Senator Eddie Lambert (R) Gonzales
The bill to allow concealed carry without a permit that’s already passed in the Louisiana House was heavily amended by Gonzales Senator Eddie Lambert in a Senate committee Wednesday. The original bill to allow non-felons over the age of 21 to carry concealed without a permit now creates provisions for a school safety officer and its initial intent has been removed.
“And the purpose of this is, is to maybe prevent something like we had in Uvalde or some of these other schools,” said Lambert.
Because the current session ends on Monday, amending language into an existing bill is the only way legislators can address any laws concerning school safety and mass shootings. Lambert said the bill allows a school to appoint a teacher or administrator to serve voluntarily as a school protection officer. Lambert said the appointed individual will also have to be post-certified.
“Which means they will have to be instructed on situations like what could happen over there, how to handle things, and would provide more security than we have in our schools right now,” said Lambert.
West Monroe Senator Jay Morris, who has authored concealed carry bills in the past, asked Lambert why House Bill 37 can’t keep its original intent and provide school protection officers.
“And I feel like both are admirable goals, but I don’t know that we need to do one to the exclusion of the other,” said Morris.
Last year Governor Edwards vetoed legislation to allow concealed carry without a permit and he’s made statements recently that he still opposes the measure without some level of training. The bill is headed to the Senate floor but could be sent to Senate Finance for a cost review. The session ends Monday.
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