Louisiana Legislative Alert

LOUISIANA LEGISLATURE PASSES SECOND PRO-GUN BILL THIS SESSION

Late yesterday afternoon, the Louisiana House finally passed SB 837, the NRA-backed Right To Carry Reciprocity bill, on a 95-5 vote. The bill now moves to Governor Blanco for her signature. Last week, the House had also given final approval to SB 2, the NRA-backed Right to Hunt, Fish & Trap constitutional amendment sponsored by Sen. Joe McPherson (D-Woodworth) that will be on the November 2004 ballot.

SB 837 requires Louisiana to recognize carry permits from states which, in turn, recognize Louisiana carry permits. While Louisiana currently only has reciprocal agreements with five other states, this will increase the number of states where your permits will be valid to roughly thirty.

Special thanks go out to Sen. James David Cain (R-Dry Creek) for sponsoring SB 837, to Rep. Steve Scalise (R-Metairie) for carrying the bill on the House floor, and to all of you who made phone calls and sent emails on behalf of this legislation.

With just under one week left in session, NRA-ILA continues to monitor any and all bills relating to firearms to make sure that no gun control "slips through" at the last minute.

To that end, there have been some questions regarding SB 523 by Sen. Diana Bajoie (D-New Orleans), which awaits final passage by the Louisiana House this week. As introduced, this bill mirrored HB 147 & HB 1222, and all three originally established a ban on the possession of firearms within 1,000 feet of a parade. These "gun control" bills were introduced by the New Orleans delegation in response to criminal violence occurring around Mardi Gras-related events.

NRA-ILA worked to defeat the House bills and then successfully amended SB 523 in Senate Committee to eliminate the ban on mere possession of a firearm near a parade and, instead, establish an enhanced penalty if you illegally carry a firearm (without a permit and not in your car or home) AND you use that firearm to commit a crime of violence.

We are satisfied that this bill no longer poses a threat to law-abiding gun owners. Additionally, House Administration of Criminal Justice Chairman Danny Martiny (R-Kenner) has secured a commitment from the bill sponsor that the measure will not be amended on the House floor to reinstate any "gun control" provisions.

THANK YOU FOR ALL OF YOUR SUPPORT THIS SESSION!