Louisiana Legislators to Discuss Gun Control in Upcoming Session
By: Nina Criscuolo
Updated: February 18, 2013
Some Louisiana legislators are not wasting any time filing bills dealing with guns and gun control.
A handful of bills have already been pre-filed for the 2013 regular session.
Representative Barbara Norton, a Caddo Parish Democrat, has filed a bill aimed at creating the crime of unlawful storage of a firearm. It would require all firearms to be kept in a locked container or equipped with a tamper-resistant trigger lock, cable lock, mechanical lock, or other safety device making the weapon inoperable. According to the bill, the penalty for the first conviction of this crime would be a fine of no more than 300-dollars. The second or any subsequent conviction would come with a fine of no more than 500-dollars, a six-month prison sentence, or both.
Another bill has been pre-filed by Republican Representative Henry Burns to enact the 'Louisiana Firearms Reporting Act.' The bill would require court clerks to report any mental health information to the Department of Public Safety and Corrections in an effort to keep firearms out of the hands of people who are mentally unfit according to the courts.
Finally Representative Jim Morris, also a Republican, has filed a bill to create the 'Louisiana Preservation of Individual Gun Rights of Citizens Act.' This bill would prohibit the enforcement of any federal law in the State of Louisiana regarding the ownership or possession of certain firearms, including semi-automatic firearms, magazines, and ammunition.
The regular session begins April 8, 2013.
To read the complete bills, click here.
A handful of bills have already been pre-filed for the 2013 regular session.
Representative Barbara Norton, a Caddo Parish Democrat, has filed a bill aimed at creating the crime of unlawful storage of a firearm. It would require all firearms to be kept in a locked container or equipped with a tamper-resistant trigger lock, cable lock, mechanical lock, or other safety device making the weapon inoperable. According to the bill, the penalty for the first conviction of this crime would be a fine of no more than 300-dollars. The second or any subsequent conviction would come with a fine of no more than 500-dollars, a six-month prison sentence, or both.
Another bill has been pre-filed by Republican Representative Henry Burns to enact the 'Louisiana Firearms Reporting Act.' The bill would require court clerks to report any mental health information to the Department of Public Safety and Corrections in an effort to keep firearms out of the hands of people who are mentally unfit according to the courts.
Finally Representative Jim Morris, also a Republican, has filed a bill to create the 'Louisiana Preservation of Individual Gun Rights of Citizens Act.' This bill would prohibit the enforcement of any federal law in the State of Louisiana regarding the ownership or possession of certain firearms, including semi-automatic firearms, magazines, and ammunition.
The regular session begins April 8, 2013.
To read the complete bills, click here.
