Louisiana lawmakers advance permitless concealed carry gun bill

[Winny]

It looks like Louisiana lawmakers are looking to bring a new bill forward that will remove the need for permits when it comes to concealed carry. If passed, it would allow adults aged 18+ to carry a gun without having a concealed carry permit. The bill is being coined the "Constitutional Carry Bill" and was mostly brought forward by republican lawmakers after a recent discussion on violent crime in the area.

The bill also addresses civil liability in the case of someone having to shoot someone in self-defense, by possibly providing a level of immunity from it. The vote is now in the hands of the house after the Senate approved both measures on party-line votes. The GOP holds a two-thirds supermajority. If the bill reaches his desk, Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry plans to sign it.

Those that support the bill, have argued current permit requirements are unconstitutional when it requires people to be fingerprinted and pay a fee in order to obtain the permit. They also believe that citizens, especially law-abiding ones, should have the right to carry their concealed weapons without the need of a permit.

Those who are against the bill on the other hand, like Democrats and the Louisiana Fraternal Order of Police, are arguing this could in turn result in more gun violence in turn jeopardizing public safety. Louisiana had a extremely high rate of gun-related deaths in 2021, resulting in the second-highest in the country. Not good.

The bill will take effect July 4th if it passes.

Read more here: Yahoo News

 

[Jake]

Is it that bad to apply for a concealed carry permit? I think it's a bit of added protection when you have to apply for a permit. It's one thing to go through the usual background checks, but if you can go through that, what's the fuss with getting a permit too? I have a feeling this will end up passing.

 

[KayWard]

It feels like a short-sighted plan. I don't know if you guys have read the thread on here about lost revenue, but it looks like some cities were really dependent on the permit fees. It could be an awful lot of money that Louisiana will need to replace. And for what? Just to virtue-signal that the politicians are more hard-right than all the others?

 

[JoeT]

I've noticed that many states, particularly those led by the Republican Party, are making similar moves. I imagine that they're playing to their base voters. Whether it passes or fails, I doubt it will much affect on your average citizen.