BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — Louisiana municipalities will be barred from enacting most gun restrictions beyond those in state law, under legislation signed by Gov. John Bel Edwards.
The measure by House Republican leader Blake Miguez won passage from lawmakers in the regular session that ended June 1. The Democratic governor’s office announced the bill signing Monday evening.
Miguez’s legislation, pushed by the National Rifle Association, will prohibit local governments from banning guns in businesses and most public buildings through ordinances that are tougher than statewide restrictions — and nullify those already enacted.
It doesn’t apply to the meeting places of local governing authorities, however, which can still carry stronger restrictions.
Edwards also signed a bill by Republican Rep. Bryan Fontenot to make it easier to carry a concealed handgun in church.
The measure repeals a law allowing a concealed handgun permit holder to bring a gun in church only if church authorities inform their congregations. It also does away with a provision allowing church authorities to require anyone wishing to carry into the facilities to take an extra eight hours of tactical training each year.
But church authorities still will have to agree before allowing concealed handguns in a place of worship.
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House Bills 140 and 334: www.legis.la.gov