The Louisiana House Criminal Justice Committee on Wednesday (April 1) voted in favor of a bill that would remove local government’s ability to enforce localized gun-carrying laws. If approved, the city of New Orleans would no longer be able to make specific gun regulations, including prohibiting parade-goers from bringing guns near a parade route.
House Bill 281, which now moves to the House floor, would prevent local governments from regulating gun possession and instead require all parishes to follow state law. The committee voted 8-7 in favor of the legislation.
At Wednesday’s hearing, Erin Luper, a lobbyist for the National Rifle Association, urged committee members to support the bill, arguing it would eliminate the current “patchwork of laws and regulations throughout the state,” and instead make gun-carrying laws uniform statewide.
Luper noted the existing law gives political subdivisions the authority to regulate gun possession in certain commercial establishments or public buildings. Certain places where it is legal to carry in one parish, may be illegal in another parish, she said.
“We don’t want to turn law-abiding gun owners into criminals when they are just trying to follow the law," Luper said.
The proposed law would not change where firearms are currently prohibited and private businesses would still be allowed to prohibit guns if the owner chooses.
In opposition of the bill, Ryan Shaw, a volunteer with the Louisiana chapter of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America, said the law “guts the key way that local governments protect (their) communities from gun violence.”
She noted a New Orleans law that bans firearms within 1,000 feet of a parade route. It’s a highly specific case, but it makes sense and demonstrates the need for cities and towns to have the flexibility to pass laws that work for them, she said.
"Parades are for fun, for families, for kids, and sometimes alcohol and guns don’t mix,” Shaw said.
Shaw added that gun violence is a more acute problem in New Orleans than it is in smaller parishes elsewhere in the state. Local governments need to be able to address problems that affect their community, she said.
Both New Orleans and Baton Rouge have laws prohibiting guns in public buildings used for youth recreational programs, including the 103 recreational developmental parks and facilities where basketball leagues, soccer leagues and swimming pools host events for children, she said. This bill would strip them of that ability, Shaw said.
“Our state lawmakers should help local governments protect Louisiana’s communities instead of stripping away their ability to prevent gun violence, especially around our children," Shaw said.
The bill’s supporters argued local gun regulations are confusing and unnecessary.
Dan Zelenka, president of the Louisiana Shooting Association stressed the importance of a consistent law across the state, arguing that local government’s regulations on gun-carrying violates the state’s preemption law, which prevents local governments from enforcing gun laws that are more restrictive than state law.
Zelenka pointed to a law in 2011 that prohibited people in Tammany Trace to carry firearms regardless of whether they had a concealed carry permit. He helped lead efforts to change that law in 2018. Firearms are now allowed to be carried on the Trace. Zelenka cited another example in Abita Springs where authorities attempted to prevent concealed carry at local farmers markets, he said.
Tom Gresham, a host of a national radio show about guns, said the bill addresses a “simple issue." People should be able to cross city lines without having to worry about whether they’re breaking the law, Gresham said.
Douglas Swift, a doctor and professor of preventative medicine, said he became “acutely aware” of the need for people to protect themselves and their families during Hurricane Katrina and the levee failures. He denounced localized gun regulations, noting, anecdotally, that many New Orleanians had guns confiscated by police in the aftermath of the storm. He said many of his patients told him that they relied on their guns to protect themselves from robbery and assault in the days after the storm.
“When we go from the Jetsons to the Flintstones in 10 minutes, like one parish president said, you have to have the means to protect your home, to protect your family,” Swift said.
Rep. C. Denise Marcelle, D – Baton Rouge, also opposed the bill and cited the gun violence in New Orleans, specifically in the French Quarter and near parade routes. She called it “a serious problem” that has led the city to prohibit guns near parade routes.
Rep. Barbara Norton, D – Shreveport, opposed the bill, expressing her concern for the safety of Louisiana parade-goers, specifically. The bill’s limits on local governments "would be unfair to all of the communities throughout the state of Louisiana,” she said.
“To change it to prevent people from having a voice I think is really unfair," Norton said.
via nola.comhttps://www.nola.com
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