Bauer calls on Indiana congressional delegation to support bipartisan gun legislation in light of SCOTUS bump stock ruling
Last week, State Rep. Maureen Bauer (D-South Bend) sent a letter to Indiana's federal congressional delegation calling upon them to continue Indiana's recent run of successful bipartisan gun safety laws in both the state legislature and Congress. The ATF's new “Engaged in the Business” rule clarifies when a person needs to become a licensed dealer and run background checks, and gives local law enforcement as well as the Department of Justice additional tools to prevent prohibited individuals from illegally obtaining firearms. However, this new rule has come under fire in recent weeks. The House Judiciary Committee held a hearing to discuss overturning the rule.
Friday (June 14), the United States Supreme Court struck down a Trump-era ban on bump stock attachments to rifles. The ATF ruled in 2017 that these devices should be banned as they convert semi-automatic rifles to machine guns after a bump stock was used to kill 58 people and injure almost 500 in the catastrophic Las Vegas shooting. Friday, SCOTUS ruled against that ban, making the device available to citizens across the nation.
“Friday marked a setback in the pursuit of common sense gun safety policy in our nation. Now more than ever, Indiana’s congressional delegation must continue their support for bipartisan legislation to curb the deadly epidemic of gun violence.
“I joined other state legislators in calling upon Indiana’s nine Congressional leaders to support the ATF ‘Engaged in the Business’ rule. The loophole in our gun laws which currently allows unlawful people to obtain firearms from unlicensed dealers who do not run background checks must be closed. If an individual fails a background check, they should not be allowed to obtain a firearm so easily from another source. It is crucial to the safety of our communities that this rule remains in place to require background checks for all gun purchases.
“Common sense gun reform is not a partisan issue. All communities are impacted by gun violence. Young Hoosiers deserve to grow up in a community free from violence and crime, and we all deserve a life of peace and security.”