Council passes ordinance making Pointe Coupee a ‘sanctuary parish’ for 2nd Amendment

UPDATE: The Pointe Coupee Parish Council passed an ordinance Tuesday, August 10, that on paper makes Pointe Coupee a ‘sanctuary parish’ for the Second Amendment.

Playing off of sanctuary cities, popular within the liberal communities.

The parish council voted 7-1 in favor of the ordinance

Organizers say with a pro Second Amendment sheriff now in charge, it was the perfect time to make Pointe Coupee, one of the most pro Second Amendment parishes in Louisiana.

“It basically just says that, we will not comply to any tyrannical gun laws that are passed down,” said Travis Saizan, one of the organizers.

The measure makes changes to the parish’s code to ordinance, making it known where the parish stands in the national gun control debate.

“It denies taxpayer funds to any entity that would like to come into this parish, and try an illegal gun grab,” said Lance Moore, one of the organizers.

Organizers got the idea from other cities across the country.

And the failure by Republicans to override the governor’s veto of the constitutional carry bill, just added fuel to their fire.

“We the idea actually from Mercer County, Missouri. And their law is much more stringent than this one. This seems to what we could do for Pointe Coupee,” said Moore..

But not everyone was on board with going this far.

“I believe in common sense gun laws that can keep us safe, such as the concealed gun permit,” said one resident against the ordinance.

“Personally, having friends who recently have lost their children to gun violence. Why do we need to be this a first in Pointe Coupee Parish,” said one resident.

The law does not override state or federal laws when it comes to the Second Amendment.

“You’re not going to keep guns out of criminals hands. It doesn’t matter what laws you pass. They are not going to pay attention to the laws. It’s the law abiding citizens that we’re trying to protect. And it seems to be that the law abiding citizens are always the ones who are being infringed upon,” said Saizan.

Organizers hopeful that other parishes across the state will follow suit.

They say that folks in St. Tammany Parish have already started the process.

NEW ROADS, La. (WAFB) - Louisiana lawmakers failed to overturn the veto by Gov. John Bel Edwards of a bill that would allow most people to carry a concealed gun without a permit or training but a group of people is now pushing to make Pointe Coupee Parish a Second Amendment sanctuary.

The parish is known for the beautiful water on False River and outdoor activities in Louisiana, the Sportsman’s Paradise. But soon, it could be known for its strong support for the right to bear arms.

“We’re just trying to ensure our Second Amendment rights to the maximum way that we can, without superseding state law or federal law,” said Launce Moore, a Pointe Coupee Parish resident.

Moore and Elie Jarreau are leading the charge for the parish council to pass an ordinance in support of the Second Amendment and the right to bear arms in case any new gun regulations would come down from the federal government. It’s an idea they say has been brought up in other parts of the country.

“You see it all over the news, (President) Biden wants the guns, this wants the guns. You know, if it’s not true, great. If it is true, if they’re coming to this parish, they’ll meet total opposition,” explained Moore.

That opposition would be Pointe Coupee Parish Sheriff Rene Thibodeaux, who fully supports the group’s efforts.

“They just worried about that, with the government that we have now, maybe there’s some concerns about gun rights and can they and or will they try to pick guns up in the future,” said Thibodeaux. “They don’t want that to happen. And I don’t have many friends that I know that hunt, fish that want that to happen.”

Pointe Coupee Parish Council Chairman Dustin Boudreaux said he’s a huge supporter of the Second Amendment but the council has already passed a resolution expressing its strong support for guns.

“I am not in favor of an ordinance that, at the end of the day, has no legal binding in the court of law. State law, federal law completely supersedes this ordinance in any shape or form,” said Boudreaux.

The folks for the Second Amendment ordinance say this is just a small first step. They’re hopeful other parishes follow up with similar ideas after state lawmakers could not get a constitutional carry bill made into law.

Would this put Pointe Coupee Parish as the most pro-Second Amendment parish in Louisiana?

“Hope so,” replied Moore.

“Probably would,” answered Jarreau.

The item will be discussed at the parish council meeting on Tuesday, July 27. It is scheduled to start at 5:30 p.m. Council members will vote on the measure at their meeting in August.

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