The spread of constitutional carry continues. Louisiana and South Carolina both recently passed legislation to get their states out of the way of this Second Amendment-protected right. Constitutional carry protects Americans’ right to carry a firearm for self-defense by eliminating the requirement that law-abiding gun owners must obtain a permit to carry. Those who wish to obtain a permit to carry, so they can carry in states that have reciprocity agreements with their state, can still get a permit. Also, these bills do not change who is permitted to own or carry a firearm.
NRA Interim Executive Vice President and CEO Andrew Arulanandam and NRA-ILA Executive Director Randy Kozuch joined Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry (R) for the signing ceremony.
“This victory is a shining example of what can be achieved when freedom-loving legislators in both the House and the Senate work in unison. Our deepest gratitude goes to Sen. Blake Miguez and House Speaker Pro Tempore Mike Johnson for their pivotal roles in spearheading this life-saving legislation and expeditiously moving it to the Governor’s desk,” said Kozuch. “The NRA celebrates Louisiana’s momentous step in becoming the 28th state to enact the pivotal NRA Constitutional Carry legislation. This swift and decisive action, a testament to the NRA’s unwavering advocacy, empowers Louisianians to exercise their Second Amendment rights free from government permission, solidifying our right to self-defense.”
The Louisiana State Legislature did pass constitutional carry legislation in 2021, which was supported by the NRA, but then-Gov. John Bel Edwards (D) vetoed the legislation. The Louisiana State Senate then upheld Edwards’ veto by a vote of 23-15, despite previously voting 27-9 in favor of the bill.
While running to be governor last year, Landry promised to enact constitutional carry. “The current governor of this state [John Bel Edwards] has vetoed constitutional carry, but we’re going in and passing that,” said Landry at the time.
Landry’s victory and signing of constitutional carry further illustrates the need to elect pro-freedom candidates at the state and federal level.
Constitutional carry has been spreading rapidly over the past few years. Just last year, Florida and Nebraska passed constitutional carry, while in 2022 and 2021, four and five states did the same, respectively. This is a substantive change in America, as, just over two decades ago, only one state, Vermont, effectively had constitutional carry.
