Sen. Gary Smith (D, Norco) Stabbed Gun Owners in the Back

There is growing concern across the US that the liberal politicians in Washington, DC have an outsized impact on our Civil Rights. Nowhere is this more obvious than with the Biden Administration’s efforts to marginalize and deny the Second Amendment (2A). As we watch urban areas crumble and die, the politicians do what politicians always do: avoid the difficult solutions and find a scapegoat for their failed policies. My friends, violence wrought by drugs, poverty, and despair is transformed by the politician into “gun violence” and it becomes your fault. Somehow, law-abiding gun owners become responsible for the acts of criminals.

To battle this growing Federal attack against your Civil Rights, 61% of the counties in the US have passed some form of 2A Sanctuary legislation, and many States have declared that every county in their State is a 2A Sanctuary. On June 17, 2021, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott signed the “Second Amendment Sanctuary State Act,” making Texas the 15th 2A Sanctuary State. Typically 2A Sanctuary legislation forbids Local or State Authorities from cooperating with Federal Authorities while they deny you your 2A Civil Rights.

In fact, Louisiana would have joined the growing rank of States who have drawn a line in the sand and become the 16th 2A Sanctuary State but for the actions of a single man, Sen. Gary L. Smith, Jr. (D, Norco). Sen. Smith is the Chairman of the Senate Judiciary B Committee.

HB 118 “Second Amendment Sanctuary” (not to be confused with SB 118 “Constitutional Carry”) passed in the Louisiana House on a vote of 70 Yeas to 30 Nays and was referred to the Senate Judiciary B Committee. The Senate Committee split along party lines with 3 Yeas and 3 Nays to refer HB 118 to the full Senate for their vote. However, Sen. Smith killed the bill at his Committee so that it would not be heard by the full Senate.

The Firearms Professionals of Louisiana set the record straight by distributing this flyer. You can download this flyer by clicking on the image below.

Submit Your Comments on Stabilizing Braces

Although the LSA focuses nearly 100% of its efforts on issues right here in Louisiana, sometimes National Issues affect our members to the point that the LSA must become involved. If the the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) manages to implement its new rule on Stabilizing Braces, thousands of Louisianians could become felons overnight.

On June 7, 2021, ATF published a new notice of proposed rule making on its website entitled Factoring Criteria for Firearms with Attached “Stabilizing Braces. The proposed rule was published in the Federal Register on June 10, 2021, giving interested parties until September 8, 2021 to file comments. It is  important that you submit comments, which you can do by clicking here.

Since 2012, ATF has recognized that stabilizing braces and silencing barrel attachments like the omega 9k suppressor serve a legitimate function and the inclusion of a stabilizing brace on pistol or other firearm does not automatically subject that firearm to the provisions of the National Firearms Act (NFA). The proposed rule seems aimed at making nearly all configurations of firearms equipped with stabilizing braces subject to the taxation and registration requirements of the NFA, which is in direct contradiction to the opinions ATF has issued previously.

Due to the discretionary scheme created by the rule, the ATF Director would be given an incredible amount of power over the firearm industry. This comes at a time when President Biden has nominated anti-gun lobbyist and gun ban proponent David Chipman to head the ATF. This draft rule is just one more reason why it’s extremely important for all gun owners to contact their Senators and ask that they vote against Chipman’s confirmation.

These are ATF’s instructions for submitting comments:

You may submit comments, identified by docket number ATF 2021R-08, by any of the following methods—

  • Federal eRulemaking Portal: www.regulations.gov. Follow the instructions for submitting comments.
  • Mail: Denise Brown, Mail Stop 6N-518, Office of Regulatory Affairs, Enforcement Programs and Services, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, 99 New York Ave. NE, Washington, DC 20226; ATTN: ATF 2021R-08.Fax: (202) 648-9741.

Instructions: All submissions received must include the agency name and docket number (ATF 2021R-08) for this notice of proposed rulemaking (“NPRM” or “proposed rule”). All properly completed comments received will be posted without change to the Federal eRulemaking portal, www.regulations.gov, including any personal information provided.

ATF also provided the following contact information for any questions regarding the proposed rule:

Denise Brown, Office of Regulatory Affairs, Enforcement Programs and Services, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, U.S. Department of Justice, 99 New York Ave. NE, Washington, DC 20226; telephone: (202) 648-7070 (this is not a toll-free number).

In addition to these technical requirements, it’s important to keep the following in mind when submitting comments.

  • Comments must be professional and respectful. While it is extremely frustrating that the Biden Administration is attempting to confiscate lawfully acquired firearms, making comments that include profanity will make it easy for ATF to summarily reject those comments.
  • Comments should focus on the arbitrary nature of the proposed rule. That it is essentially impossible to determine when a firearm is legally a pistol or a short-barrel rifle  makes the proposed rule incompatible with American principles of due process of law.
  • Comments should be individualized and focus on how the proposed rule would impact the commenter. ATF will treat all identical comments as a single comment, so it is important to avoid using a form comment.

