Niki Kelly has an article in the Fort Wayne Journal Gazette on HB 1009 which would legalize any fireworks not prohibited by federal law. The State Fire Marshal, Roger Johnson, is behind the bill largely because it taxes fireworks and directs the revenue to “firefighter training.” One man at the committee hearing characterized the firefighter training money as “blood money.” Former Fire Marshal, Tracy Boatwright who spent a decade in a largely futile effort fighting the current deliberately toothless law, sympathizes with the current Marshal’s position. If the State isn’t going to take any real action to regulate fireworks, we might as well get some money out of it.
I’m largely agnostic on the subject of firework regulation. I had a lot of fun as a kid blowing up fireworks and lived to tell the tale. On the other hand, I certainly understand the desire to regulate them. I had a firecracker blow up in my hand once — fortunately it was a weak one, otherwise, I’d probably be missing a finger. But, if you’re going to do it — do it. If not, don’t. The law we have currently is the legislature merely pretending to do something, which is worse than nothing in my ever so humble opinion.
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