BREAKING NEWS: Update to Indiana Gun Confiscation Bill

In my "There's a Reason Why They Call Us 'Gun Nuts" commentary about an Indiana bill proposing to confiscate guns from individuals that a police officer deems to be mentally ill, I cited The Fort Wayne Journal Gazette's claim that "Rep. Larry Buell, R-Indianapolis, who authored the bill, says that he consulted with the National Rifle Association when he drafted the bill and that it supports the legislation."

I spoke with Stacey Stumpf of the Journal Gazette and asked her if this was correct.

"Yes," she replied. "I spoke with Rep. Buell the day before the article."

I then spoke with Buell spokesman Graig Lubsen, who also confirmed NRA support for the bill.

He informed me that the bill is undergoing changes, where the police would "need a warrant to take any weapons, and the person is entitled to have a hearing within 14 days."

He also informed me that the legislature was "talking about--but it hasn't happened yet--on second reading, an amendment that one year is the longest the state can hold the weapon. Then the person can reapply to have the weapon returned. If they reapply and are denied, the state can hold it for another year."

Mr. Lubsen assured me that Rep. Buell is a stong supporter of the right to keep and bear arms, and wanted to make sure I knew about the incident that precipitated the bill, the fatal shooting of the police officer son of a friend of Mr. Buell by a mentally ill person.

Editorial comments:

That is unfortunate. It is tragic. But it's also the rationale used to pass the Brady Law, the "assault weapon" ban, and many other gun control laws.

If a person can't be trusted with a gun because they are a danger to themselves and others, they can't be trusted without a custodian.