Pending Veto Override Session

In the waning hours of the last night on the final day to sign Louisiana’s Constitutional Carry Legislation into law, Governor John Bel Edwards decided to listen to the anti-gun minority in our Great State of Louisiana and veto SB118.  Despite the thousands of emails, calls, and texts coming from LSA Members and Second Amendment supporters, Governor Edwards sided with gun control groups in vetoing our right to effectively defend ourselves and our loved ones. I guess the Bloomberg money coming from out of state was too much of a Siren Call for him.

You may think the LSA has been quiet, but rest assured that the level of work behind the scenes from your LSA leadership has been exhaustive and unprecedented. LSA President Dan Zelenka has been working non-stop to ensure a veto session. He has spoken with many of your State Senators and Representatives and has done  many local, regional, and national interviews with the media. Other Directors have been busy speaking with and coordinating activities with other pro-Rights groups around the state. It has been a full court press!

July 15, 2021 is the final date for legislators to decide if they will hold a veto session. If you have not already done so, please call or email your State Senator and State Representative and ask that they support the veto override session and vote to override Governor Edwards’ veto of Senate Bill 118.

As a reminder, Senate Bill 118 removes the requirement for law-abiding individuals to obtain a concealed handgun permit before being allowed to carry a concealed handgun for self-defense.  This important legislation ensures that citizens are able to exercise their right to self-defense without government red tape or delays.  This measure does not affect previously issued carry permits, and still allows citizens who wish to obtain a permit to do so.

To contact your State Legislators, click here.

California “Assault Weapon” Ban Ruled Unconstitutional

U.S. District Court Judge Roger T. Benitez declared California’s statutes regarding so called “Assault Weapons” to be unconstitutional. In a significant ruling in the case Miller v. Bonta, which was filed by a coalition of pro-Civil Rights groups including the Second Amendment Foundation (SAF), the Firearms Policy Coalition, California Gun Rights Foundation, San Diego County Gun Owners PAC, Poway Weapons and Gear, Gunfighter Tactical, LLC, and several private citizens including James Miller, for whom the case is named, Judge Benitez  shredded California gun control laws regarding modern semi-automatic rifles in a 94-page ruling.

Executive Vice President of the SAF, Alan M. Gottlieb said, “It is clear the judge did his homework on this ruling, and we are delighted with the outcome.” In his opening paragraph, Judge Benitez observes, “Like the Swiss Army Knife, the popular AR-15 rifle is a perfect combination of home defense weapon and homeland defense equipment. Good for both home and battle, the AR-15 is the kind of versatile gun that lies at the intersection of the kinds of firearms protected under District of Columbia v. Heller, 554 U.S. 570 (2008) and United States v Miller, 307 U.S. 174 (1939). Yet, the State of California makes it a crime to have an AR- 15 type rifle. Therefore, this Court declares the California statutes to be unconstitutional.

Later in the ruling, Judge Benitez observes, “The Second Amendment protects modern weapons.” A few pages later, he adds, “Modern rifles are popular. Modern rifles are legal to build, buy, and own under federal law and the laws of 45 states.” Perhaps most importantly, the judge notes that California’s ban on such firearms “has had no effect” on shootings in the state. “California’s experiment is a failure,” Judge Benitez says.

“Under no level of heightened scrutiny can the law survive,” Judge Benitez said. He issued a permanent injunction against enforcement of the law but stayed it for 30 days to give state Attorney General Rob Bonta time to appeal. Not surprisingly, California Gov. Gavin Newsom condemned the decision, calling it “a direct threat to public safety and the lives of innocent Californians, period.” On the judge’s comparison of the AR-15 to the Swiss Army Knife, the Governor said it “completely undermines the credibility of this decision and is a slap in the face to the families who’ve lost loved ones to this weapon. We’re not backing down from this fight, and we’ll continue pushing for common sense gun laws that will save lives.”

Of course, the Governor completely ignores the statistics that demonstrate that very few people are killed by any long gun, much less AR-15s, because of this, people should be allowed to buy at the Best gun store Canada. Californians are 7-times more likely to die from a knife than from any rifle and are three times as likely to die from hands or feet. In 2019, California saw 252 people murdered with a knife, while 34 people were killed with some type of rifle – not necessarily an AR15.

Of course, “common sense” has never had anything to do with California’s gun laws.

Urge Gov. Edwards to Sign Constitutional Carry Bill

Please contact Governor John Bel Edwards and ask him to sign the Constitutional Carry bill, SB 118! Responsible citizens of Louisiana should not first have to ask for approval from the government to defend their life, liberty and property. Please click here to contact the Governor to ask him to sign Constitutional Carry into law!

