January 23, 2008 

(INDIANAPOLIS) - Bedford State Senator Brent Steele (R-44th) has announced his co-authoring of a bill, along with State Senator Johnny Nugent (R-43rd), that would allow those with carry permits to carry a firearm on state property.

Currently, state law prohibits those with permits to carry on state property such as the statehouse or public college campuses.

Steele and Nugent’s bill would still prohibit carrying in penal facilities and airports.

Steele cites the shootings at Virginia Tech and the churches in Colorado as reasons he is pushing this bill forward. Although many critics argue how effective that would be, at least in another shooting at an academic facility, as experts speculate the number of students that would actually carry a firearm on a regular basis to class would be less than the national average, which currently consists of around 1% of the population.

Steele said he doesn’t think it’s fair he can carry in the statehouse as a legislator, but his assistants and employees cannot.

The bill, Senate Bill 356, has passed the committee and will move on to the full Senate for a second reading.

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