The year is off to a great start! Successful firearms legislative efforts will benefit many in Indiana and competitive shooting efforts by Indiana youth were very successful.

Here, Bill Dowden summarizes our successful efforts to get these bills passed. While waiting in the halls of the state house for the opportune moment to support the bills was much like watching paint drying, it was gratifying to see how many worked together to make these bills successful. The synergism between Ashley Varner of the NRA, Bill Dowden, our legislative director, Jim and Margie Tomes (Second Amendment Patriots), Charlie Hiltunen (Third House Advocacy Group), and legislators of both parties was great to see.

Sarah Beard of Danville and Erin Lorenzen of Fort Wayne were members of the Texas Christian University smallbore and air rifle championship team. Both were honored as smallbore and air rifle all-Americans. We wish Erin well as she finishes her senior year at TCU.

My wife and I were also privileged to accompany our son Thomas to the NRA collegiate national pistol championships in Fort Benning, GA. He placed 10th and 11th out of 30 of the best collegiate shooters in the nation at Fort Benning in standard pistol and air pistol. It was particularly gratifying that I was able to pick up on the fact that he was dropping the 5'th shot of several timed or rapid fire strings low and left. We have determined that this was because he was relaxing his grip as he progressed in the string. Based on this new discovery, he shot a 549/600 at a recent intercollegiate standard pistol match vs the 527 that he fired at Fort Benning.

Equally exciting, during the matches at Ft. Benning, I met a gentleman who had been recently hired to manage a well-funded endowment fund dedicated to promoting shooting programs for youth. He was particularly interested in partnering with state rifle and pistol associations because he felt that they would have good contacts and be efficient in sharing resources in areas with good chances for success. If you know motivated individuals with strong interest in starting or expanding youth shooting programs in schools, colleges, scouts, 4-H or other programs, please watch our website for more information.

Bill Jordan

President, ISRPA