What would be considered the country’s strongest “right to keep and bear arms” constitutional amendment is in serious jeopardy in the Louisiana House of Representatives. Senate Bill 303, an “iron-clad” constitutional amendment that would fortify the right to keep and bear arms for all Louisianans, already passed in the state Senate and has been endorsed by Governor Bobby Jindal. SB 303 is now in the House Administration of Criminal Justice Committee where it is in danger of being completely gutted through amendments or, even worse, defeated.
SB 303 will be heard in committee on Wednesday, May 2. It is important that you contact your state Representative and members of the House Administration of Criminal Justice Committee TODAY and urge them to support SB 303. Also, please make plans to attend the House committee hearing on Wednesday in committee room 6 of the Capitol building at 9:30 a.m.
Introduced by state Senator Neil Riser (R-32), SB 303 would improve the current provision in the state constitution and provide Louisianans the strongest and most comprehensive constitutional language of any state, guaranteeing your right to keep and bear arms in Louisiana for future generations.
The language of SB 303 reads:
“The right of individuals to acquire, keep, possess, transport, carry, transfer, and use arms for defense of life and liberty, and for all other legitimate purposes is fundamental and shall not be denied or infringed, and any restriction on this right must be subjected to strict scrutiny.”
This amendment is necessary because the Louisiana Supreme Court eviscerated the current right to keep and bears arms provision in 2001, action which has left Louisianans with little protection from overreaching state-imposed gun control or in the event the Heller or McDonald cases are overturned.
In fact, the current Louisiana provision has been so weakened by the state court that it would likely only prevent a complete across-the-board ban on firearms. By classifying the use of arms as a fundamental right that can only be restricted after strict scrutiny, which is the highest level of legal protection given to other fundamental rights such as life and free speech, SB 303 would strengthen Louisiana’s state constitution and provide a critical defense against future efforts to infringe on Louisianan’s right to keep and bear arms.
Again, please contact your state Representative TODAY and respectfully urge his or her support for SB 303. For your state Representative’s contact information, please click here.
Members of the House Administration of Criminal Justice Committee:
Representative Joseph P. Lopinto(R-80), Chairman
Phone: (225) 342-2409 and (225) 342-6945
Email: [email protected]
Representative Helena Moreno (D-93), Vice Chairman
Phone: (504) 568-2740 and (225) 342-6945
Email: [email protected]
Representative Bryan Adams (R-85)
Phone: (504) 361-6013 and (225) 342-6945
Email: [email protected]
Representative Austin Badon (D-100)
Phone: (504) 243-7783 and (225) 342-6945
Email: [email protected]
Representative Terry R. Brown (I-22)
Phone: (855) 261-6566 and (225) 342-6945
Email: [email protected]
Representative Roy Burrell (D-2)
Phone: (318) 676-7137 and (225) 342-6945
Email: [email protected]
Representative Mickey J. Guillory (D-41)
Phone: (337) 457-0194 and (225) 342-6945
Email: [email protected]
Representative Lowell C. Hazel (R-27)
Phone: (318) 767-6082 and (225) 342-6945
Email: [email protected]
Representative Valarie Hodges (R-64)
Phone: (225) 791-2199 and (225) 342-6945
Email: [email protected]
Representative Dalton Honoré (D-63)
Phone: (225) 771-5674 and (225) 342-6945
Email: [email protected]
Representative Frank A. Howard (R-24)
Phone: (318) 256-4135 and (225) 342-6945
Email: [email protected]
Representative Terry Landry (D-96)
Phone: (337) 373-9380 and (225) 342-6945
Email: [email protected]
Representative Sherman Q. Mack (R-95)
Phone: (225) 686-3887 and (225) 342-6945
Email: [email protected]
Representative Barbara M. Norton (D-3)
Phone: (318) 632-5887 and (225) 342-6945
Email: [email protected]
Representative Steve E. Pylant (R-20)
Phone: (318) 435-7313 and (225) 342-6945
Email: [email protected]
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