LOUISVILLE, Ky. — In preparation for Indiana's new gun law set to take effect Friday, Attorney General Todd Rokita released a Gun Owners' Bill of Rights for Hoosiers.
The Bill of Rights includes answers to common questions like licensing and "open carry" within the state according to a press release.
Starting Friday, "The People shall have a right to bear arms, for the defense of themselves and the State," according to Article 1, Section 32 in the Indiana State Constitution.
In a message from Rokita to law enforcement within the Bill of Rights, he wrote:
To my partners in law enforcement, this guide was created with you in mind and written in a manner to assist you. I have the utmost respect for those who wear the badge and put their lives on the line every day, and I thank those officers who understand and respect the Second Amendment.
Indiana State Police Superintendent Doug Carter has said he is concerned about the law and it will challenge frontline law enforcement.
"More often than not, that crime gun that we find connects itself to multiple crimes," Carter said. "And we are going to lose that ability because we can't even ask someone if they have a permit or not."
Gov. Eric Holcomb signed the bill, Indiana House Bill 1296, in March. It allows most people 18 years and older to carry a handgun in public without a permit unless they have a felony conviction, domestic violence offense or dangerous mental illness.
People are restricted from carrying in schools, airports, most aircrafts, casinos and the State Fairgrounds. Federal laws are still in place, so people cannot carry into federal facilities and school zones.
To read the Bill of Rights, click here.
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