File photo. (Wes Muller/Louisiana Illuminator).
The Louisiana Legislature on Tuesday passed a so-called “constitutional carry” or “permit-less carry” bill that would allow residents to carry concealed guns without a permit and without any training.
Senate Bill 118, sponsored by Sen. Jay Morris (R-West Monroe), cleared the Senate for a final concurrence in a 27-9 vote. It will head to the governor’s desk for consideration, though Gov. John Bel Edwards, a Democrat who largely supports gun rights, has previously said he would veto the bill.
Morris’ legislation is one of several like it introduced by Republican lawmakers this session and is part of a lobbying trend in state legislatures by gun groups such as the National Rifle Association and their state-level affiliates such as the Louisiana Shooting Association.
Similar measures have been introduced in Texas, Tennessee, Iowa, Indiana, Alabama, South Carolina, Arkansas and other GOP-dominated states.
Currently, Louisiana’s concealed carry permit law requires applicants to pass background checks and pass a nine-hour course that includes live-fire training. Proponents of the bill believe such requirements are an infringement on the Second Amendment.
Morris’ bill would allow anyone 21 or older without a felony record to carry a concealed handgun without a permit and without any training.
Our stories may be republished online or in print under Creative Commons license CC BY-NC-ND 4.0. We ask that you edit only for style or to shorten, provide proper attribution and link to our web site. Please see our republishing guidelines for use of photos and graphics.
Related News
