NRA-Backed Proposal To Expand Constitutional Gun Rights Passes Louisiana House Committee

A controversial bill that would amend Louisiana's constitution to broaden gun rights moved a step closer toward passage on Wednesday, when it was approved by a 9-5 vote in the state's House Administration of Criminal Justice committee.

The proposal, which is backed by the National Rifle Association, would remove constitutional language specifically allowing the state to regulate concealed weaponry. Restrictions imposed by the state would be "subject to strict scrutiny."

Seven Republicans, one Democrat and one Independent voted for the bill, SB 303, while five Democrats voted against it.

State Sen. Neil Riser (R-Columbia) said during debate that the measure would give Louisiana the nation's strongest Second Amendment rights. "To me, this is the most honorable bill that I've handled," he said, "and I don't think I'll handle one in the future that means more to me than this one."

Riser said he had asked for the NRA's help in advocating for the bill because while gun rights aren't necessarily under threat currently in the state, he feared Second Amendment rights could face infringement in the future.

"In a conservative state like Louisiana ... we inherently believe that we have the right to bear arms," he said, "My biggest concern is in the future."

But some members of the state House committee challenged Riser on the necessity of the bill.

State Rep. Barbara Norton (D-Shreveport) said she wasn't against guns but didn't see the nation "going back the 1700s, the 1800s, when everybody carried a gun on their side."

Norton challenged Riser to name three places he wanted to bring his gun but currently could not.

"I'd like to bring my weapon here," Riser responded. "Personally, I would like to be able to take mine to anyone's home, but the second amendment -- I can't do that. Private property trumps me on that." Riser also said he would like to be able to cross parade grounds with firearms, citing a 2009 bill vetoed by Gov. Bobby Jindal (R) that would have banned bringing weapons near parades.

SB 303 has drawn opposition from a number of state district attorneys and college leaders who fear it could lead to challenges of current Louisiana gun laws, such as restrictions on bringing firearms to campus.

Chris Rager, an NRA lobbyist, said the group had no designs to further challenge Louisiana's gun laws. "We have no express agenda or behind the scenes agenda at this point," Rager said.

Rep. Helena Moren (D-New Orleans) introduced an amendment to the bill that would explicitly protect existing gun laws, but it was rejected by the committee.

The bill now heads to debate in the full Louisiana House. If it passes with a two-thirds vote, it will go to voters in a statewide election.

Also on HuffPost:

Comments

[stymie500r]

01:46 AM on 05/28/2012

State Rep. Barbara Norton (D-Shreveport)
Rep. Helena Moren (D-New Orleans)

Say goodby to another Term Ladies, aparently you still don't get it.
The Constitution and Bill of Rights RULE!

[gloriaswanson43]

02:22 PM on 05/17/2012

Why would you want to take your gun into someone's house or to a parade?

[Pete Gerasia]

10:50 PM on 05/27/2012

So you don't have to leave it in the car to get stolen, or at home where it's useless.

[gloriaswanson43]

12:51 AM on 05/28/2012

Put it in the trunk..or, where do you go that is so dangerous you have to carry a gun at all times?

[stymie500r]

01:54 AM on 05/28/2012

Because Crime happens, It's for my protection not yours. My weapon goes with me everywhere permitted by law, when entering a home one is supposed to notify and ask permittion to enter with it, if the homeowner objects, disarm or leave. At a parade, you would never, ever know (concealed) unless you tried to hurt or rob me, then you would find out within 1/10th of a second what size it is.

[Rooster Coburn]

12:07 AM on 05/10/2012

This sounds like "Common Sense Gun Control"!

[ScorpioTop]

05:03 AM on 05/09/2012

Another NRA frivolous law.

[mike102]

11:21 AM on 05/09/2012

Another ScoprioTop frivolous post.

[David Carson]

02:16 PM on 05/09/2012

spinning REALLY needs to lay off the ergot

[Conlaw Bloganon]

09:39 AM on 05/03/2012

Excuse me, can I see your permit to express an opinion? I'll also need your permit to travel, and your permit to practice the religion of your choosing.

