Over the summer a proposal that would have allowed Louisianans to carry a concealed handgun in public without passing a background check or attending a weapons safety course rapidly moved through the state legislature.

 Even though the bill introduced a 60-minute gun safety training course, it was not required training.

However, Gov. John Bel Edwards vetoed this bill. I agree with the decision. Any person who wishes to maintain a hidden weapon should have to get a permit.

Having a permit helps minimize illegal activity by giving investigators the ability to track criminals down quickly.

Gov. Edwards issued a statement when he vetoed the bill and said our current system works well to ensure that people can own guns while also keeping reasonable permitting and training processes in place.

According to Louisiana law, anybody who applies and has no felony convictions on their record will be granted a license. 

The first step in getting a license is the concealed carry course. On the Louisiana State Police website you can locate a concealed carry educator or look for upcoming classes online. 

Many companies provide the course as part of their training offerings in Louisiana. 

After passing the course the teacher will provide you a certificate with their instructor ID number. Then you can continue onto filling out a concealed carry permit application.

After completing the application, which can be printed from the LSP website, you will find a list of required papers within. 

You can send the application and certificate to the LSP Concealed Handgun Unit. This procedure takes three to six weeks to complete and you will get your permit through the mail. 

Any person with a working understanding of firearms can acquire the permit since the procedure is not too complex. 

This process must continue to be required. People with little to no knowledge of guns can endanger the public. 

The removal of the training requirement would result in an influx of untrained gun owners on the streets.

When a permit is not needed or when permit requirements are low, anybody who lacks a basic understanding of guns can carry concealed weapons in public. 

They pose a danger to themselves and other people. Because of this, Louisiana’s laws about concealed carry must stay in place and be upheld.