HB 199 Shelved

Louisiana HB 199, the legislation to allow the carry concealed of weapons by permit holders on Louisiana's college campuses was tucked away Monday when the author of the bill decided not to push it to a vote. Representative Ernest Wooton, R-Belle Chasse, said he had the support of 45 House members but could not get the 53 votes required to pass a bill in the House. "Put the bill on the calendar until next year," Wooton asked House Clerk Butch Speer, signaling that the issue is dead for the session. Wooton pledged to re-introduce it next year.

"This bill is not about students with guns on campus," Wooton stated. "This bill is about the right to carry a gun concealed." Damn right Rep. Wooten.

A letter from LSU Athletic Director Skip Bertman, signed by all LSU coaches, claimed that it would be difficult to convince parents to allow their children to attend LSU if they knew that guns would be allowed on campus. These coaches fail to understand that parents who carry do not want their children to attend a university where they can not visit them unless unarmed. They fail to realize that their atheletes with drunken criminal backgrounds would not qualify to legally carry anyway. Further, they fail to realize that a paper prohibition to the legal carry of concealed weapons on college campuses does not stop the criminal with ill intent. It's not about college enrollment fellows. It's about the ability of law abiding people to protect themselves from criminals. When my daughter graduated from LSU this Spring, I thanked God that she did not have to walk through her day disarmed any longer.

Wooton stated that although some LSU officials opposed the idea, "the student Senate voted for my bill. It was vetoed by the president of the student body. I'm going to disappoint a lot of people. I guarantee you, we will be back."