Another State Set To Join List Of Those That Respect Constitutional Carry

The Louisiana House passed legislation to make it the 28th state to respect constitutional carry.

The legislative body voted 75-28 to pass Senate Bill 1, which already passed the Louisiana State Senate.

Republican Gov. Jeff Landry has pledged to sign it into law.

“Criminals already carry concealed firearms without regard for the law. Constitutional Carry simply puts law-abiding citizens on equal footing,” Landry wrote.

Criminals already carry concealed firearms without regard for the law. Constitutional Carry simply puts law-abiding citizens on equal footing. #lagov #lalege pic.twitter.com/UJNNOK5OiZ

— Governor Jeff Landry (@LAGovJeffLandry) February 28, 2024

The bill permits Louisiana residents, 18 and older, to carry a concealed handgun without a permit.

From the Associated Press:

After years of GOP-led efforts for permitless concealed carry, the bill is poised to become law with Gov. Jeff Landry signaling that he plans to sign the legislation. Upon the Republican’s signature, Louisiana would become the 28th state that allows people to carry a concealed weapon without a permit, according to the U.S. Concealed Carry Association. However, it would be only one of a handful of states where the law would apply to those as young as 18.

The proposed law will allow eligible people to carry guns hidden in their clothing without having to pay for a government permit, having their fingerprints taken or completing a firearm training course — which are all currently required.

Legislators also greenlit a bill that would provide a level of immunity from civil liability for someone who holds a concealed carry permit and uses their firearm to shoot a person in self-defense.

Under the permitless concealed carry bill, those who legally own a gun would still be restricted from carrying it in certain areas, including schools, churches, police stations, courthouses and the Capitol.

WATCH:

Congratulations @BlakeMiguezLA on getting Constitutional Carry passed in Louisiana 👏🇺🇲 pic.twitter.com/ghbDbmDg79

— Tea Party Patriots (@TPPatriots) March 1, 2024

“GOA-backed Constitutional Carry has passed both the House and the Senate and is going to Governor Landry’s desk! This victory has been years in the making and we are incredibly thankful to our members and supporters who showed up to make this victory possible. 28 states down and 22 to go!” Gun Owners of America wrote.

🚨HUGE NEWS OUT OF LOUISIANA!🚨

GOA-backed Constitutional Carry has passed both the House and the Senate and is going to Governor Landry's desk!

This victory has been years in the making and we are incredibly thankful to our members and supporters who showed up to make this…

— Gun Owners of America (@GunOwners) March 1, 2024

“While criminals carry guns without regard for the law, lawful gun owners are our most law-abiding citizens.  Their armed presence helps deter violent crime,” Landry said at the opening of a special session to address crime in Louisiana.

“It is time Louisiana join 27 other states who have created a constitutional right to carry a firearm without the government’s permission. This body has repeatedly passed it. Now you have a governor who will sign it,” he added.

The Reload reports:

The bill’s passage is a win for gun-rights advocates who have tried to enact permitless carry in Louisiana for years. Lawmakers previously came close in 2021 but ultimately failed to override then-Governor John Bel Edwards’ (D.) veto of the measure after several senators flipped their votes at the last minute. Landry’s election in 2023 gave the state’s Republicans their first trifecta in eight years and provided the momentum needed to give permitless carry another go.

Senator Blake Miguez (R.), the bill’s primary sponsor, celebrated the outcome of the House vote.

“Thank you to the LA House of Representatives for passing #SB1 (Constitutional Carry) without amendments,” he wrote on X. “It will now head to Governor Jeff Landry’s desk for signature with an effective date of July 4th this year, in honor of the our nation’s Independence Day.”

On the other hand, gun-control advocates denounced the bill.

“Louisiana lawmakers have chosen to make our restaurants, schools, grocery stores, parks, and everywhere else we go more vulnerable to gun violence,” Angelle Bradford, a member of the Louisiana chapter of Moms Demand Action, said in a statement. “Instead of serving the Louisians they were sworn to protect, these lawmakers are bowing to a gun lobby that feeds on their political ambition to rake in millions of dollars — all while not taking any responsibility for the role it plays in tearing our families apart.”

The bill’s passage in Louisiana is emblematic of gun-rights advocates’ remarkable success in pushing for permitless carry across the nation at a rapid clip. Until 2010, just Alaska and Vermont allowed permitless concealed carry. Now a majority of states allow it.