Indiana: Columbus to Consider Firearm Registration Ordinance

On Tuesday, February 4, the Columbus City Council will consider a proposed ordinance which would require “secondhand dealers” to register all firearms with Leads Online, a third party property registration service provider.  The proposed ordinance blatantly disregards Indiana’s firearm preemption law and is an overreach of the Columbus City Council’s authority.

The proposed ordinance would violate current state law:

IC 35-47-11.1-2
Political subdivision regulation of firearms, ammunition, and firearm accessories prohibited
      Sec. 2. Except as provided in section 4 of this chapter, a political subdivision may not regulate:
         (1) firearms, ammunition, and firearm accessories;
         (2) the ownership, possession, carrying, transportation, registration, transfer, and storage of firearms, ammunition, and firearm accessories; and
         (3) commerce in and taxation of firearms, firearm ammunition, and firearm accessories.

A locality may not regulate the registration of firearms, ammunition, and firearm accessories.  By requiring a “secondhand dealer” of firearms to enter each firearm into a database, the City of Columbus would be in violation of the Indiana firearms preemption statute.

This City Council meeting will take place at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday, February 4.  Please attend this meeting and make your opposition heard at this location:

City Hall
  123 Washington Street
  Columbus, Indiana 47201

If you are unable to attend this city council meeting, please contact each council member and Mayor Brown and let them know you oppose any gun registration scheme.  Contact information for the mayor and council members is provided below.

Mayor Kristen Brown
(812) 376-2500
[email protected]
   
Councilmember Dascal Bunch (R-District 1)
[email protected]
   
Councilmember Ryan Brand (R-District 2)
[email protected]
   
Councilmember Frank Jerome (R-District 3)
[email protected]
  
Councilmember Frank Miller (R-District 4)
[email protected]
   
Councilmember Tim Shuffett (R-District 5)
[email protected]
   
Councilmember Jim Lienhoop (R-At Large)
[email protected]
   
Councilmember Kenny Whipker (R-At Large)
[email protected]