For state Rep. Terry Landry, voting for Amendment 2 is like opening Pandora’s Box.
Landry represents District 96 - created after the last U.S. census - which covers portions of Lafayette, St. Martinville and New Iberia. He’s also a retired State Trooper, and he's a gun owner. But for Landry, Amendment 2 is setting the stage for what he believes could be the eventual elimination of all gun ownership restrictions. Landry, in a prepared statement, says:
I believe Amendment 2 would take Louisiana in the wrong direction on a matter that has direct impact on public safety. I speak as a gun owner and a strong supporter of the Second Amendment to the United States Constitution that protects our rights of gun ownership. I also speak as a 30-year veteran of the Louisiana State Police, as well as a former director of security at Louis Armstrong Airport and at Southern University.
Landry says that during this year’s Legislative Session, the Amendment’s chief backer “said he wanted no limits that he wanted [guns] everywhere.” Landry's response:
That comment makes me shudder every time I think of it.
Under this amendment, the Legislature could loosen restrictions on concealed carry laws but it would be hard pressed to tighten them. What would be the proponents’ next step, if this amendment passes? To allow fans to bring guns into, say, Tiger Stadium after an afternoon of tailgating?
We have ample evidence that the current balance in the law has tipped in favor of those who want unrestricted access to guns and ammunition. We are reminded of this every few months by some horrific story of mass shootings from around the country. These shootings are carried out by people with mental problems, grudges against society, or because for a few minutes it gives them a feeling of power. Our current laws afford these people access to guns.
On the other side of the argument is one of the North Louisiana lawmakers who helped author the bill responsible for Amendment 2: 
District 14 Rep. John Morris.
In an interview with MyArkLaMiss.com, Morris argues “We want to affirm that the right to keep and bear arms is a fundamental right in Louisiana, so if anybody tries to impinge on that right, those laws would be declared unconstitutional under our state law as well as federal law.”
Go here for Rep. Landry’s full stance against Amendment 2.
Read more of Rep. Morris’ argument favoring Amendment 2 here.
MAY 24 Blogger Robert Mann posts this entry about the Baton Rouge Chamber's recent report on Louisiana's higher education system. It's critical to economic development, and yet our system is facing a "funding crisis" with no way to resolve it, the report says. The Chamber says control of tuition and fees must be returned to the higher ed governing boards.
MAY 24 Here's a NBC33 story about Tyrann Mathieu. He has signed with the Arizona Cardinals, inking a $3 million, four-year deal. He gets a signing bonus of $265K, but gets another, larger bonus if he doesn't get cut from the team for doing drugs. The deal reportedly includes mandatory tests and meetings for the player.
MAY 24 Jarvis DeBerry posts here about the redonkulus rhetoric that would have us believe NOLA is a safe city with a murder problem. Maybe the city's crime stats don't compare with its murder stats because you can't manipulate a murder, he says: a dead body's a dead body. It just doesn't make sense, he says, and his readers agree: a poll asks if they believe the city is safe, and more than 90 percent say no.
MAY 24 Jindal administration officials announced Thursday that the privatization of public health care is going to cost a lot more than they budgeted for, the Advocate reports here. "I'm so surprised," said no one. Anywhere. The cost they're projecting now is more than $1 billion - a lot more than the $626 million budgeted for it. And, it's more than it cost the state to operate those hospitals. So why are we doing this again?
MAY 24 Blogger CB Forgotston ridicules the recent PR campaign by the state GOP in the wake of a legislative auditor's request to both major parties. The GOP (apparently unaware that the Dems got the same request) started yammering about being targeted because it had "killed" a tax increase. CB finds that laughable, but it's also pretty funny that the GOP was comparing this episode to the IRS scandal (Because the President has so much to do with our state auditor. Right?).
MAY 24 Politico details some recent fund-raising efforts by Sen. David Vitter, which have raised the question of his future political plans. This time, it is a $5,000 per head "bayou weekend" that includes "Cajun cooking" and an all-caps "alligator hunt," the story reports. Funds raised go to a super PAC that can spend money to support Vitter in federal or state races, the story points out.
MAY 24 The pink building on Royal in the quarter was sold at a sheriff's sale Thursday, this Picayune story reports. An injunction that would have halted the sale wasn't enforced because the family failed to post a $150,000 bond, the story reports. So the owner of the mortgages on the building bought it, for nearly $7 million. Now the feuding family will have to negotiate with that company to get a lease on the building that has housed their business for close to 60 years.
MAY 23 This post in Louisiana Voice tells us about a bill by a Winnsboro lege that would require all public high school students to take at least one Course Choice online class in order to graduate. (What?) Blogger Tom Aswell says it's a monument to "waste and corruption," especially in light of the problems he's exposed with the program in recent weeks. Idaho had a similar program, but voters removed it by a 2-1 margin, Aswell says.
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in the 30 years mr. landry was IN
law enforcement, gun crime increased, why is that? could it be the criminicals have the guns and the law abiding citizenS do not? He is also asking me to TRUST THE GOVERNMENT! I GUESS NOT!
VOTE YES AMENDMENT #2