Proposed bill would allow concealed carry in Louisiana without a permit

LOUISIANA – Should you have to get a permit to carry a concealed handgun in Louisiana? Currently, you do, but one lawmaker is looking to get rid of the permitting process to allow for easier concealed carry in the state.

Oil City State Rep. Danny McCormick, District 1, filed the bill, HB 16, for the upcoming state legislative session. It would allow people to carry a concealed handgun without a license or permit. You would have to be 18 or older and not be prohibited from having a firearm under federal or state laws. Current law requires you to take several hours of classroom instruction and hands-on training.

“We live in a republic and in a republic, the rights and responsibility belong to the individual and not to the government,” said Rep. McCormick. “We don’t live in a republic anymore anytime they take our rights away from us and sell them back into the form of a republic. I support taking lessons and learning how to shoot but I don’t support the government mandate.”

If it passes, Louisiana would be the 19th state with what proponents call “constitutional carry” laws in place—Central Louisiana Representatives Mike Johnson, Gabe Firment, Chuck Owen, and Rodney Schamerhorn have also signed on to the bill.