Posted on 02/18/2011 7:55:37 AM PST by jaydubya2
The bill would allow people to carry a gun almost anywhere in Indiana. That means licensed gun owners would be able to bring their firearms into libraries, parks, and sports arenas, including Lucas Oil Stadium.
Indianapolis
Colts owner Jim Irsay held a news conference Thursday to voice his opposition to Senate Bill 292.
The bill would allow people to carry a gun almost anywhere in Indiana. That means licensed gun owners would be able to bring their firearms into libraries, parks, and sports arenas, including Lucas Oil Stadium.
"It's not taking an issue of bearing firearms or anything. It's about, just at the event, families knowing that people aren't carrying weapons into the game," Irsay said.
Irsay said he believes the team would be unable to prevent guns from coming into Lucas Oil Stadium because the bill trumps any local gun ordinances like the one enforced by the Capitol Improvement Board at Lucas Oil Stadium.
"There is an absolute prohibition against the CIB enforcing our very reasonable and legitimate concerns about people bringing firearms into the stadium," Colts Attorney Dan Emerson said.
“I know folks are trying to put more into this than what it is.”
Senator Jim Tomes sponsored the bill. He said it takes a burden off of gun owners by eliminating city ordinances that complicate the current state law. He said he does not believe it would impact the Colts or their fans because of the private agreement each ticketholder makes with the team.
“If they don't want you bringing alcohol in or firearms in or they want you there with a shirt on that's their rule and if you accept that ticket, you've accepted their terms,” he said.
"The practical problem is we don't enforce that. We rely on the CIB and their hired security people," Emerson said.
Team Lawyer Dan Emerson said he believes the current version of the law would mean those security people wouldn't be able to do their job, and he doesn't believe any event is exempt, even the Super Bowl.
"Not the way I read that bill. The Super Bowl is not expressly carved out of that bill. There is an absolute restriction on the CIB," Emerson said.
Despite the concern, the Colts said they believe lawmakers will at least tweak the bill in order to keep guns out of any future games.
"I think reasonable people will understand what our concerns are and where the feelings of the families and everyone else is," Irsay said.
Its not private property.
The taxpayers own the public facility.
BTW, every gun law ever passed is unconstitutional.
Somebody has lost touch with reality.. i.e. most lawyers..
Who is the idiot that cannot comprehend a bomb belt or firearm being smuggled into a stadium?..
Among multi thousands of UNArmed cannon fodder..
That person should have his teeth SLAPPED OUT..
‘ll take your “No games next year” and raise you one more!
This past year I watched, maybe, two games. That’s after being a NFL season ticket holder 1974-2008!! I was tired of getting screwed and no kisses or dollars.
Wiizzzz on the NFL, NHL, MLB and NBA!
Even in the case of a publically owned stadium, I think you could make a very strong case that the leasee (in this case the NFL team) should have broad discretion in making rules of conduct (including those regarding weapons) for that venue.
When a government leases a property to a private individual or organization, I believe that property becomes effectively “private” for many purposes.
That said, this should only be the case where the leassee is truly a private enitity and separate from the government. We should not allow sham leases, where for example, a public park is nominally “leased” to a “Park Conservation Society”, which then bans guns.
Baltimordor has the Ravens, now, so these miserable folk can just go "f" themselves.
As I understand such laws- they also say that ANY business can ban the weapons inside their facility.
Can anyone clarify for me?
It would make for an interesting argument, and one I would suspect would come down to whether or not the lease arrangment specifically precluded or permitted the lessee to establish such restrictions.
>>>>Its not private property.
The taxpayers own the public facility.
BTW, every gun law ever passed is unconstitutional.<<<
While the Colts lease it, you could make a strong argument that it is effectively “private” property for many or most purposes. I have little doubt the Colts (along with the NFL) make most of the rules of conduct and policies for the stadium during games.
If the Colts ban guns or glass bottles, Patriots jerseys or jellybeans or whatever, they are making the rules, so a gun ban by the Colts would not be a “gun law” at all.
