NEW ORLEANS — In roughly six weeks, any law-abiding adult in Louisiana will be allowed to carry a gun without a permit or background check.
For years, many have opposed the permitless carry law, especially in New Orleans' busiest area, the French Quarter.
Christian Pendleton is a business representative of the French Quarter Management District.
“Our mission from the state is to protect and preserve the French Quarter," Pendleton said.
The group was hopeful that Governor Jeff Landry and the legislature would support a 'carve out' exception to the state's new permitless carry law that takes effect July 4. The exception would've required a permit to carry a gun within the historic 78 square blocks, but it failed earlier this month.
“The carve-out was done away with, which was heartbreaking," Pendleton said.
On Tuesday, the House Criminal Justice Committee passed some amendments by Republican State Senator Kirk Talbot, which will now move to the House floor.
“The French Quarter is different, you know, Bourbon Street is just a different animal. And you know, I hope we’re not back here again after some tragedy where we’re relooking at this," Talbot said during Tuesday's committee, “I think we need to give the police the tools they need to keep us safe.”
Those tools would give officers the capacity to stop people they suspect are negligently carrying a firearm in the French Quarter. It also clears up the language to define negligent behavior to include someone who is intoxicated or waving a gun around.
Rafael Goyeneche, president of the Metropolitan Crime Commission, supported the carve-out and the amendments.
“It’s going to be the only tool that law enforcement has come July Fourth," Goyeneche said.
For the last two years, the MCC has tracked gun stops in New Orleans, Goyeneche said.
“Gun stops went up; violent felony crime went down," Goyeneche said, “And 60 percent of those misdemeanors gun stops in the French Quarter, evolved into felony gun arrests.”
If the amendments pass, the new law will also allow a judge to order firearm safety classes in order to get a gun back if it's confiscated by law enforcement.
While it isn't exactly what some wanted, it's a step in the right direction to some.
“It’s just another challenge that we have to overcome in the French Quarter. And we will. New Orleans is nothing if not resilient. It’s just you don’t want to have to be that resilient all the time, you’d like a break from being resilient," Pendleton said.
If the amendments are adopted, those who violate the law would face $500-$1000 in penalties or up to six months in jail.
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