Senate Bill 118 removes the requirement for law-abiding people to obtain a permit before being able to carry a concealed handgun for self-defense.  This vital legislation ensures that citizens are able to exercise their right to self-defense without government red tape or delays.  This measure does not affect previously issued carry permits, and allows citizens who still wish to obtain a permit to carry in other states recognizing Louisiana permits, to do so.

Again, please contact Governor John Bel Edwards, by clicking above, and ask him to sign Senate Bill 118 into law.

2021 Legislative Session Keeps Giving and Giving!

To say that the 2021 Legislative Session has been good to Civil Rights loving Pro-Gun Louisianians may be a slight understatement. 2020 might have been a tough year for all of, but 2021 has been very bad to the Bloomberg backed Anti-Gun Mothers Demand Action and all of those other likeminded groups who hate your Civil Rights.

Constitutional Carry

Sen. Jay Morris

Let’s start the hit parade with the holy grail for gun owners, constitutional carry. SB118 by Sen. John “Jay” Morris (Republican, West Monroe) has been approved by the State Senate on at vote of 27 Yeas to 11 Nays. This was the first constitutional carry bill to make it out of committee in Louisiana and, obviously, the first to pass a floor vote in Louisiana. The proposed law would allow for any person who does not possess a concealed handgun permit, but otherwise meets the same eligibility requirements as those who do possess a concealed handgun permit, to carry a handgun concealed. There are some caveats of course. The new law would extend the prohibition from carrying and concealing a handgun while under the influence of alcohol or a controlled dangerous substance to non-permitted but otherwise legal carriers. (You cannot carry if you are drunk or high). Likewise, just like for a permit holder, a person carrying under constitutional carry would be required to notify any police officer who approaches him/her in an official manner or with an identified official purpose that he/she has a weapon on his/her person, submit to a pat down, and allow the officer to temporarily disarm him/her. These requirements apply to any person, not just Louisiana residents. If you would like to see if your Senator voted for or against this bill, go here. This bill has been sent to the House for consideration.

Rep. Bryan Fontenot

HB596 by Rep. Bryan Fontenot (Republican, Thibodaux) has been approved by the State House on a vote of 73 Yeas to 28 Nays. The proposed law would allow for a person who is 21 years of age or older and who is not prohibited from possessing a firearm under any federal or state law to carry a concealed handgun. The proposed law removes the requirement under present law that a resident of Louisiana possess a permit issued by the state of Louisiana to carry a concealed handgun in the state of Louisiana. Further, it provides that an individual who meets the qualifications of current law to possess a concealed handgun permit shall not be required to possess a valid concealed handgun permit issued by the state of Louisiana to carry a concealed handgun. The proposed law also specifies that the new law shall not affect present law reciprocity requirements (meaning if you are not a resident of Louisiana but can legally carry a concealed handgun in our state through reciprocity with another state, that remains in effect). Like SB118, a person carrying a concealed handgun cannot do so under the influence of alcohol or drugs and must notify the police, submit to a pat down, and allow the officer to temporarily disarm them. In addition, HB596 directs the state police to include on their website information concerning applicable laws, available training, and even a free training video for those who are interested. There was bipartisan support for this bill. If you would like to see if your Representative voted for or against this bill, go here. This bill has been sent to the Senate for consideration.

So, I know you’re asking yourself, “What happens if both bills pass both chambers?” The answer, both bills progress to the Governor’s desk. He will have three choices: Sign SB118 and veto HB596; sign HB596 and veto SB118; or veto both of them. I hope the reader will note that both of these bills have passed their respective chambers with more than 2/3 of the chamber vote. I’m sure the Honorable John Bel Edwards has noticed the same thing.

Second Amendment Sanctuary

According to an article written by Lee Williams for the Second Amendment Foundation, the number of states, counties, and cities declaring themselves Second Amendment Sanctuaries is skyrocketing. As it stands now, more than 47% of all counties in the United States have declared themselves Second Amendment Sanctuaries, according to Noah Davis of sanctuarycounties.com and its companion site constitutionalsanctuaries.com. As of May 6, 2021, 10 States and 1491 of 3144 counties have declared themselves Second Amendment sanctuaries. And the left leaning news outlets have noticed (and not surprisingly, under reported the effectiveness of the movement). Vice news reported,

“In the month of April alone, six states—Arizona, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma, and West Virginia—became so-called gun sanctuaries. But the specifics of the bills range widely, from political grandstanding, to having the potential to trigger a nasty constitutional showdown. At least seven more states, including Texas, have meanwhile introduced legislation proposing Second Amendment sanctuary protections. Four states—Alaska, Idaho, Kansas, and Wyoming—passed gun protection laws during the Obama administration.”

