NEW ORLEANS — Less than 24 hours after a man was shot and killed in a busy part of the French Quarter, lawmakers continue to gut bills banning guns in parts of New Orleans.
On Monday afternoon, a bill that would have made it illegal to carry a firearm near a parade or demonstration failed.
Rep. Mandie Landry (D - New Orleans) authored the bill and stressed the importance of safety at events such as Mardi Gras.
“Again, this is an extremely narrow bill in time and place, that helps law enforcement, who support it, protect people at an international event," Landry said on the house floor Monday.
Lawmakers that opposed the bill said that guns aren't the problem, criminals are.
“I don’t understand why putting limitations on law abiding citizens helps lower crime," Danny McCormack (R - Oil City).
The bill failed 39 to 57. It would have prohibited gun owners from bringing a concealed handgun within 100 feet of the parade route without a permit.
Hours before that bill failed, regional business leaders sent a strong message to legislators. The letter was from New Orleans & Co, NOLA Coalition, New Orleans Business Council, Jefferson Business Council, Metropolitan Crime Commission and the New Orleans Chamber of Commerce.
The groups called on legislators to reconsider carving out the French Quarter and downtown areas of New Orleans in its permitless concealed carry bill that takes effect July 4.
The city's tourism marketing agency, New Orleans & Co, emphasized the importance of safety as the Crescent City prepares to welcome visitors for the Super Bowl in 2025.
“We know that 15 million gather in the French Quarter on an annual basis, sometimes hundreds of thousands at a time. When you have that many people in one place, it’s important that law enforcement have every tool at their disposal to be able to protect people and reduce the risk of harm," Walt Leger, President and CEO of New Orleans & Co, said.
The latest version of the concealed carry law says that anyone 18 and up is allowed to concealed carry without a permit, training, or a background check. It would bar permitless concealed carry in the French Quarter by people who are intoxicated.
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