INDIANAPOLIS – The Indiana Democratic Party, the organization that advocates for Hoosiers, their families and workers, is today once again calling for Indianapolis Republican mayoral candidate Jefferson Shreve to come clean about his cozy relationship with the National Rifle Association.
With the NRA in Indianapolis this weekend for its leadership forum, Marion County voters can’t afford a mayor that won’t stand up to the gun lobby and work to remove illegally possessed guns from Indianapolis streets. Indianapolis knows that it deserves better than an NRA member that plays games with people’s lives.
In 2016, Shreve received an “A” rating from the NRA during his campaign for State Senate in southern Indianapolis. His mayoral campaign admitted the accuracy of the rating, and that Shreve is a current member of the NRA, while refusing to release his questionnaire to the public. Fellow NRA member Donald Trump will be headlining the forum on Friday.
Why won’t “conservative Republican” Jefferson Shreve come clean about what he told the NRA? Is it because the questionnaire asks questions about supporting state legislation that preempts cities from taking action on any gun safety legislation?
The NRA doesn’t publicly release the questions it asks, but thanks to the release of questionnaires in other states with preemption laws, such as Florida and Utah, we know the NRA makes state preemption a priority.
You can bet that the NRA asked Shreve the same question here in Indiana, where a preemption law has prevented almost all local action on firearm safety since 2011. Even if Shreve no longer has the questionnaire, nothing is stopping him from asking the NRA to release it. Shreve continues to hide his real position on guns because he knows it makes Indianapolis less safe.
“Jefferson Shreve and the NRA are dangerous to the future of Indianapolis,” said Indiana Democratic Party Chairman Mike Schmuhl. “Indianapolis voters cannot trust an NRA member to keep illegally possessed guns off our streets and find solutions to end gun violence. As mayor, Shreve and the NRA-dominated state legislature will work to only further restrict the city’s ability to tackle gun crimes.”
In addition, as a two-time City Council Councilman, Shreve voted against a proactive ordinance that would require gun owners to report their stolen guns. The record is clear: Marion County cannot trust NRA member Jefferson Shreve.
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