Dangerous Times

The Louisiana Legislature is in session, always a dangerous time for the citizens of the state. There's no telling what kind of mischievous and stupid bills may be passed during the session.

First though, there is this sad news from yesterday of a dangerous time in Cut Off, Louisiana, from The Advocate:

A 15-year-old boy accused of shooting at a teacher and critically wounding himself apparently worked alone and was intent on killing, Lafourche Parish Sheriff Craig Webre said Monday.
....

“He was laughing and joking. Then as we were all getting ready to leave, he stood up and yelled that he was going to kill us and everyone else.”

The suspect, whose identity has not officially been confirmed, shot himself in the head shortly after 9 a.m. Monday. He was taken to Lady of the Sea Hospital in Galliano in critical condition and then transferred to Terrebonne General Medical Center.
....

Macey Cheramie, a seventh-grader at the school, said the teenage boy came into her reading and language arts class.

“He screamed at us to get down, but nobody did,” Cheramie said. “He then pointed the gun at the teacher and told her to get down, but she didn’t.”

The teen aimed a .25-caliber, nickel-plated semiautomatic pistol at a whiteboard and pulled the trigger once, but it did not fire, Webre said.

The youth made some adjustments and then fired the weapon above the teacher’s head, the sheriff said.

As of today the boy is still in critical condition and has been identified as Justin Doucet.

One tragedy took place, but others were averted due to a malfunctioning gun. Keep this news in your mind as we head over the Louisiana Legislature.

Also from The Advocate:

Louisiana should have its own Second Amendment sales tax holiday, two House and Senate committees agreed Monday.

The two bills would exempt the 4 percent sales tax on purchases of firearms during one weekend each year.

However, the much more broad Senate version also would exempt local sales taxes and apply to ammunition and other hunting supplies as well.

State Rep. Roy Burrell, D-Shreveport, and a few other legislators expressed concern about making tax holidays for guns.

“I guess I’m a little bit miffed as to why it’s just firearms,” Burrell said in Monday’s House ways and Means Committee meeting. “Are you using tax-exempt status to support a political issue?

“It’s encouraging putting more guns on the street,” he added.

Bill author and State Rep Cameron Henry, R-Jefferson, said the legislation is simply to support hobbies, recreation and local businesses.

“The whole logic is to bring everyone in to purchase a firearm and then they buy everything else,” Henry said, calling it a “win-win.”

South Carolina started the Second Amendment sales tax holiday trend last year.

Henry’s National Rifle Association-backed House Bill 128 was amended Monday with his approval so the legislation would cost the state nothing, or very little.

Well, of course, "win-win", Rep. Cameron. Everyone wins! It makes perfect sense. Each of us should rush out and buy a gun. We don't have nearly enough guns here in Louisiana. Let's have a holiday for criminal checks on gun buyers, too, so we can get even more guns into more hands. The more, the merrier! Is anyone surprised that the National Rifle Association backs this insanity?

And as the lawmakers propose a tax holiday, the state faces a large budget deficit. Thank you South Carolina for that excellent idea.

Do you see why fear is the default position for at least some of the citizens of the Gret Stet of Loosiana while the legislature is in session?

The Louisiana House did something right today, but they didn't mean to. Or some did, or something. You can't make this stuff up.

The Louisiana House unanimously agreed to override Gov. Bobby Jindal's rejection of $98 million in federal stimulus dollars to expand unemployment benefits. But it's unlikely most representatives even knew what they were voting for.

Rep. Avon Honey, D-Baton Rouge, quietly slipped the language to sidestep Jindal's refusal of the stimulus dollars into a worker's compensation bill on the House floor Monday evening in the final minutes of House work for the day. There was little discussion about what the changes did.

"The amendment is merely adding language for the requirements for ARRA, and I ask for your favorable adoption," Honey told lawmakers, never explaining that ARRA stands for the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, the federal stimulus act.

The House adopted the amendment without questions and then quickly approved the bill, sending it to the Senate for debate with a 99-0 vote. During the final vote, House Speaker Jim Tucker, R-Terrytown, was heard asking an aide, "What does the amendment do?" The aide responded that she didn't know.

Those who have lost their jobs need the stimulus money, but this good thing won't stand, of course. Governor Jindal and the business folks have their principles, after all, and the Senate will likely go along with them.