Bill to ease limits on handgun permits draws concerns

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) – An advocate for domestic violence victims said a legislative proposal to lift Indiana’s restrictions on alcohol offenders obtaining handgun licenses would remove one means of protecting victims.

A state Senate committee heard testimony Wednesday on a bill that would change a law that prohibits people with certain alcohol-related convictions within three years from getting a license to carry a handgun.

Indiana Coalition Against Domestic Violence lobbyist Kathy Williams told lawmakers that most police calls for domestic violence involve alcohol abuse. She calls the combination of alcohol and handguns a “lethal combination.”

Bill sponsor Sen. Jim Tomes of Wadesville said federal law prohibits anyone with felony convictions from obtaining a handgun license, but a license isn’t required to buy a gun.

The committee could vote on the proposal next week.