Rep. Larry Frieman

HB118 by Rep. Lawrence “Larry” Frieman (Republican, Abita Springs) hopes to add Louisiana to the ever-growing number of States that have had enough of the Federal Government encroaching on the Civil Rights of their citizens. The bill passed the House by a vote of 70 Yeas to 30 Nays and now heads to the Senate for their consideration.

The proposed law provides that federal regulation infringes on a citizen’s right to keep and bear arms when the following occurs but is not limited to: (1) Any tax, levy, fee, or stamp imposed on firearms, firearm accessories, or ammunition not common to all other goods and services that may reasonably be expected to create a chilling effect on the purchase or ownership of those items by law-abiding citizens. Excise taxes collected pursuant to the Pittman-Robertson Wildlife Restoration Act are excluded from this prohibition; (2) Any registering or tracking of firearms, firearm accessories, or ammunition that may reasonably be expected to create a chilling effect on the purchase or ownership of those items by law-abiding citizens; (3) Any registering or tracking of the owners of the firearms, firearm accessories, or ammunition that may reasonably be expected to create a chilling effect on the purchase or ownership of those items by law-abiding citizens; (4) Any act forbidding the possession, ownership, or use or transfer of a firearm, firearm accessory, or ammunition by law-abiding citizens; or (5) Any act ordering the confiscation of firearms, firearm accessories, or ammunition from law-abiding citizens. The bill provides that a federal action infringing upon a citizen’s right to keep and bear arms shall be held invalid and of no effect in Louisiana if enacted after January 1, 2021. Further, the bill specifies that proposed law is applicable to any employee or official of the state or a political subdivision. It prohibits any employee or official described in proposed law from the following when such regulation does not exist under Louisiana law: (1) Adopting a rule, order, ordinance, or policy under which the entity explicitly or through consistent overt action enforces a federal regulation that purports to regulate a firearm, firearm accessory, or ammunition; (2) Enforcing or assisting in the enforcement of any federal act, law, order, rule, or regulation as provided by proposed law; or (3) Using any assets, state funds, or funds allocated by the state to local entities to engage in any activity that aids in federal regulation regarding a firearm, firearm accessory, or ammunition. And this bill has teeth. The bill provides that an employee or official who violates this proposed law shall be liable to the injured party in an action at law or other proceeding for redress, and proposed law allows the court to award the prevailing party, other than the state or any political subdivision, reasonable attorney fees and costs. It will prohibit a political subdivision from receiving grant funds from the state if the political subdivision violates the proposed law. It further specifies that grant funds shall be denied for the fiscal year following the year in which the final judicial determination has been made in an action brought under proposed law determining that the entity has violated proposed law.

To see how your representative voted on this legislation, go here.

Concealed Carry Permits

In a potential world where one might be able to carry a concealed handgun in Louisiana without the need of a permit, it’s important not to forget that the Concealed Handgun Permit is not going anywhere and there are still important reasons to have said permit (several reasons are (1) reciprocity in other states; (2) the ability for a federally licensed dealer to forgo the NICS check when a form 4473 is completed; (3) the ability to carry in a restaurant that serves alcohol; and (4) the ability to carry within 1,000’ of a school).

Rep. Blake Miguez

HB48 by Rep. Blake Miguez (Republican, Erath) passed the house by unanimous approval (100 Yeas to 0 Nays). In a nutshell, this proposed legislation would expand the forms of training acceptable under the current training requirements for the permit. Present law provides that the instructors for courses and training shall be certified by the Council on Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) as firearms instructors or by the National Rifle Association (NRA) as instructors for Basic Pistol Shooting, Personal Protection in the Home, or Personal Protection Outside the Home. The proposed law retains those certifications and provides for applicants to also complete any U.S. Concealed Carry Association (USCCA) handgun safety or training course conducted by a U.S. Concealed Carry Association certified instructor within the preceding 12 months. So under the new law, certification options for instructors will include :(1) The NRA as a Carrying a Concealed Weapon instructor; (2) The NRA Law Enforcement Division as an instructor for courses involving the teaching of handguns; (3) The USCCA as an instructor for Home Defense and Concealed Carry Fundamentals or Defensive Shooting Fundamentals; (4) The Federal Law Enforcement Training Center’s Firearms Instructor Training Program or other federal agency firearms instructor course consisting of at least 40 hours of instruction; or (5) Other instructor certification programs approved by the Department of Public Safety and Corrections.

