Voice Your Opinion: LA House Bill 199

Noting its own opposition to the bill, The Daily Advertiser asks its readers to contact state legislators with opinions on HB 199.

To find out who your local representative is, click here.

For a list of representatives and their email addresses, click here.

For more contact information, click here.

Another interesting note from the Advertiser:

State Rep. Ernest Wooton, R-Belle Chasse, sponsor of the bill, decided to delay the vote after more than 20 LSU athletic officials signed a letter in opposition.

Maybe I'm misreading this, but did they say that it took action by athletic officials in order to get some reconsideration on this bill? Athletic officials?? I guess outrage on the part of students and campus police chiefs isn't enough cause for concern—we need LSU's athletic department to weigh in. To hell with teachers and students, but we just can't allow LSU football to be jeopardized:

The letter argued Wooton's legislation would make campuses more dangerous. "Athletes, students, staff and visitors" the letter said, "will be able to carry concealed weapons into our practice facilities and in locker rooms."

Whatever gets it done I guess ...


Please help to put an end to this nonsense.

Contact your representative.

It took me less than five minutes.

But Not Body Armor?

So let me get this straight. We're OK with letting students bring concealed weapons to class—for protection—but body armor is taking it just a bit too far? Because (if it wasn't illegal) a shooter might decide to wear it too??? I guess emotionally distressed kids who have no qualms about mass murder tend to draw a line when it comes to breaking laws that restrict wearing body armor to school.

If there was ever any doubt as to whether or not House Bill 199 is a Republican gimmick cooked up by NRA enthusiasts, shrouded in nonsensical arguments about protecting students, and aimed at turning the gun-wielding public against any and all sane politicians in this state—well this pretty much dispels it.

The Advertiser points out:

Rep. Roy Burrell, D-Shreveport, was one of only two members of the House Criminal Justice Committee to question the wisdom of passing such a state law.

He said he found it an unusual move in a committee that recently approved carrying concealed weapons on college campuses.

"Are we making the assumption that if we don't allow the wearing of body armor, we're making schools safer?" Burrell asked. "If somebody is going to commit a crime of this nature, they're not necessarily going to wear body armor."

Rep. Damon Baldone, D-Houma, said anyone intent on attacking students is likely to "wear a vest and break this law anyway."

But wait:

The bill has a provision that would allow any student who wants to wear armor for protection to request permission from the principal or chancellor of the school.

So doesn't that make this even more absurd? Assuming that a kid hellbent on murdering his fellow classmates wouldn't just wear the body armor anyway, couldn't he or she just get permission the day before? Or are we going to allow principals to select which students should and should not be allowed to protect themselves?

That aside, if the House wants to introduce a bill that would prohibit body armor in schools because it unsettles teachers and students, fine. But how can they simultaneously entertain a bill that would allow college students to arm themselves with concealed weapons? Would not the prospect of a classroom full of gun-toting youths also unsettle many teachers and students?

Cowboy U.

Kudos to The Advertiser for this article, which spells out problems with a bill that would allow concealed guns on college campuses. House Bill 199 was approved by a panel last week.

While a House committee advanced the bill, sending it to the full House for consideration, opposition to the bill is widespread. During the committee hearing, most of the students who testified opposed the legislation.

Presidents of the University of Louisiana System and Community and Technical College System campuses have adopted resolutions opposing the bill.

Campus police chiefs from across the state have expressed opposition. Cinnamon Salvador, chief of campus police at McNeese State University, called the theory that armed students could have stopped campus shootings "fantasy." He said guns carried by students "would more likely be used against each other."

The Louisiana Council of Student Body Presidents has adopted a resolution opposing House Bill 199. COSBP is composed of the student body and student bar association presidents of all Louisiana public colleges and universities. In the resolution, the student leaders said they have discussed the need for more campus police, more training of students and faculty and more resources for campus police officers. They said, however, they "do not feel that the proliferation of handguns on campuses or the arming of students and faculty would prevent or curtail violence on campuses but, rather, would increase the risk of such violence."

More of this. Less of this. Please.

Handguns 101

The Advocate reports that Republican Ernest Wooten, State Representative from Belle Chase, is putting forth a bill that would allow guns on college campuses. His reasoning? Allowing guns on campuses would discourage school shootings:

“We’ve got a problem,” Wooten said, “and maybe it’ll be a deterrent if one of these disturbed persons or whackos thinks, ‘If I go in shooting, they may shoot back.’”

...

Wooten’s House Bill 199 would make it legal to carry licensed concealed handguns on all state colleges, from technical schools to universities.

Not only that, but the bill also would forbid colleges from enacting policies to limit the rights of gun owners from carrying concealed handguns on campuses.

Who elects these people???