Kruzan outlines gun control goals

Wednesday afternoon, Bloomington Mayor Mark Kruzan informed local media of his initiative to combat illegal gun ownership.

Kruzan stood behind a makeshift podium at the Monroe County Democratic Headquarters when he announced he had recently joined the Mayors Action Against Illegal Guns coalition.

The coalition is comprised of hundreds of mayors nationwide.

Of the more than 500 mayors represented, Indiana has only six mayors in the coalition.

Some include Mayor Fred Armstrong of Columbus, Ind., and Mayor Rudolph Clay of Gary.

It shows the gun lobby is a powerful one, Kruzan said when asked why he believes Indiana is underrepresented in the alliance.

According to their website, Mayors Action Against Illegal Guns stand for “protecting the rights of Americans to own guns, while fighting to keep criminals from possessing guns illegally.”

Although each town may pursue its own means of diminishing illegal gun ownership, Kruzan outlined Bloomington’s specific goals for the future of gun control and regulation.

Although Kruzan suggested Bloomington does not have a major gun problem, “if you have one problem, in any instance, it’s a problem,” he said.

He reminded the press that under current law, only federally licensed firearm dealers are required to conduct background checks.

“Forty percent of gun sales are made by people who are not licensed dealers and are not required to run background checks,” Kruzan said.

Kruzan concluded by reflecting upon the recent elections in which Republicans gained sizeable majorities in many state legislatures and the U.S. Congress.

Kruzan, who admitted to once getting a “D” rating by the National Rifle Association, said he believes conservative politicians can still maintain a high rating with the NRA while they help to slow the tide of illegally sold guns.

John Hamilton, Kruzan's opponent in the May 3 primary, said this coalition, founded five years ago, isn't new. He said Kruzan should have responded to rising crime rates in Bloomington sooner.

"Over that period of time, the Mayor hasn’t led a single public discussion about what we can do here in Bloomington to reduce violence in our community," Hamilton said. “Election month press conferences don’t solve community problems.”