The state would be able to temporarily shut down bars plagued by violence and crime before holding a public hearing under a bipartisan bill inspired by a string of recent Central Indiana shootings.
Under Senate Bill 5, the chair of the Indiana Alcohol and Tobacco Commission would have the power to more immediately address violence at bars by suspending alcohol licenses without a public hearing for up to three days, so long as certain conditions apply. The ATC would have to hold a hearing within those three days, after which it could then make a full determination.
Though lead author Sen. Ron Alting, R-Lafayette, proposed a similar bill last year that never got a hearing in the House, the effort has received unanimous support in committees across both chambers. Its reintroduction follows two multi-person shootings at downtown Indianapolis bars late last year and a shooting death at a Fishers bar.
Concern for the issue extends beyond the legislature, too: Gov. Mike Braun formed a law enforcement partnership in 2025 to help the agencies reduce bar violence.
“So-called ‘nuisance bars’ present a serious public safety threat, becoming hubs for crime, drugs, and violence that make our communities more dangerous and drive down nearby property values,” Braun said in the statement at the time. “This partnership between the Indiana Excise Police and the Indiana State Police will make for safer streets and stronger communities.”
But alcohol-related shootings are far from a new phenomenon. Alting’s original proposal was partly motivated by an IndyStar investigation in 2023 that found more than 600 reports of violence tied to Indianapolis bars, clubs and event centers since 2016.
The bill also falls short of more wide-reaching proposals, like banning guns in bars entirely, that some Indianapolis officials have supported. Indiana is in the minority of states that have not restricted guns in places that serve alcohol, according to the gun control advocacy group the Giffords Law Center.
Despite unanimous support, the scope of Alting’s legislation was slightly reduced in an amendment passed during the House Public Policy Committee on Feb. 10. An earlier version of the bill would have allowed the commission to shut down bars for five days and granted them greater discretion.
Now, for the commission to temporarily suspend a license, all of the following must apply:
Rep. Stephen Bartels, R-Eckerty, expressed some reservations about the way the bill would penalize business owners rather than individuals committing the crime but ultimately voted for the bill.
SB 5 now awaits full House approval. If it passes and Alting agrees to the changed bill it will have to return to the Senate for another vote. The Senate first passed the bill with only one lawmaker, Sen. R. Michael Young, voting no.
Contact breaking politics reporter Marissa Meador at mmeador@gannett.com or find her on X at @marissa_meador.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: After years of violence at Indianapolis bars, Indiana Statehouse advances an effort to crack down
Reporting by Marissa Meador, Indianapolis Star / Indianapolis Star
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
