Gun control advocates want gun owners to report stolen firearms to the government. While “safe storage laws” seem innocuous, they make gun ownership more dangerous, legally speaking, than owning other common items, such as gasoline, motor vehicles or common poisons. “Safe storage laws” subject gun owners exercising their right to keep and bear arms to increased, unconstitutional scrutiny. Indianapolis didn’t get the memo. Or ignored it. From indystar.com . . .
Shrugging off looming legal concerns, the City-County Council on Monday approved an ordinance requiring gun owners to report lost or stolen firearms to the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department or pay a fine.
The proposal was sponsored by Democratic Councilman Kip Tew and passed 15-14, along party lines. But it appeared unlikely that it would take effect, with concerns out of the mayor’s office pointing toward a likely veto.
Those opposing the ordinance had some of their arguments succinctly stated before the ordinance was passed. From wibc.com:
Relford says the proposed ordinance has three inherent problems: 1) It targets the victims of a crime by fining them for being robbed. 2) It is completely unenforceable, since there is no gun federal or state mandated registration, which would make it nearly impossible to prove individual gun ownership. And 3) It violates state statute, and opens the city up to nearly unlimited potential lawsuits.
Indiana passed a strict gun preemption law in 2011. It’s unlikely that this ordinance will pass legal muster. I suspect the law will be vetoed.
“Safe storage law” only “work” where citizens are required to register their firearms. In other words, if the state has absolute (if theoretical) control over all guns and all gun sales. Once gun registration is in place, incremental confiscation follows suit (e.g. bans on “assault weapons” and “large capacity magazines.”)
Nine states and the District of Columbia currently require gun owners to report stolen guns, under penalty of law. Those states are Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, and Rhode Island. It’s not surprising that most of these states are hotbeds of infringements on Second Amendment rights.
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