Rep. Paul Hollis

People who hold a concealed handgun permit under the current laws of Louisiana often wonder if their permit allows them to carry other defensive weapons, such as a knife. The short answer is, no. Present law provides that the illegal carrying of weapons is any of the following and provides criminal penalties for those who are convicted of the offense: (1) The intentional concealment of any firearm, or other instrumentality customarily used or intended for probable use as a dangerous weapon, on one’s person; (2) The ownership, possession, custody or use of any firearm, or other instrumentality customarily used as a dangerous weapon, at any time by an enemy alien; (3) The ownership, possession, custody or use of any tools, or dynamite, or nitroglycerine, or explosives, or other instrumentality customarily used by thieves or burglars at any time by any person with the intent to commit a crime; (4) The intentional concealment on one’s person of any switchblade knife, spring knife, or other knife or similar instrument having a blade which maybe automatically unfolded or extended from a handle by the manipulation of a button, switch, latch, or similar contrivance located on the handle. Present law provides certain exceptions to this prohibition; or (5) The intentional possession or use by any person of a dangerous weapon on a school campus during regular school hours or on a school bus. Present law provides certain exceptions to this prohibition.

Rep. Paul Hollis (Republican, Covington) authored HB124, which unanimously passed in the House on a vote of 95 Yeas to 0 Nays. This bill would modify existing law and provide that a person with a valid concealed handgun permit shall not be prohibited from carrying a concealed firearm or other instrumentality customarily used or intended for probable use as a dangerous weapon on his person unless otherwise prohibited by present law. In other words, if you have a concealed handgun permit, you may carry a knife, or taser, or other defensive weapon in addition to your handgun. The proposed law would also make clear that persons with valid concealed handgun permits are excluded from the prohibition of carrying handguns in current law.

The success that we have experienced this year is due in no small part to the activism of LSA members. On gun day in the House Administration of Criminal Justice Committee, at least 85 gun rights advocates attended. Another 140+ sent emails to the committee expressing their support. This kind of activism gets results. Thank you for your past support. However, the fight is not over. We have a few more committee hearings and floor votes to go. We will let you know when these get scheduled. Your continued emails and attendance will put these bills on the Governor’s desk.

 

Update on Firearms Related Legislation for 2021

As of April 28, 2021, the most up-to-date information on the firearms related legislation proposed in 2021 is summarized below.

  • SB118 Sen. John “Jay” Morris (R)- [Supported by LSA] Provides relative to the concealed carrying of firearms by extending the prohibition from carrying and concealing a handgun while under the influence of alcohol or a controlled dangerous substance to non-permitted but otherwise legal carriers and extends the notification requirement to police officers to non-permitted but otherwise legal carriers
    • Reported Favorably by the Senate Committee on Judiciary C
    • Passed by the Full Senate on a vote of 26 Yeas to 11 Nays; ordered re-engrossed and sent to the House.
  • SB115 Sen. Barrow Peacock (R)- [LSA has No Postition] Prohibits possession of firearms, ammunition, or electric weapons or devices by certain felons
    • Reported favorably by the Senate Committee on Judiciary C
  • HB48 Rep. Blake Miguez (R)- [Supported by LSA] Provides relative to the requirements for concealed handgun permit safety and training course applicants and instructors
    • Reported Favorably by the House Administration of Criminal Justice with no opposition
  • HB596 Rep. Bryan Fontenot (R)- [Supported by LSA] Provides relative to the concealed carrying of firearms; not “true” Constitutional Carry as currently written, it is an advancement for the right to keep and bear arms (i.e., it’s not what we want, but its better than what we have). The LSA would like to see this bill amended.
    • Reported Favorably by the House Administration of Criminal Justice on a vote of 8 Yeas to 4 Nays
  • HB118 Rep. Larry Frieman (R)- [Supported by LSA] Firearms Protection Act making Louisiana a 2nd Amendment Sanctuary State, to prevent federal regulation from infringing on a citizen’s right to keep and bear arms.
    • Reported Favorably by the House Administration of Criminal Justice on a vote of 8 Yeas to 4 Nays
  • HB16 Rep. Danny McCormick (R)- [Supported by LSA] Constitutional Carry,  legalizes Concealed Carry for the same law-abiding citizens who can legally Open Carry in Louisiana. The Concealed Handgun License will remain in tact as an option for those who wish to seek reciprocity in other states.
    • Involuntarily deferred by the House Administration of Criminal Justice on a vote of 4 Yeas to 8 Nays
  • HB353 Rep. Mandie Landry (D) [Opposed by LSA] Prohibits the private transfer of firearms between lawful individuals without first obtaining a background check
    • Voluntarily deferred by the Author
  • HB124 Rep. Paul Hollis (R)- [Supported by LSA] Provides an exception to certain offenses of illegal carrying of weapons for persons with a concealed handgun permit
    • Reported Favorably by the House Administration of Criminal Justice with no opposition

The following bills have not been considered as of this date.

