BATON ROUGE, La. (April 14, 2022) – On Tuesday, Louisiana House and Senate committees passed bills to legalize permitless carry in the state. The enactment of a so-called “constitutional carry” bill would also foster an environment more hostile to federal gun control.
Rep. Danny McCormick (R) introduced House Bill 37 (HB37) on Feb. 1. Sen. John Morris (R) and Sen. Stewart Cathey (R) introduced Senate Bill 143 (SB143) on March 2. The legislation would allow adults 21 and over who are not prohibited from possessing a firearm under state or federal law to carry a concealed firearm without a permit. Under the proposed law, the state would continue issuing conceal carry permits for residents who want to carry in other states that have CCDW reciprocity with Louisiana.
On April 12, the House Criminal Justice Committee passed HB37 by a 10-3 vote. The Senate Committee on Judiciary C passed SB143. The vote total was not available at the time of this report.
The Louisiana legislature passed permitless carry last year with supermajorities in both the House and the Senate. But several Republicans caved to law enforcement pressure and the Senate failed to override Gov. John Bel Edwards’s veto.
According to The Daily Advertiser, law enforcement opposition hasn’t gone away. Louisiana Association of Chiefs of Police Executive Director Fabian Blache called it a “very dangerous bill.”
EFFECT ON FEDERAL GUN CONTROL
While permitless carry bills do not directly affect federal gun control, the widespread passage of permitless conceal carry laws in states subtly undermines federal efforts to regulate guns. As we’ve seen with marijuana and industrial hemp, a federal regulation becomes ineffective when states ignore it and pass laws encouraging the prohibited activity anyway.
The federal government lacks the enforcement power necessary to maintain its ban, and people will willingly take on the small risk of federal sanctions if they know the state will not interfere. This increases when the state actively encourages “the market.”
Less restrictive state gun laws will likely have a similar impact on federal gun laws. It will make it that much more difficult for the feds to enforce any future federal gun control, and increase the likelihood that states with few limits will simply refuse to cooperate with federal enforcement efforts.
State actions such as passing “constitutional carry” lower barriers for those wanting the option of defending themselves with firearms and encourage a “gun-friendly” environment that would make federal efforts to limit firearms that much more difficult.
WHAT’S NEXT
SB143 will now move to the Senate floor and HB37 will move to the House floor.
The post Louisiana Senate and House Committees Advance Permitless Carry Bills first appeared on Tenth Amendment Center.
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