INDIANAPOLIS — One day after a mass shooting in Louisville claimed five peoples lives, the Indiana Senate Republicans passed a resolution honoring the National Rifle Association and its CEO Wayne LaPierre.
The recognition comes just days before the NRA convention descends on downtown Indianapolis where former President Donald Trump and former vice president and former Indiana Gov. Mike Pence have been announced as speakers at Friday’s forum.
The resolution was quickly denounced by Indiana Democrats and called “tone deaf,” coming only one day after a bank employee who grew up in Indiana opened fire inside Old National Bank in Louisville and killed five people.
The resolution praising the NRA also comes on the heels of a school shooting in Tennessee where six people, including three young children, were killed in a Christian elementary school.
“Our neighbors are still in mourning and we’re honoring an organization that has played a central role in preventing the adoption of common-sense gun safety laws across the nation,” said Indiana Democratic Leader Greg Taylor.
He continued, “I think it would be more appropriate to recognize organizations like Moms Demand Action, which have fought tooth and nail trying to protect kids from the leading cause of death among young people in our nation: firearms. Not books, which this General Assembly is still working to restrict in schools. Firearms. Despite the number of gun accidents involving minors in Indiana this year, we haven’t done anything to meaningfully support gun safety or protect our communities from avoidable and senseless gun violence.”
The Senate GOP declined a request for an interview after the passing of the resolution.