  • HB52 Rep. Debbie Villio (R)- [LSA has No Position] (Constitutional Amendment) Adds aggravated battery committed with a firearm to the list of crimes for which special juvenile procedures are not required
    • Withdrawn prior to introduction
  • HB326 Rep. Tammy Phelps (D) [Opposed by LSA] Removes the requirement that the handgun be possessed on the offender’s person in order for illegal possession of a handgun by a juvenile to apply
    • Referred to the Committee on Administration of Criminal Justice
  • HB597 Rep. Blake Miguez (R)- [Supported by LSA] Provides relative to prohibition on certain governmental entity contracts with companies that discriminate against firearm and ammunition industries
    • Referred to the Committee on Appropriations

Firearms Related Legislation for 2021

Here is a list of firearms related legislation proposed in Louisiana for the 2021 Legislative Session.

  • HB16 Rep. Danny McCormick (R)- [Supported by LSA] Constitutional Carry,  legalizes Concealed Carry for the same law-abiding citizens who can legally Open Carry in Louisiana. The Concealed Handgun License will remain in tact as an option for those who wish to seek reciprocity in other states.
  • HB48 Rep. Blake Miguez (R)- [Supported by LSA] Provides relative to the requirements for concealed handgun permit safety and training course applicants and instructors
  • HB52 Rep. Debbie Villio (R)- [LSA has No Position] (Constitutional Amendment) Adds aggravated battery committed with a firearm to the list of crimes for which special juvenile procedures are not required
  • HB118 Rep. Larry Frieman (R)- [Supported by LSA] Firearms Protection Act making Louisiana a 2nd Amendment Sanctuary State, to prevent federal regulation from infringing on a citizen’s right to keep and bear arms.
  • HB124 Rep. Paul Hollis (R)- [Supported by LSA] Provides an exception to certain offenses of illegal carrying of weapons for persons with a concealed handgun permit
  • HB326 Rep. Tammy Phelps (D) [Opposed by LSA] Removes the requirement that the handgun be possessed on the offender’s person in order for illegal possession of a handgun by a juvenile to apply
  • HB353 Rep. Mandie Landry (D) [Opposed by LSA] Prohibits the private transfer of firearms between lawful individuals without first obtaining a background check
  • HB596 Rep. Bryan Fontenot (R)- [Supported by LSA] Provides relative to the concealed carrying of firearms; not “true” Constitutional Carry as currently written, it is an advancement for the right to keep and bear arms (i.e., it’s not what we want, but its better than what we have). The LSA would like to see this bill amended.
  • HB597 Rep. Blake Miguez (R)- [Supported by LSA] Provides relative to prohibition on certain governmental entity contracts with companies that discriminate against firearm and ammunition industries
  • SB115 Sen. Barrow Peacock (R)- [LSA has No Postition] Prohibits possession of firearms, ammunition, or electric weapons or devices by certain felons
  • SB118 Sen. John Morris (R)- [Supported by LSA] Provides relative to the concealed carrying of firearms by extending the prohibition from carrying and concealing a handgun while under the influence of alcohol or a controlled dangerous substance to non-permitted but otherwise legal carriers and extends the notification requirement to police officers to non-permitted but otherwise legal carriers

Results from the 2021 Elections

For the first time in its 53 year history, the Louisiana Shooting Association was not able to hold a live Annual Meeting of Members and Elections. Using a sophisticated and secure on-line voting system, the LSA hosted a virtual election. Here are the results of that election.

Elected to a 3-year term as Director (in order of number of votes obtained):

Jay D. Hunt, III
Ronald “Buck” Kliebert
Ron Duplessis
Dwayne Vidrine
Paul Prokop

Elected to a 1-year term as Alternate Directors:

Ted A. Torres, III – First Alternate
Dave Ramey – Second Alternate

As to the Bylaw Amendment Approval of Article IV Section 1, the motion passed by a vote of 96.4% For and 3.6% Against.

The By-Laws of the Louisiana Shooting Association (amended February 18, 2018) Article IV Meetings of the Association Section 1. Annual Meetings formerly read:

No earlier than January 1 and no later than February 28, the Association shall conduct a meeting for the election of Directors and the transaction of such other business as may properly come before the meeting. The exact date, time and place of this meeting shall be determined by the Executive Committee. Not less than 10 day’s notice of this meeting, specifying the date, time and place of meeting, shall be provided to all members of the Association. If this meeting cannot be held due to an act of God, or otherwise, it shall be held at the earliest convenient time, at the discretion of the President.

The following amendment was proposed and approved:

No earlier than January 1 and no later than February 28, the Association shall conduct a meeting for the election of Directors and the transaction of such other business as may properly come before the meeting. The exact date, time and place of this meeting shall be determined by the Executive Committee. Not less than 10 day’s notice of this meeting, specifying the date, time and place of meeting, shall be provided to all members of the Association. If this meeting cannot be held due to an act of God, or otherwise, it shall be held at the earliest convenient time, at the discretion of the President. If an Annual Meeting cannot be held during a year due to extraordinary events, a vote of 2/3 of the Directors may also approve an Electronic Ballot be provided to the members of the association who are eligible to vote.

Don’t Feed The Anti-Gun Zealots!

