Louisiana state GOP lawmaker pushing bill allowing concealed carry without permit

A Louisiana GOP lawmaker is pushing a bill to allow concealed carry of firearms without a permit.

State Rep. Danny McCormick (R) introduced HB 16 in February, which would allow those who are 18 years of age or older and not prohibited from possessing a firearm under state or federal law to carry a gun without a permit.

The state currently requires concealed carry permits to carry guns. According to the Louisiana State Police, permits are available for for those that are 21 years old and take firearms training.

Speaking to WAFB 9 in Baton Rouge on Tuesday, McCormick said his “constitutional carry” bill mimics the state’s open carry law.

“In Louisiana right now, open carry is legal without a permit and this just mimics that so you can conceal carry without a permit,” he told the news outlet.

McCormick also said that his constituents have asked him to get rid of concealed carry permits for firearms. 

“I mean, people are ready to go on the offense with their Second Amendment rights. They’re tired of being on defense and, as we always say, ‘There’s no but in the Second Amendment,’” McCormick said. “You know, people say, ‘I’m pro-Second Amendment but …’ There’s no but in the Second Amendment, so we’re going back to the original intent.”

According to gun reform group Giffords, 35 states require a state-issued permit for carrying weapons in public, and 15 allow individuals to carry concealed weapons without a permit.

The group notes that the most comprehensive studies of concealed carry laws found that in states with weak permit laws, violent crime rates were 13-15 percent higher than if the laws were not in place.