The special legislative session to address crime in Louisiana begins on Monday. One of the issues lawmakers will discuss is repealing licensing requirements to carry a concealed gun. Despite reservations among some lawmakers, two local legislators believe such a bill will pass.
"I think that will pass easily," Sen. Kirk Talbot (R-Metairie) told WWL's Tommy Tucker. "It's passed the legislature already numerous times over the last several years."
Permitless concealed carry bills cleared the House in each of the last two regular sessions, but those bills died in the Senate. Rep. Mandie Landry (D-New Orleans) believes one of the lobbying groups that helped kill the bill won't have the same influence during the upcoming special session.
"We've fought it off for the last four years with the help, actually, of sheriff's and law enforcement, which is an interesting duo, but I don't know if we're going to be able to do it this year," Rep. Landry said. "I don't know if the sheriff's and the chiefs of police will be able to hold a coalition together like they have over the last few years."
Rep. Landry says there's an outside chance some Republicans could vote against it, but she believes that's unlikely.
"They might lose a couple of Republicans who are not Second Amendment-friendly, I guess you could say, but I think it should pass," Rep. Landry said.