Indiana is the first state to offer lifetime handgun permits. My only hope for the future is that Indiana also becomes the first state to invalidate all lifetime handgun permits in the interest of public safety.
Indiana, like most states, requires handgun owners to have a permit to transport or carry their weapons. Before the lifetime permits were introduced, handgun permits had to be renewed every four years. I don't see any problem with the old system, but apparently lawmakers thought it needed a drastic change.
The new law should have been passed with all Hoosiers in mind, but it seems to me the only people who benefit are handgun owners - now they won't have to go through the "hassle" of renewing their permits and might actually pay less with the one-time fee.
I have no problem with handgun owners benefiting from this new law, but when the rest of the public loses benefits; that's another story.
With the old system, permit applicants were required to pass an initial background check and subsequent checks at four-year intervals. The periodic checkups benefited everyone by ensuring that only responsible gun owners received permits to carry weapons. But because of the new law, handgun owners can bypass the periodic checkups with the lifetime permits, and there is nothing the rest of us can do about it.
According to lawmakers and police officials, the public doesn't need to worry about the absent background checks because "state police will continue to check on gun permit owners when they are notified of an arrest, conviction or other action that could limit or preclude a person's right to have a permit."
The state police will check on gun permit owners, but only after being notified that someone might not be eligible for a permit.
I don't even want to think about the overly complex bureaucratic system that is probably in place to make sure the notification gets to the state police in the first place.
The periodic checkup might have been a hassle, but at least it was guaranteed - not based on a notification.
Another problem is the potential loss of state funds due to the lifetime permits. Currently, the state receives around $1.1 million a year from handgun permit fees. According to the state police, if all current permit applicants decide to buy lifetime permits, the revenue will be about $4 million a year - but only for the first four years. Obviously, revenue from renewals will drop if people decide to go with the lifetime permits.
Essentially, Indiana stands to lose money in the long run if the majority of applicants purchase lifetime permits. Sure, in the short run the revenue will increase drastically, but over time a significant amount of money could be lost because of fewer renewal fees. Of course, it all depends on how many people choose to stay with the traditional four-year permits and how many buy the lifetime permits.
On a somewhat more positive note, if the new law generates more than $1.1 million a year in revenue from permit fees, the state police could use the additional money to create a central depository on criminal history. It would probably have been better to have the depository before any lifetime permits were handed out, but at least now there is a possibility it will be built, even if it's a bit late.
Lifetime handgun permits might put public safety at risk and could cut into Indiana's funds, and the only benefit is less hassle for handgun owners. We were the first state to pay such a high price for a ridiculous benefit, but there is hope - we could also be the last.
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