Bill would protect evacuees' gun rights

Bill would protect evacuees' gun rights

Tuesday, April 11, 2006
By Ed Anderson
Capital bureau

BATON ROUGE -- With little debate, the Senate voted 39-0 Monday for a bill that would prohibit police from confiscating firearms of law-abiding citizens in times of emergencies or disasters.

The vote on Senate Bill 93 by Sen. Joe McPherson, D-Woodworth, an outdoors enthusiast and gun-rights advocate, sends the measure to the House for debate.

McPherson filed the bill in response to actions by New Orleans area police who confiscated firearms from evacuees during Hurricane Katrina. He said that the federal and state constitutions recognize the right of citizens to bear arms and that a hurricane or an evacuation from a natural disaster or emergency does not eliminate that right.

McPherson said the legislation is backed by the National Rifle Association.

"Any individual trying to escape in a flood should not have his weapon collections confiscated," McPherson said.

The bill would not prohibit police from seizing illegally possessed firearms such as those held by convicted felons, McPherson said.

State law now allows police officials to take a citizen's firearm during an emergency even if the individual has a legal right to carry the weapons and is not violating any law.

More @ http://tinyurl.com/jmy99 www.nola.com

From the article: "State law now allows police officials to take a citizen's firearm during an emergency even if the individual has a legal right to carry the weapons and is not violating any law."

Well the above is patently wrong and is just another abuse of power by government at the state level.