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Last updated on Monday, January 11, 2016
(INDIANAPOLIS) - Indiana is a gun state, and government leaders here are pushing back on President Obama’s efforts to increase gun control.
The president wants to make an example of Indiana because gun laws in the Hoosier state are less strict than the gun laws in his home state of Illinois.
During the president's CNN town hall meeting on gun control Thursday he spotlighted the number of illegal guns in Chicago.
"The problem," he said, "is that about 30, 40 percent of those guns are coming from Indiana, from across the border, where there are much laxer laws."
The finger pointing is not new.
During an October speech to police chiefs in Chicago the president challenged those who say gun control in Illinois isn't working.
"The problem with that argument, as the Chicago Police Department will tell you," he said at the time, "is that 60 percent of guns recovered come from out of state. You've just got to hop across the border."
Indiana Congressman Luke Messer went on CNN to make the case that the President is misguided.
"The fundamental disagreement here is that criminals don't care about gun control legislation," he said. "Those who will murder will murder irregardless of gun control legislation."
Earlier this week Indiana Governor Mike Pence indicated that he's not interested in new gun control measures.
"I believe now more than ever," said Mike Pence, "it's, it's important that we protect the right of law abiding citizens in this state to be able to defend themselves, their families and their neighbors."
But the President insists that illegal gun dealers continue to benefit.
"They go to a gun show in Indiana, where right now they don't have to do a background check," he said, "load up a van and open up that van and sell 'em to kids and gangs in Chicago."
There will be gun debates in the Indiana General Assembly this year. Eight bills related to gun control have been filed so far.
It's worth noting, however, that five of them are aimed at eliminating one or more of the existing gun control measures.
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