State law allowing some veterans to carry concealed handgun without permit takes effect

Lake Charles, LA (KPLC) - Several new laws took effect in Louisiana today, including one allowing some veterans to carry a concealed handgun without a permit.

The law allows active-duty and honorably discharged military veterans to bypass the permitting process to carry a concealed handgun. To qualify, a servicemember or veteran must have a valid military ID, a valid drivers’ license issued by the state displaying the word “veteran” or other documentation of an honorable discharge.

We caught up with two gun shop owners with different opinions - one calls the new law a safety issue, while the other, a veteran himself, says it’s a step in the right direction.

“Riffles you have a stock, you have a long barrel, the barrel, every knows where that’s pointing, not necessarily a pistol because a pistol is so small that the direction it is pointed can be anywhere,” Hunters Supply & Pistol Range owner Earl Gothreaux said.

“It’s the Second Amendment right - we should not have to pay the government to be able to use that right, that’s in the constitution, that says we can keep and bear arms for personal protection and for personal use. Veterans have been through several courses and I agree with that, that they should be allowed to carry,” veteran and Lake Charles Gun Club owner Lee Perkins said.

Perkins did say for those military men and women who’ve had limited training with handguns, or if it’s been a while, that a refresher course is always a good idea.

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