We are often asked to compile a list of companies that are anti-Civil Rights who call for the removal of your Constitutionally-Protected Rights under the Second Amendment. But, as a small Pro-Civil Rights Organization run entirely by volunteers, this task is a little too daunting. Never fear! The Second Amendment Foundation has done just that. If you would like to see there full list, click here.

The following companies and/or their decision makers have instituted anti-firearm corporate policy or have pressed lawmakers to enact further strict legislation.

20/20 Vision Cheryl Plank CEO
A&M Records Herb Alpert CEO
AlleyCorp Kevin Ryan Founder and CEO
Alphabet, Inc. Sundar Pichai CEO
Amalgamated Bank Keith Mestrich President and CEO
Ambition TravisTruett Co-Founder and CEO
AMC Theatres Adam Aron CEO
AOL / Time Warner Jason Kilar CEO
Ariel Investments LLC John W. Rogers, Jr. CEO
Artsy Mike Steib CEO
Ascend.io Sean Knapp Co-Founder and CEO
Aspiration Andrei Cherny Co-Founder and CEO
AT&T Randal Stephenson CEO
Aura Abdur Chowdhury CEO
AutoZone William Rhodes CEO
Backpack Fahim Aziz Founder and CEO
Bad Robot Fahim Aziz Founder and CEO
Bain Capital John Connaughton Co-Managing Partner / Co-Chairman
Bank of America Brian Moynihan CEO
Beeswax AriPaparo CEO
Begin Ryan Block Co-Founder
Betaworks John Borthwick Founder and CEO
Beyond Meat Ethan Brown Co-Founder and CEO
Bloomberg LP Peter Grauer Chairman
Bonusly Raphael Crawford-Marks Co-Founder and CEO
Brat Darren Lachtman Co-Founder
Brookfield Property Ric Clark Chairman
Brud Trevor McFedries CEO
Bumble Whitney Herd CEO
Burger King Daniel Schwartz CEO
Cambly Sameer Shariff Co-Founder
Catch & Release Analisa Goodin Founder and CEO
Cerebras Systems Andrew Feldman Founder and CEO
Chipotle Brian Niccol CEO
Circle Medical George Favvas CEO
ClassPass Fritz Lanman CEO
Clearbit Alex MacCaw CEO
Clever Tyler Bosmeny CEO
Clockwise Matt Martin Co-Founder and CEO
CNN Jeff Zucker CEO
Color Genomics Othman Laraki Co-Founder and CEO
Comcast Brian Roberts CEO
Conde Nast Roger Lynch CEO
Costco Craig Jelinek CEO
Credit Karma Ken Lin Founder and CEO
Crunchbase Jager McConnell CEO
Curalate Apu Gupta Co-Founder and CEO
Curtsy David Oates Co-Founder and CEO
Dannon Juan Dalto CEO
Delta Airlines Ed Bastian CEO
DICK’S Sporting Goods Edward Stack CEO
Disney Company Bob Chapek CEO
DoorDash Tony Xu Co-Founder and CEO
Doxel, Inc. Saurabh Ladha CEO
Ebay Jamie Iannone CEO
Ecolab Doug Baker Chairman and CEO
Edelman Richard Edelman President and CEO
Elektra Labs Andy Coravos Co-Founder and CEO
Emerson Collective Laurene Powell Jobs President
Enterprise Chrissy Taylor CEO
Eventbrite Julia Hartz Co-Founder and CEO
Farmstead Pradeep Elankumaran Co-Founder & CEO
Full Picture Desiree Gruber CEO
Fundera Jared Hecht Founder and CEO
Gap Inc. Art Peck CEO
Gateway Computers James Coleman CEO
GE Lawrence Culp CEO
GEICO Todd Combs CEO
Goat Group Eddy Lu CEO
Golden Jude Gomila Founder and CEO
Graphic Packaging Michael Doss CEO
Group Nine Media Ben Lerer Co-Founder & CEO
Gucci Marco Bizzarri CEO
Guru Rick Nucci Co-Founder & CEO
Hallmark Cards Mike Perry CEO
Hard Rock Cafe James Allen CEO
Havas Group Yannick Bollore CEO
HBO Richard Plepler CEO
Hint, Inc. Kara Goldin Founder and CEO
HipDot Jeff Sellinger Co-Founder and CEO
Hooked Prerna Gupta CEO
Horizon Media Bill Koenigsberg President CEO and Founder
Humbition Cyrus Massoumi Managing Partner
Impossible Foods Patrick Brown MD, PhD, Founder and CEO
Interpublic Michael Roth Chairman and CEO
Intuit Sasan Goodzari CEO
JOOR Kristin Savilia CEO
Jumbo Privacy Pierre Valade CEO
