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Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett speaks to a crowd of reporters about his city's skyrocketing homicide rate.

Source: (Photo by WISH-TV)

INDIANAPOLIS — The Hogsett Administration faces a tough legal fight if the Mayor of Indianapolis wants to turn his gun control policy proposal into reality.

Second Amendment attorney Guy Relford says Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett’s recent gun control policy package is completely illegal under current state law, violating the 2011 General Assembly’s Indiana Firearms Preemption Act.

“Local governments, and what we call political subdivisions: so, cities, towns, counties, other local units of government simply cannot regulate firearms,” Relford explains, “and then it gets very specific. It [Firearms Preemption Act] says cannot regulate firearms, ammunition, or firearm accessories. Then, it talks about possession, purchasing, commerce in, taxation of, carrying, any number of other descriptors relating to firearms.”

Mayor Hogsett specifically mentioned the Preemption Act during Thursday’s press conference, where he proposed ordinances specific to Marion County, which would see the banning the sale of “military style, AR-15 rifles”, raising the gun buying age from 18 to 21, and eliminating Permit-less/Constitutional Carry and concealed carry.

Relford, who also hosts “The Gun Guy” show on WIBC, says this is a legal path that just wouldn’t be successful for the Hogsett Administration, and perhaps most importantly, would cost you, the taxpayer, a lot of money.

Relford explains, “what taxpayers in Marion County should know is this can be a very expensive proposition for a local unit of government that chooses to ignore the Preemption law. It allows for the collection of damages, including liquidated damages of three times attorney’s fees plus attorney’s fees.”

Relford says even if the Hogsett Administration were to somehow be successful, what Hoosiers don’t need is every single small unit of government to create it’s own gun policies.

He says that would create an inconsistent patchwork of policies and ordinances that would just be confusing and would limit 2A rights.

You can listen to the full interview with 2A Attorney Guy Relford below: