Right now, people in Louisiana can carry a concealed handgun—but only if they receive a permit that requires a background check and safety training. The current permit law prioritizes responsible gun ownership and public safety. It’s common sense.
Louisiana is facing gun lobby legislation that threatens to remove permitting and training requirements for people carrying loaded, concealed handguns in public. Governor Edwards vetoed the NRA-backed bill that lawmakers passed, choosing instead to stand with the law enforcement community. Now those same lawmakers are back, attempting to override the Governor’s veto and ignore public safety concerns.
Permitless carry bills are currently one of the gun lobby’s main priorities as they attempt to weaken state gun safety laws across the country. These bills lower the bar for people who can carry hidden handguns in public and allow untrained and unvetted people to carry concealed guns in parks, shopping malls, crowded town centers, and on city streets.
Permitless carry legislation, like SB 118, would strip the state of essential permitting and training standards for carrying concealed handguns in public. It allows people to carry loaded handguns in public without background checks or any hands-on safety training. This law would dismantle Louisiana’s culture of responsible gun ownership.
Law enforcement, mayors, and the majority of Louisiana voters oppose this bill, as it eliminates safety measures to keep guns out of the wrong hands. In fact, sheriffs and chiefs from across the state recently held a press conference asking the legislature to uphold the veto, and again warned of the dangers of permitless carry.
This is the first veto override session ever held since the enactment of Louisiana’s modern constitution in 1974. This year, the Louisiana Legislature will return for a veto session from July 20 – July 24. Lawmakers would need a two-thirds majority vote from both the House of Representatives and the Senate to override the Governor’s veto of permitless carry bill SB 118.
Louisianans can text LOUISIANA to 644-33 to find out how to call key lawmakers in the state to uphold the veto of permitless carry bill SB 118.
20 other states currently have permitless carry laws. It is imperative that Louisiana does not become the 21st.