Kabbage Inc. Rob Frohwein Co-Founder and CEO
Kadena William Martino Founder and CEO
Kanga Jake Perlman-Garr CEO
Knowable Warren Shaeffer Co-Founder and CEO
Lattice Jack Altman CEO
Levi Strauss & Co. Chip Bergh President and CEO
Lucent Technologies Patricia Russo CEO
Lyft Logan Green Co-Founder and CEO
MetaProp.vc Aaron Block Co-Founder and Managing Director
MetLife Michael Khalaf CEO
Microsoft Satya Nadella CEO
Modern Fertility Afton Vechery Co-Founder and CEO
MongoDB Inc. Dev Ittycheria President and CEO
MSNBC Phil Griffin CEO
MTV Chris McCarthey CEO
Navient John Remonid CEO
NBC Universal Jeff Shell CEO
NCR Corp. Michael Hayford CEO
Neighborland Dan Parham Founder and CEO
NewsCred Shafqat Islam CEO
Nextdoor Sarah Friar CEO
NowThis Athan Stephanopoulos President
Nurx Varsha Rao CEO
Oaktree Capital Howard Marks Co-Chairman
Oberndorf Enterprises William E. Oberndorf Chairman
Oceans Steven Rosenblatt Co-Founder and General Partner
OfferUp Nick Huzar Co-Founder and CEO
Okta Todd McKinnon Co-Founder and CEO
Omnicom Group John Wren Chairman and CEO
Openpath James Segil Co-Founder and President
Panera Bread Niren Chaudhary CEO
Parabol Jordan Husney CEO
Paravision Doug Aley CEO
Paypal David Schulman CEO
Pinterest Ben Silbermann Co-Founder and CEO
Plato Design John Milinovich CEO
Postmates Bastian Lehmann Co-Founder & CEO
Presto Rajat Suri CEO
Prima Christopher Gavigan Founder and CEO
Progressive Insurance Tricia Griffith CEO
Prologis Hamid Moghadam Chairman and CEO
Publicis Groupe Arthur Sadoun Chairman and CEO
Quartzy Adam Regelmann Founder and COO
Reddit Steve Huffman CEO
Ribbon Health Nate Maslak Co-Founder and CEO
Ro Zachariah Reitano Co-Founder and CEO
Roofstock Gary Beasley Co-Founder and CEO
Royal Caribbean Cruises Richard Fain CEO
RXR Realty Scott Rechler Chairman and CEO
Sara Lee John Bryan CEO
SelfMade Brian Schechter CEO
Shoptiques Inc. Olga Vidisheva Founder and CEO
Showtime Cable Network David Nevins CEO
Shutterstock Inc. Jon Oringer Founder and CEO
Sidewalk Labs Dan Doctoroff CEO
Sift Jason Tan CEO
Skillshare Matt Cooper CEO
SkySafe Grant Jordan CEO
Small Door Josh Guttman Co-Founder and CEO
SmartAsset Michael Carvin Co-Founder and CEO
Snapdocs, Inc. Aaron King Founder and CEO
Solve.io Neil Capel CEO
Sonic J. Clifford Hudson CEO
Southwestern Bell Mark Keiffer CEO
Splash Ben Hindman Co-Founder and CEO
Square and Twitter Jack Dorsey CEO
Squarespace Anthony Casalena Founder and CEO
Standard Bots Evan Beard Founder and CEO
Subway Trevor Haynes CEO
Sundia Corporation Bradford Oberwager CEO
Sunlight Health Ross Feinstein CEO
Superplastic Paul Budnitz CEO
SurveyMonkey Zander Lurie CEO
SV Angel Ron Conway Founder
Symantec Vincent Pilette CEO
ThirdLove Heidi Zak Co-Founder and Co-CEO
Thisopenspace inc. Ashar Nejati CEO
Thrive Capital Joshua Kushner Founder and Managing Partner
Thrive Global Arianna Huffington Founder and CEO
ThunderCore Inc. Chris Wang CEO
Tillable Corbett Kull CEO
Tinder Sean Rad CEO
TOMS Blake Mycoskie Founder and CEO
Twilio Jeff Lawson Co-Founder and CEO
Uber Dara Khosrowshahi CEO
Uniform Teeth Meghan Jewitt CEO
Viosera Therapeutics Nicholas Goldner Co-Founder and CEO
Virtual Kitchen Ken Chong CEO
Voxer Irv Remedios CEO
Voyage Oliver Cameron Co-Founder and CEO
Watsi Chase Adam Co-Founder and CEO
WayUp Liz Wessel Co-Founder and CEO
Whalar Neil Waller CEO
Wizeline Bismarck Lepe CEO
WPP Mark Read CEO
X.ai, inc. Dennis Mortensen Founder and CEO
Y Combinator Geoff Ralston President
Yelp Jeremy Stoppelman Co-Founder and CEO
Yum Brands Greg Creed CEO
Zola Shan-Lyn Ma Co-Founder and CEO