Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards vetoed a bill passed by the bipartisan state lawmakers that would have nixed the permit requirement for carrying a concealed handgun.
Article by Allen Zhong from our partners at The Epoch Times.
The governor, a Democrat, said he’s a strong supporter of the Second Amendment and an “enthusiastic outdoorsman and hunter,” but he can’t support permitless concealed carry.
“I simply cannot support carrying a concealed carry firearm without proper education and safety training,” he said in a statement. “Our current system strikes the right balance of ensuring that people can bear arms while also keeping reasonable permitting and training processes in place … Simply put, it is not too much to ask that a person who wishes to carry a concealed weapon in public be required to attend basic marksmanship and safety training so they understand the regulations associated with such an action.”
“For these reasons, I have vetoed the permitless carry bill,” the governor added.
The bill, Senate Bill No. 118 (pdf), allows any resident who is 21 years of age or older and who is not prohibited from owning a firearm by state or federal law to carry a concealed gun without a permit.
Legally qualified gun owners “shall not be required to possess a valid concealed handgun permit issued by the state of Louisiana … to carry a concealed handgun in the state of Louisiana,” the bill states.
The bill also requires the state Department of Public Safety and Corrections to provide a free 60-minute online concealed handgun education course.
The scope of the online training includes sections on concealed handgun basics and nomenclature, firearm-free zones, use of deadly force, and interactions with law enforcement officers.
However, the course is not required for concealed handgun carry.
State Sen. Jay Morris, the Republican sponsor of Senate Bill 118, told the Lafayette Daily Advertiser that he’s not surprised but still disappointed for the governor’s decision.
“The people of Louisiana want it and hopefully we will join our neighbors, like Texas and Mississippi, and pass constitutional carry with or without the Governor’s signature,” he said.
The bill was passed in the state Senate and House with bipartisan support. One Democratic Senator and 7 Democratic House members joined the Republicans to vote for the bill.
The legislature appears to have enough votes to override the governor’s veto as it was passed in the state House and the Senate by 73:28 and 27:9 votes respectively.
State Senate President Patrick Page Cortez and state House Speaker Clay Schexnayder didn’t respond immediately to requests from The Epoch Times for comments.
It’s unclear if the state Senate and the House will organize a vote to override the veto.
However, Schexnayder said earlier this week that he supports a veto override session after Edwards vetoed an unrelated bill, The Lafayette Daily Advertiser reported.
The override session—which could happen at the end of July—would be the first one since the new Louisiana Constitutional was adopted in 1974.
The Epoch Times reached out to the National Rifle Association for comments.
New Conservative Network Seeks Crowdfunding Help
They say we have to go big or go home. We’re trying to go big and bring the patriotic truth the the nation, but we need help.
Readers may or may not realize that over the past year, we’ve been bringing more conservative news and opinion outlets under our wing. Don’t take our expansion as a sign of riches; all of the “acquisitions” have been through sweat and promises of greater things to come for all involved. As a result, we’ve been able to bring together several independent media sites under a unified vision of preventing America from succumbing to the progressive, “woke,” Neo-Marxist ideologies that are spreading like wildfire across America.
The slow and steady reopening of America is revealing there was a lot more economic hardship brought about from the Covd-19 lockdowns than most realize. While we continue to hope advertising dollars on the sites go up, it’s simply not enough to do things the right way. We are currently experiencing a gap between revenue and expenses that cannot be overcome by click-ads and MyPillow promos alone (promo code “NOQ” by the way).
To overcome our revenue gap and keep these sites running, our needs fluctuate between $3000-$7000 per month. In other words, we’re in the red and hemorrhaging.
The best way you can help us grow and continue to bring the truth to the people is by donating. We appreciate everything, whether a dollar or $10,000. Anything brings us closer to a point of stability when we can hire writers, editors, and support staff to make the America First message louder. Our Giving Fuel page makes it easy to donate one-time or monthly. Alternatively, you can donate through PayPal as well.
As the world spirals towards radical progressivism, the need for truthful journalism has never been greater. But in these times, we need as many conservative media voices as possible. Please help keep NOQ Report and the other sites in the network going.
Thank you and God Bless,
JD Rucker
Bitcoin: 32SeW2Ajn86g4dATWtWreABhEkiqxsKUGn
All ORIGINAL content on this site is © 2021 NOQ Report. All REPUBLISHED content has received direct or implied permission for reproduction.
With that said, our content may be reproduced and distributed as long as it has a link to the original source and the author is credited prominently. We don’t mind you using our content as long as you help out by giving us credit with a prominent link. If you feel like giving us a tip for the content, we will not object!
JD Rucker – EIC
@jdrucker
