Gov. John Bel Edwards (D-LA) pledged Thursday to veto legislation aimed at removing the requirement for law-abiding citizens to get a permit before carrying a concealed handgun for self-defense, the Associated Press (AP) reported Thursday.
State Sen. Jay Morris’ (R-Monroe) carry bill passed a Senate committee and will soon go to the entire Louisiana Senate for consideration.
The AP reported Morris’ bill “would allow anyone 21 years or older in Louisiana — if the person isn’t barred from having a firearm because of a violent crime conviction or some other legal prohibition — to carry a concealed handgun.” Twenty other states have abolished permitting for concealed carry.
The 20 other states are: Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont, West Virginia, and Wyoming. (Note: Tennessee’s end to permit requirement goes into effect July 1, 2021.)
AWR Hawkins is an award-winning Second Amendment columnist for Breitbart News and the writer/curator of Down Range with AWR Hawkins, a weekly newsletter focused on all things Second Amendment, also for Breitbart News. He is the political analyst for Armed American Radio. Follow him on Twitter: @AWRHawkins. Reach him at awrhawkins@breitbart.com. You can sign up to get Down Range at breitbart.com/downrange.