GuyRelford
Master
I'd like to offer a suggestion to Mike and Evan and all of my friends on INGO. I think INGO members should present an annual "INGO Friend of Freedom Award" to someone in Indiana who has gone above and beyond the call of duty to protect our rights as Indiana gun owners. And I enthusiastically nominate a recipient for 2011: State Senator Jim Tomes (R, Evansville).
As many of you know, I am chairing a continuing legal education course for Indiana lawyers entitled "Taking Aim: An Introduction to Indiana Firearms Law." As part of that conference, I invited Senator Tomes to speak at last Wednesday's session (the second of three), to update the attendees on the recent legislative changes in Indiana.
To my delight, Sen. Tomes accepted my invitation, and he delivered an absolutely wonderful presentation to the group Wednesday morning. I have to admit that I had no idea what positive impact this one man has had on our rights as Indiana gun owners. He single-handedly envisioned and accomplished the legislative changes that gave us our "lifetime" LTCHs. He has personally taken on individual police departments across the state that were unnecessarily putting up roadblocks to the LTCH application process. He authored and pushed through the new preemption statute and the changes to Indiana law regarding the legal ability to carry an unloaded, secure handgun in a car without a LTCH. He pioneered the statutory changes that allow firearms on off-road vehicles.
And he's done so much more for us - all with a very common-sense, down-home approach that is so rare these days in American politics. And he did all of this after a long career as a truck driver - solely because he felt the need to protect the rights of Indiana citizens. (Not just our gun rights - but many others.)
So - I am proposing that we, as INGO members, nominate and vote on an annual recipient of an "INGO Friend of Freedom Award," and (if Mike agrees with this process), I nominate Jim Tomes for 2011. It would be very easy to set up a poll to vote on other candidates if there are other nominations.
If we go forward with this, I will gladly contribute the first $100 toward a very nice plaque or trophy (or engraved firearm??) for Sen. Tomes.
Mike - what do you think - and I'd love to hear the opinions of other INGOers.
Guy
As many of you know, I am chairing a continuing legal education course for Indiana lawyers entitled "Taking Aim: An Introduction to Indiana Firearms Law." As part of that conference, I invited Senator Tomes to speak at last Wednesday's session (the second of three), to update the attendees on the recent legislative changes in Indiana.
To my delight, Sen. Tomes accepted my invitation, and he delivered an absolutely wonderful presentation to the group Wednesday morning. I have to admit that I had no idea what positive impact this one man has had on our rights as Indiana gun owners. He single-handedly envisioned and accomplished the legislative changes that gave us our "lifetime" LTCHs. He has personally taken on individual police departments across the state that were unnecessarily putting up roadblocks to the LTCH application process. He authored and pushed through the new preemption statute and the changes to Indiana law regarding the legal ability to carry an unloaded, secure handgun in a car without a LTCH. He pioneered the statutory changes that allow firearms on off-road vehicles.
And he's done so much more for us - all with a very common-sense, down-home approach that is so rare these days in American politics. And he did all of this after a long career as a truck driver - solely because he felt the need to protect the rights of Indiana citizens. (Not just our gun rights - but many others.)
So - I am proposing that we, as INGO members, nominate and vote on an annual recipient of an "INGO Friend of Freedom Award," and (if Mike agrees with this process), I nominate Jim Tomes for 2011. It would be very easy to set up a poll to vote on other candidates if there are other nominations.
If we go forward with this, I will gladly contribute the first $100 toward a very nice plaque or trophy (or engraved firearm??) for Sen. Tomes.
Mike - what do you think - and I'd love to hear the opinions of other INGOers.
Guy