[ScorpioTop]

05:04 AM on 05/09/2012

No one asks your permission to shoot you.

[David Carson]

02:18 PM on 05/09/2012

which is why it is so important that the law abiding retain the right to effective self defense and disarmanuts like you need to lay off the ergot laced meth

[Pete Gerasia]

10:50 PM on 05/27/2012

Is that a threat?

Flagged.

[wolf58]

08:22 AM on 05/03/2012

Funny how those states with the least educated heavily religious population feel the need to carry a firearm everywhere. Check off another state that I will never go to...the list is growing.

[Conlaw Bloganon]

09:49 AM on 05/03/2012

Funny how the states with the most centers of higher education see fit to try to tell their subjects how to live, what to drive, what to put into their bodies, and what they can or cannot own. How long until they start telling you what to think? Oh wait.
http://www.nrapublications.org/index.php/9485/how-your-tax-dollars-demonize-your-guns/

[wolf58]

11:12 AM on 05/03/2012

I live in one of those states you speak of and I have a permit to carry and have enough firepower than a small country, no one tells me where to live or what to drive. You seem to be misinformed and a bit paranoid just the type of person who should not be around weapons of any type.

[mike102]

11:28 AM on 05/09/2012

"Check off another state that I will never go to...the list is growing."

Then you better stay out of Maine, Vermont, and New Hampshire as well, since they have just about the most liberal gun laws in the country. All thos undereducated Yankees seem to like their guns too.

Are you really so paranoid that you won't visit a state because of their gun laws? You have a carry permit. I guess you just don't want anyone else to.

Elitist.

[wolf58]

08:22 PM on 05/09/2012

Got news for you buddy I have enough firepower to make a small country blush. With that said I feel there are those that should be nowhere near a firearm nevermind carry one. It should not be as easy as just wanting to, background checks, mental health, weapons qualification and so on and if you can't agree to that then maybe you are one of those that shouldn't be around any type of firearm.

[IrisMozenter]

06:58 AM on 05/03/2012

I wonder who this guy is friends with, if he feels the need to take his gun into other people's homes?

[RevJimIII]

11:49 AM on 05/28/2012

 Again, the location is irrelevant.. I personally carry at all times but will respect private property laws. If a homeowner dislikes my exercising my rights, they can ask me not to and I can choose to disarm or leave. Its like when asked why I feel the 'need' to carry into a Bank or Starbucks, I don't carry specifically for one location or another... I carry at ALL times.

[JRElliott]

06:51 AM on 05/03/2012

"going back the 1700s, the 1800s, when everybody carried a gun on their side."

Swell idea. Let's eliminate the flush toilet and criminalize surgeons' use of anesthesia, too.

[Sackpaul]

06:36 AM on 05/03/2012

REPEAL THE SECOND AMENDMENT.

[Conlaw Bloganon]

09:40 AM on 05/03/2012

Best of luck with that. The NRA has 150x as many members as the Brady Campaign, and my college sports club brings in more money than the Brady Campaign's entire budget.

[Berettasskeeter]

07:53 PM on 05/03/2012

Really? Do you wish to be associated with such an egregious violation of the Constitution? Anyone publicly doing so makes targets of themselves for those who revere the Constitution!
Semper fi

[Micheal Anderson]

04:57 AM on 05/03/2012

So he wants to take guns into the state legislature, during parades with children, and forcibly into other peoples homes.

Screw every body elses rights, MINE are more important than theirs.

[IrisMozenter]

06:56 AM on 05/03/2012

We should go back to smoking in restaurants and offices while we're at it. Why not drive up cancer rates, too?

[David Carson]

01:46 PM on 05/04/2012

so supporting the BOR is a bad thing in your world--good to know

[ScorpioTop]

05:11 AM on 05/09/2012

The BOR wasn't intended to encourage the gun use killing of 30,000 Americans every year.

[10 Little Amendments]

03:32 AM on 05/03/2012

"Norton challenged Riser to name three places he wanted to bring his gun but currently could not.

