Louisiana legislators shoot down proposals to change state gun laws

The effort to change Louisiana’s gun laws is not getting a lot of support from legislators at this year’s regular session, The Associated Press reported last week.

On April 17, a House criminal justice committee rejected several proposals brought by both sides of the political aisle, largely capping efforts to alter firearm rules after the Feb. 14, 2018 massacre at a Florida high school where 17 people were killed.

In rejecting a measure that would have outlawed rapid fire devices known as bump stocks, opponents said the bill’s language was too broad. The gunman who last year killed 58 people at a Las Vegas concert in the deadliest mass shooting in modern U.S. history used such devices, The Associated Press reported.

Before state legislators voted down a proposal to enact a 10-day waiting period after a person buys a gun, lawmakers heard from a National Rifle Association representative who said it would be a needless impediment to lawful citizens. And when the panel was debating a bill that the sponsor said was intended to close loopholes related to background checks for gun sales in the state, they were informed that an adequate federal system already exists. The bill failed.

State Rep. Terry Landry, a Democrat who proposed a bill that would have enacted an outright ban on assault weapons and high-capacity magazines, said something has to be done.

“From my perspective, it’s a matter of human rights, not gun rights,” said Landry, a former state police superintendent. His bill did not pass.

Also rejected were bills allowing people above 21 years old to carry guns without concealed carry permits, one that would have clarified the definition of “concealed” and a bill requiring a person who is carrying a concealed firearm to let law enforcement know as officers are approaching.

The Associated Press reported that lawmakers have filed roughly two-dozen gun bills this year, most stemming from the deadly Valentine’s Day school shooting in Parkland, Florida. Democrats have been proposing gun restrictions as Republicans advocate for the loosening of firearm rules. The measures have mostly been unsuccessful.

Bills that sought to let armed civilians act as campus security guards, allow teachers to carry guns at school and ban the sale of assault weapons to people under the age of 21 have failed. A proposal to let people wear bulletproof backpacks on school grounds, though, has passed the Senate and now awaits further consideration.

This article originally published in the April 23, 2018 print edition of The Louisiana Weekly newspaper.