Mike Pence's stance on gun control: The NRA gives him an "A" rating, if that's any clue

Impact

Indiana Gov. Mike Pence, Donald Trump's running mate for the Republican presidential ticket, will debate Sen. Tim Kaine of Virginia on Tuesday, when the topic of gun control will inevitably come up.

Mike Pence, widely billed as the conservative's conservative, has been criticized for supporting some of the nation's loosest state gun control laws. Given that his state neighbors Illinois, some say Indiana's lax background check regimen has contributed to the illegal gun trafficking problem in violence plagued Chicago.

Pence has an "A rating" from the National Rifle Association's Political Victory Fund.

AJ Mast/AP

Mike Pence's stance on background checks

The governor has supported numerous pieces of legislation that keeps Indiana free of strenuous background checks for gun sales. This makes his state a target for gun traffickers, according to the Everytown for Gun Safety Action Fund. As a result, nearly 1 in 5 guns recovered at Chicago crime scenes between 2009 and 2013 was sourced to Indiana.

Mike Pence's stance on concealed carry laws

In 2014, two years after the Sandy Hook school shooting in Newtown, Connecticut, Pence signed legislation that allowed people with concealed carry permits to keep their guns in their cars in school parking lots. Before the law was enacted, a parent carrying a gun while waiting to pick up their child could be charged with a felony.

Mike Pence's stance on lawsuits against gun manufacturers 

Pence has signed legislation that makes it nearly impossible to sue Indiana gun manufacturers in civil court for death or injury causes by firearms. In 2015, the city of Gary, Indiana, had been trying to sue 15 firearm manufacturers and retailers as a response to violence carried out by easily obtained guns.

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