosponsored by Representatives Sean Eberhart (R-57) and Robert Morris (R-84).

Senate Enrolled Act 411, also known as the “Parking Lot 2.0” bill, clarifies and strengthens last year’s “Parking Lot” employee protection bill by putting an end to abusive corporate anti-gun policies by several employers around the state, including forced firearm registration, random vehicle searches, and publicized “gun zone” parking lots for gun owning employees.

This bill was authored by state Senators Johnny Nugent (R-43) and Jim Tomes (R-49) and was sponsored in the House by state Representative Eberhart (R-57) and cosponsored by Representatives Woody Burton (R-58) and David Cheatham (D-69).

Senate Enrolled Act 94 is known as the “Non-Contiguous State Firearm Purchase” bill. SEA 94 removes the unnecessary and onerous ban on lawful rifle and shotgun purchases in states that do not border Indiana. SEA 94 also aids Indiana’s economy by allowing Indiana firearm retailers to sell rifles and shotguns to lawful residents of non-border states who travel or shop in Indiana. This bill was authored by state Senators Travis Holdman (R-19) and Jim Tomes (R-49) and co-authored by Senators Johnny Nugent (R-43), Brent Steele (R-44), Lindel Hume (D-48), John Waterman (R-39), Dennis Kruse (R-14), Allen Paul (R-27), Ron Grooms (R-46), Jim Smith (R-45) and Tom Wyss (R-15). In the House, the bill was sponsored by state Representative Matthew Lehman (R-79) and cosponsored by Representative Sean Eberhart (R-57).

Senate Enrolled Act 154 allows loaded firearms on off-road vehicles on private property if the person carrying the firearm owns or has permission to be on the property. SEA 154 was authored by state Senator Brent Steele (R-44) and co-authored by Senators Jim Buck (R-21), Dennis Kruse (R-14) and Phil Boots (R-23). The bill was sponsored in the House by Representative Sean Eberhart (R-57) and was co-authored by Representatives Dale Grubb (D-42), Matt Ubelhor (R-62) and Steve Davisson (R-73).

The NRA would also like to thank Governor Mitch Daniels, Senate President Pro Tempore David Long (R-16) and House Speaker Brian Bosma (R-88) for supporting each of these important new reforms.

All five firearm laws went into effect on July 1, just in time for our nation’s Independence Day celebration.