MCC Chair: Lawmakers listening to lobbyists, not locals in French Quarter concealed carry debate

Despite lawmakers' effort to kill any effort to exempt the French Quarter and other parts of New Orleans from the state's new permitless concealed carry law, local residents and business owners continue to push the legislature to pass such a measure.

A bill that would have created an exemption to the state's new permitless concealed carry law for the French Quarter has been neutered. That bill, sponsored by Senator Kirk Talbot (R-River Ridge) now would outlaw only the "negligent carrying of a concealed handgun in the Quarter.

Opponents of the movement to require a permit for concealed carry in the Vieux Carré claim an exemption won't stop criminals from breaking the law. But local stakeholders say they're missing the point.

"The point is this: we are, right now, targeting the criminals," Greg Rusovich, CEO of Transoceanic Development and chairman of the Metropolitan Crime Commission, said. "We're trying to support law enforcement and get criminals off the street."

Rusovich told WWL's Tommy Tucker that creating an exception to the permitless concealed carry law will allow the NOPD to continue using tactics that get criminals and their guns off the street. Rusovich went further, saying that an exception for the French Quarter is "common sense."

"Many of those guns that NOPD is getting of the street, they've demonstrated that they've been used in other crimes," Rusovich said. "The facts and data support (the exemption). The NOPD has done an outstanding job over the last year (or) year-and-a-half as they've been really ramping up proactive policing in getting hundreds of guns--almost a thousand guns--off the street in the French Quarter (and) downtown from seeing bulges (and) seeing people carry guns illegally, and we're really taking a large part away from that from them by saying you can carry a gun in the French Quarter without a permit. It, to me, is highly irresponsible."

Former NOPD Superintendent Ronal Serpas agreed with Rusovich's assessment. Serpas told Tucker that an exception to the permitless concealed carry law for the French Quarter makes perfect sense because of the number of bars in the area. Serpas added that lawmakers should consider an idea pitched by Rep. Alonzo Knox (D-New Orleans) : requiring a permit to carry a concealed gun in all of downtown New Orleans.

"So in this case, I've been an advocate for carving out the part of the French Quarter that is strictly the tourist center (and) the alcoholic beverage outlets, and we have to consider the other side of Canal Street to the Pontchartrain Expressway because of how much it's changed in its relationship to day-to-day citizen life, day-to-day business life, and day-to-day nightlife," Serpas said. "I think (the permitless concealed carry law) puts the legal gun owners in a more precarious position because they're going to be surrounded by people who may be drinking, and they could be sober. I think it puts anyone who's been drinking in a precarious position if someone pulls a weapon or feels the need to pull a weapon."

Rusovich says North Louisiana Republicans and lobbyists alike are working to kill the idea despite their claims that they are pro-police.

"It's quite clear that conservatives have always taken pride and Republicans (have taken pride) in supporting law enforcement," Rusovich said. "It's very disappointing and discouraging to me to see us pull the rug from law enforcement in this specific matter."

Rusovich noted that a new Times-Picayune poll shows nearly two-thirds of Louisiana voters support permit requirements for concealed carry.
He says it's time for lawmakers to listen to those voters.

"The legislators in North Louisiana and all through the state need to listen to what the constituents are saying, not what other outside organizations are saying," Rusovich said. "They need to defend their constituents and defend public safety here in the city."