Now, I believe the state has the right to force its leassees to allow weapons, as part of the standard terms of its leases, but failing to require this is not a violation of anyone’s gun rights, provided that control of the venue is genuinely turned over to a private entity for a private purpose.
Of course, we could argue that we shouldn’t have privately owned teams using taxpayer funded venues at all, but that is a whole other discussion.
Isray is an idiot if he thinks some people don’t carry a weapon to a game. Happens all the time. He just doesn’t want to let law abiding citizens to carry weapons.
hehe - thought they meant Colts the gun company objecting to the new law...!
That's how Irsay spun it, but I don't think that's right. Irsay is mad that if the law passes, the Colts will have to shell out the dough to provide for security.
As it stands now, the city, through the Capital Improvement Board, provides security for the Colts games. If the law passes, the CIB will be unable to provide the security as a result of the state law mandate. The state law won't prohibit the Colts from preventing weapons in the stadium, but without the CIB running security, then the Colts will have to pay for it out of their own pocket.
The Colts left in the middle of the night because the State of Maryland threatened to seize the team using eminent domain. The legislature passed and the governor signed a bill to take the team, but the Colts had left town a few days before.
You're right about how it was disgusting and underhanded, but it wasn't the Irsays.
The St Louis Cardinals, the Kansas City Royals, the Kansas City Chiefs and St Louis Rams successfully lobbied to make a stadium or arena that holds over 5,000 people off limits to holders of Missouri Concealed Carry Permits.
The St Louis Blues arena holds 20,000. Try calling for a Yellow Cab after a night game of the Blues. You can wind up standing on a street corner with no one around except a suspicious person. (been there, done that).
Make a wrong turn in St Louis and you may find yourself in an area with drug dealers standing on street corners 2 blocks apart.
Thank you Missouri pro sport teams.
EXCELLENT!
Spoken like a truly ignorant swabbie.
Irsay was getting served with eminent domain papers by the city. They were going to take his team away, against his will, inappropriately, by abusing the law. In his case, his property was actually mobile (unlike most eminent domain cases). He reacted in the only reasonable manner. He took his football (team) and went home. Only a moron (not a coward) would stay and allow the city to forcibly take a 9-figure asset away.
Next time try learning a few facts before spouting off like a buffoon.
The Irsays had plenty of time to do whatever was necessary when the team was in Baltimore. The Irsays were underhanded owners of the team from day one. Do you think that there was a bit of a dust-up in the first place causing all the problems that led to the state’s threat? Yes, there was.
That they took artifacts that belonged to the BALTIMORE Colts and the people of Baltimore.
easy...just don't go there. If enough people did that, then they'd change. f'em. They want money and I've got it.
The law in Indiana is that basically handguns may be carried anywhere but, schools, school buses, airports(certain restrictions), and riverboat casinos. Private property owners can restrict or allow handguns, with only one restriction, and that is that they cannot restrict a person from having a gun in their vehicle.
However, they allowed certain places such as indianapolis, southbend, gary, etc to further restrict the carry of handguns in public areas. This law removes their grandfathered laws, and makes all municipalities follow state law.
And yes, lucas oil stadium, is public, not private property, however they could get by with restricting access as it is a private venue, in a public stadium, with an agreement when you buy a ticket.
IMO, why they are really whining(besides being libs), is that it would no longer be a police issue, but private security issue that they would have to deal with, rather than police. Therefore you could not be arrested unless you refused to leave after being asked to leave.
Also liberals love a patchwork of exceptions to laws, especially laws they don’t like, so they can try to get you on some technicality.
I believe Irsay got the biggest gravy deal in history. He was using the leverage of potentiall moving to LA and the suckers here in Indy bought it 100%.
$700 million in taxpayer money AND all the profits from other events held in the stadium. They jacked up the price of high school games there to 15 bucks.
Oh and we also owe $70 million on the previous stadium which was demolished 2 yrs ago.
Irsay is the #2 Baraqqi supporter among NFL owners after Rooney of the Steelers.
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