"I'd like to bring my weapon here," Riser responded. "Personally, I would like to be able to take mine to anyone's home, but the second amendment -- I can't do that.
..."

Simply astounding. He wants to bring his gun into the state House so he has it during political debates... because... ? So he can shoot it into the ceiling to get recognised by the Chair? Sure beats a gavel.

To top that, he wants to bring it to "anybody's home". Not to dinner at my house... "friend".

I'm all for the 2nd Amendment, but Louisiana appears headed back to the old Wild West
where the only law was the quick draw.

[Micheal Anderson]

04:58 AM on 05/03/2012

I wonder how that would work, his trying to take his gun into someone elses house against their will and them standing their ground and shooting his as s.

[JRElliott]

06:54 AM on 05/03/2012

One advantage of the "stand your ground" laws: they might result in the armed loonies in Florida and Louisiana, e.g., killing each other off.

[Conlaw Bloganon]

11:08 AM on 05/03/2012

Something like that....
http://www.handgundefense.com/images/Crime-Chart.jpg

[J Michael Norris]

03:22 AM on 05/03/2012

So they're going to allow people visiting the legislature to bring guns in just like they're going to allow guns on campuses, right? If it's a good idea for people to bring guns anywhere, it only follows that these legislators would want guns in their chambers as well.

Or do they think they deserve some special protections because they're somehow more important than the rest of us?

[Conlaw Bloganon]

09:41 AM on 05/03/2012

In many states, a person CAN carry a weapon into government offices. Guess what? No bloodshed.

[ivotedabsentee]

10:27 AM on 05/06/2012

State and local government offices, but highly unlikely Federal office buildings.

[Sabrae]

02:30 AM on 05/03/2012

Just what are these people so afraid of?

I can imagine sitting in church on Sunday, wondering if the entire congregation is 'packing heat'.

[GinnyW]

07:18 AM on 05/03/2012

Or objects to where the minister's sermon is going??

[Conlaw Bloganon]

10:10 AM on 05/03/2012

News flash. When the victims are permitted to defend themselves, crime goes down, not up.
http://www2.timesdispatch.com/news/2011/aug/14/tdmain01-gun-crime-drops-at-virginia-bars-and-rest-ar-1237278/

Off the top of my head, KS, VA, WI, MN, AZ, TX, and OH all allow people to carry guns in churches to varying degrees. Guess what? The sky isn't falling.

[terragazelle60]

01:58 AM on 05/03/2012

I live in Louisiana..and NO ONE will be welcome in my home with a gun. This is my home and I do not welcome the NRA or their minions into my home.

[bluetantra]

06:27 AM on 05/03/2012

I wholeheartedly agree. F & F.

[hagagaga]

08:54 PM on 05/03/2012

And you have the right to do that. However, your right to control the carrying of firearms ends abruptly at your property line. You have absolutely no right even to stop somebody from patrolling right outside your property line in full tactical gear with a rifle on a three-point sling and a pistol in a chest rig.

[JDH1950]

01:08 AM on 05/03/2012

"...while gun rights aren't necessarily under threat currently in the state, he feared Second Amendment rights could face infringement in the future. "

Using this logic, "I don't have cancer now, and it's doubtful that I will have it in the future, but I better get chemo and radiation now."

Republican logic at its best.

[Conlaw Bloganon]

09:42 AM on 05/03/2012

I don't need any excuse or reason to keep a gun. Kind of like how I don't need any justification to practice the religion of my choosing, or exercise my freedom of expression. The constitution is tricky like that.

[Berettasskeeter]

07:56 PM on 05/03/2012

They were threatened in the aftermath of Hurrican Katrina. Armed officers went door-to-door, confiscating legal firearms. Louisana law, at the time, allowed such. So, this law stops such from happening again!
Semper fi

[JDH1950]

08:20 PM on 05/03/2012

They were not threatened. That is more propaganda. It is true that SOME guns in isolated spots were confiscated by some local police, but the 2nd Amendment was not threatened. This is merely right-wing propaganda. I respect your service to our country, Marine, but that doesn't make what you say not propaganda.