Gun owners in rural areas escape new penalties on errant shooting

The Times-Picayune ^ | May 29, 2012 | Bill Barrow

[BBell]

BATON ROUGE -- Handing the gun rights lobby another victory, the Louisiana Senate overwhelmingly rejected a proposal to criminalize the reckless discharge of a firearm near residences in unincorporated areas. Earlier today, the Senate approved a constitutional amendment that would incorporate recent U.S. Supreme Court precedent limiting government's ability to restrict gun possession.

While exempting any action intended to protect life or property, the negligent discharge bill would have made it a crime to fire a gun within 1,000 feet of a residence in an unincorporated area. The bill would have set a maximum fine of $250 for the first conviction and a maximum $500 for repeat convictions.

Rep. Mickey Guillory, D-Eunice, said he filed his House Bill 204 in response to a specific constituent complaint about errant shots. Sen. Neil Riser, R-Columbia and a strong floor presence for the National Rifle Association, told his colleagues the proposal was too broad, threatening property rights and gun rights. Riser carried the day in a 1-33 vote. Only Sen. Elbert Guillory, an Opelousas Democrat who carried the bill in the upper chamber, supported his House colleague. The bill had cleared the House in a 90-0 vote.

[BBell]

I just renewed my NRA membership. Louisiana is on it's way to becoming the most gun rights friendly state.

[hughesm1]

Something doesn’t add up. EVERY House Rep...ALL 90, and only 1 of 34 Senators were for this? What we’re the reps thinking? Especially the ones from out in bayou country.

[Kickass Conservative]

Just curious. If the Bill had passed, would the Police in LA be required to carry a 1000’ long Measuring Tape in their Patrol Cars?

The next obvious question, does anyone Manufacture a 1000’ long Measuring Tape?

[Rebelbase]

Google Earth measuring tool.

[Kickass Conservative]

Don't give them any ideas...

Stick with the Tape Measure idea. No Google Earth, no Lasers. Even the longest Surveyor Chains are only 500’.

I love how Politicians just pull random numbers out of the air. 1000 Feet from Schools, Ten Round Magazines, Ten Dollar Living Wage and of course Obama’s GPA...

[Zuben Elgenubi]

Drones will soon monitor this dreadful, Constitutional behavior.

[BBell]

Sen. Neil Riser, R-Columbia and a strong floor presence for the National Rifle Association, told his colleagues the proposal was too broad, threatening property rights and gun rights. Riser carried the day in a 1-33 vote. Only Sen. Elbert Guillory, an Opelousas Democrat who carried the bill in the upper chamber, supported his House colleague.

It should say 33-1.

[BBell]

Upon reading it more closely it does say it cleared the house 90-0. I agree, what were they thinking. I was thinking it was shot down 90-0.

[editor-surveyor]

>> “The next obvious question, does anyone Manufacture a 1000’ long Measuring Tape?” <<

.
Do you golf?

Bushnell makes a code phase laser ranging device for golfers that gives the distance in yards to whatever you can see.

[Kickass Conservative]

Check my #5 Post.

I was being facetious, or at least I thought I was. LOL

[ApplegateRanch]

the negligent discharge bill would have made it a crime to fire a gun within 1,000 feet of a residence in an unincorporated area.

So; what is "reckless" or "negligent" about firing a shotgun over 300' from a residence?

What is "reckless" or "negligent" about standing 750' east of a house, and shooting at a deer 100 yards farther to the east?

Is shooting a rat with .22 birdshot or .38/.45 rat-shot shells inside your chicken coop or barn, 500' from the nearest neighbor, "reckless" or "negligent"? Or, does that come under the vague, "exempting any action intended to protect life or property"?

Rep. Mickey Guillory, D-Eunice, said he filed his House Bill 204 in response to a specific constituent complaint about errant shots.

The idiot, Rep. Mickey Guillory, at a minimum, should have talked to the local sheriff and discussed possible solutions, before blindly introducing this abomination. Hard to believe all 89 other reps voted for it.

[marktwain]

The idiot, Rep. Mickey Guillory, at a minimum, should have talked to the local sheriff and discussed possible solutions, before blindly introducing this abomination.

I think you are being naive. Rep. Mickey Gillory has shown himself to be an anti-rights conniver who wishes to erode the constitution little by little. He should be opposed in the next primary and removed from office.

I believe that this was a well planned attack designed to delegitimize shooting and to erode property rights. It almost succeeded.

If Sen. Neil Riser had not brought this to the attention of the Senate, it would have likely been slipped through without much attention, and a great deal of legal activity with firearms would have been made illegal.

This is how many of our rights have been eroded over the last 75 years.

[ApplegateRanch]

Rep. Mickey Gillory has shown himself to be an anti-rights conniver who wishes to erode the constitution little by little.

---

But what is the excuse for the other 89 reps who voted with him? Are they all dupes, or just dopes? Why did none of them question this? They can’t all be anti-rights connivers.

[editor-surveyor]

I was just pointing out that 1000’ or whatever, the measuring wasn’t the issue.

[editor-surveyor]

>> “ They can’t all be anti-rights connivers.” <<

.
Are you sure?
.

[marktwain]

A lot of what gets passed in legislatures is done without any real oversight. Bills that are considered noncontroversial are done or bundled together without representatives even reading them. The trick is to have the committee chair that approves them, or his key staff member, owe a favor or to be an accomplice.

I bet a large number of those 89 are asking members of their staff how this got by them.

I was a bit harsh with the word “naive”. What I really meant was that these things are not done by accident. They are done by someone with serious intent.