Look, I've been in this business long enough to know when a law just doesn't make sense. Louisiana's got a real head-scratcher, and the Firearms Policy Coalition is doing what the state legislature should have done already - filing a lawsuit to fix it.
Here's the problem: Louisiana passed constitutional carry, so anyone 18 or older can carry a firearm without a permit. But if you want a concealed carry license? Nope, gotta be 21. That might not sound like a big deal until you realize what happens near schools.
See, there's this federal law - the Gun-Free School Zone Act - that prohibits carrying within 1,000 feet of a school unless you have a valid concealed carry license from that state. So in Louisiana, an 18-year-old can legally open carry anywhere, but the moment they walk near a school, they're technically committing a felony unless they have that concealed permit they can't even get.
The Fifth Circuit already ruled in Reese v. ATF that 18-to-20-year-olds are "the people" protected by the Second Amendment and have the right to acquire handguns for self-defense. Louisiana's own constitution recognizes the right to carry for adults under 21. So this law is not just nonsensical - it's clearly unconstitutional.
FPC filed Pool v. Hodges on behalf of two young adults - 19-year-old Ella Pool and 18-year-old Christian McDuffie - who literally cannot legally carry throughout their daily lives because of this contradiction. They're trapped in a "gun-free zone" web thanks to Louisiana's backwards law.
I'm surprised the legislature didn't fix this when they passed permitless carry in 2024. But hey, if they won't do their job, good thing we've got organizations like FPC willing to take it to court. The Fifth Circuit has already shown they understand the Constitution - this should be an easy win.