Dozens of law enforcement officials from around the state gathered in Baton Rouge Thursday to implore lawmakers to not override Governor Edwards’ veto of legislation allowing concealed carry without a permit. Under the bill, those 21 and older who are not otherwise prohibited from possessing a firearm would be allowed to carry a concealed handgun without needing to demonstrate firearm proficiency and safety knowledge during an eight-hour concealed carry course.
Several sheriffs were in attendance despite the fact that the highly influential Louisiana Sheriffs Association has remained neutral on the topic. One of those sheriffs was Craig Webre of Lafourche who said allowing unlicensed, untrained people to carry concealed firearms in public is a recipe for disaster.
“I don’t want to be at a Mardi Gras parade with my daughter where someone jumps up to catch a bead and that gun falls out their waistband it hits the concrete, goes off and innocent people get killed,” said Webre. “I don’t want to go into a department store or restaurant and wonder who might be carrying a concealed weapon.
Proponents of the bill by West Monroe Senator Jay Morris refer to the legislation as “Constitutional Carry”, saying the state should not have a right to require permitting to carry a concealed weapon under the 2nd Amendment. East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff Sid Gautreaux disagreed with that sentiment, calling it “absolutely a terrible bill”.
“This is not in any way infringing on anyone’s 2nd Amendment rights, those rights are intact, but this poses an existential threat to every law enforcement officer in the state,” said Gautreaux.
The Governor’s veto has the full support of the Louisiana Chiefs of Police Association. New Orleans Superintendent of Police Shaun Ferguson said the state and nation is already enduring an increase in crime and putting more untrained gun owners on the streets will make it worse.
“It would put us in a position that we would have to assume that everyone is armed now and in doing so that heightens that engagement or interaction with whomever we may encounter,” said Ferguson.
Law enforcement officials in attendance conceded that there were likely some reforms that could be done to the current concealed carry permitting process, particularly on the bureaucratic side, to alleviate some of the concerns of supporters of the bill. That included an openness to reevaluate permitting costs, which can run in the hundreds of dollars over a person’s lifetime.
The constitutional carry bill cleared the legislature with over two-thirds support in both chambers. Should those votes hold during the apparently likely upcoming veto override session later this month the Governor’s veto would be overridden.
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