LA PERMITLESS CARRY - Louisiana's Legislature is poised to pass a bill that would allow adults 21 and older to carry a concealed gun without requiring a permit or training. House Bill 37 sponsored by
Oil City Republican Rep. Danny McCormick was advanced by the Senate Judiciary C Committee Tuesday on a 4-2 vote. It already had won House approval.
The “Permitless Carry” bill by McCormick would remove the existing permit and training requirements for concealed carry and would allow adults 21 years and older who are legally able to own a firearm to carry a concealed handgun with certain restrictions.
McCormick explained more before the committee.
“Constitutional Carry is common sense carry. It removes the government tax and red tape that stands between law-abiding citizens and their Second Amendment Right,” McCormick said.
Twenty-five states have enacted similar laws, which supporters describe as "Constitutional carry" because they believe the U.S. Constitution already grants people the right to possess concealed guns.
But Karen White, Executive Counsel for the Louisiana Municipal Association spoke in opposition of the bill arguing that all Constitutional Rights including Free Speech and 2nd Amendment rights come with reasonable limits. She cited that states with similar laws have seen an increase in gun-related crime.
“What we have found is that in those states that have either adopted permitless concealed carry or have loosened their requirements, there has been an 11% increase in handgun-homicide rates, there has been a 13-15% increase in violent crime rates. And we’re at a point where we can’t afford an increase in either,” White said.
White said the bill removes mandatory firearms training and that the LMA’s opposition to “Permitless Carry” is supported by Louisiana’s chiefs of police. A similar bill was vetoed by Democratic Gov. John Bel Edwards last year. Lawmakers were unable to overturn Edwards' veto in 2021. The Democratic Governor hasn't said if he will veto McCormick's bill if it wins final passage as expected. The bill will go before the Senate Floor just days after a mass school shooting took place in Uvalde, Texas – 19 school children were killed and 2 adults by an 18-year-old who had an assault-style rifle.
