What will Louisiana's concealed carry gun expansion mean for law-abiding adults, criminals?

Louisiana's law-abiding adults soon will be able to legally carry concealed handguns without permits or training after the Legislature gave final passage to a bill that will expand gun rights in the state.

Senate Bill 1 by Republican New Iberia Sen. Blake Miguez cleared the House Wednesday on a 75-28 vote. The Senate already passed the bill.

Republican Gov. Jeff Landry will sign the bill into law. It was one of Landry's priorities for the Special Session designed to crack down on criminals in an effort to reduce crime.

Republican House Pro-Tem Mike Johnson of Pineville presented Miguez's bill in the House, telling members expanding concealed carry will allow adults 18 and older "to safely exercise their right of self-defense."

Lawmakers also were poised to pass Senate Bill 2 by Miguez that would provide a level of immunity from civil liability for someone who uses a concealed handgun to shoot a person in self defense.

“We are merely offering law-abiding citizens safety to exercise their self-defense rights without a fee or other governmental barriers from a violent criminal who has no regard for the law,” Miguez said during a committee hearing this week.

Previous efforts to expand concealed carry either stalled in the Senate or were vetoed by former Democratic Gov. John Bel Edwards, but Landry included the issue in his Special Session order.

Miguez is himself a world class competition pistol shooter.

"Government is not here to place barriers to our constitutional rights," Miguez said in an interview with USA Today Network. "Criminals already carry concealed handguns without government permission."

When asked how expanding concealed carry rights would reduce crime, Miguez said, "It fights crime by allowing innocent individuals to defend themselves, putting them on equal footing with vicious criminals."

Supporters of the legislation refer to it as "constitutional carry" because they believe the Second Amendment already grants that right. Louisiana allows for constitutional carry now but requires a permit and training.

"It puts law-abiding citizens on equal footing with criminals," Kelby Seanor of the National Rifle Association has said. "It removes the burden to exercise a constitutional right."

But opponents, like those from Moms Demand Action, said concealed carry without the training and permits required now make the streets more dangerous for citizens and police.

“Louisiana lawmakers have chosen to make our beaches, restaurants, grocery stores, parks and everywhere else we go more vulnerable to gun violence, ” said Angelle Bradford, a volunteer with the Louisiana chapter of Moms Demand Action, in a statement. "More guns will not make Louisianans any more free, in fact, it’ll only restrict freedom to go about their lives without fear of gun violence. ”

Louisiana's Fraternal Order of the Police opposed expanding carry, though the Louisiana Sheriffs Association took no position on the bill.

Louisiana is already an "open carry" state, which means people can carry visible firearms without a permit or training.

Twenty-seven states already permit a form of concealed carry without permits, including all of Louisiana's neighbors.

Permits still will be available for those who wish to secure them, which is an advantage for reciprocity in other states that allow concealed carry. The new law will go into effect July 4.

More: Louisiana rep whose granddaughter uses AR-15 rifle files concealed carry expansion

Greg Hilburn covers state politics for the USA TODAY Network of Louisiana. Follow him on Twitter @GregHilburn1.

This article originally appeared on Shreveport Times: Louisiana expands gun rights for 'self-defense' against criminals