tuck0411
May 22, 2008, 19:17
Panel kills bill on assault weapons
N.O. lawmaker sought to ban them
Thursday, May 22, 2008By Ed Anderson
BATON ROUGE -- A pro-gun rights House committee Wednesday shot down, 12-1, a bill to impose a statewide ban on assault weapons starting Jan. 1.
House Bill 68 by Rep. Cedric Richmond, D-New Orleans, is dead for the session unless he can amend it onto another bill. The only member of the House Committee on the Administration of Criminal Justice who voted against killing the bill was Rep. Roy Burrell, D-Shreveport.
Richmond was joined in his presentation by New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin and ranking members of the New Orleans Police Department, who brought confiscated assault weapons and ammunition to the hearing. Nagin said that since Hurricane Katrina, the department has seized more than 600 illegal assault weapons in the city, many used by drug dealers.
Richmond's bill would have required all assault weapons to be turned over to State Police by Jan. 1. It also would have required owners to register their weapons with State Troopers and pass a criminal background check.
Owners who qualify could pay a license fee and get an annual permit. Assault weapons would be confiscated from those who fail the background check. The bill called for a penalty of as long as six months in jail, a fine of as much as $500, or both for having an expired assault weapon permit. Individuals who did not have a permit could be fined as much as $2,000 and face as long as two years in jail, or both.
"There is no sport about these guns," Richmond said. "These guns are made for killing."
Rep. Elbert Guillory, D-Opelousas, said that in his rural district, citizens need weapons to match the firepower of criminals because they are at least 10 minutes away from police help. "They are responsible for their own safety," he said.
Officials of the National Rifle Association testified the ban would hurt hunters and collectors most because those who have illegal assault weapons will simply not register or get permits.
"This is a clear violation of Second Amendment rights" guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution that allow citizens to bear arms, said Rep. Gary Smith, D-Norco, an opponent of the ban.
http://www.nola.com/news/t-p/capital/index.ssf?/base/news-6/1211434627144930.xml&coll=1
N.O. lawmaker sought to ban them
Thursday, May 22, 2008By Ed Anderson
BATON ROUGE -- A pro-gun rights House committee Wednesday shot down, 12-1, a bill to impose a statewide ban on assault weapons starting Jan. 1.
House Bill 68 by Rep. Cedric Richmond, D-New Orleans, is dead for the session unless he can amend it onto another bill. The only member of the House Committee on the Administration of Criminal Justice who voted against killing the bill was Rep. Roy Burrell, D-Shreveport.
Richmond was joined in his presentation by New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin and ranking members of the New Orleans Police Department, who brought confiscated assault weapons and ammunition to the hearing. Nagin said that since Hurricane Katrina, the department has seized more than 600 illegal assault weapons in the city, many used by drug dealers.
Richmond's bill would have required all assault weapons to be turned over to State Police by Jan. 1. It also would have required owners to register their weapons with State Troopers and pass a criminal background check.
Owners who qualify could pay a license fee and get an annual permit. Assault weapons would be confiscated from those who fail the background check. The bill called for a penalty of as long as six months in jail, a fine of as much as $500, or both for having an expired assault weapon permit. Individuals who did not have a permit could be fined as much as $2,000 and face as long as two years in jail, or both.
"There is no sport about these guns," Richmond said. "These guns are made for killing."
Rep. Elbert Guillory, D-Opelousas, said that in his rural district, citizens need weapons to match the firepower of criminals because they are at least 10 minutes away from police help. "They are responsible for their own safety," he said.
Officials of the National Rifle Association testified the ban would hurt hunters and collectors most because those who have illegal assault weapons will simply not register or get permits.
"This is a clear violation of Second Amendment rights" guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution that allow citizens to bear arms, said Rep. Gary Smith, D-Norco, an opponent of the ban.
http://www.nola.com/news/t-p/capital/index.ssf?/base/news-6/1211434627144930.xml&coll=1