[LA] State's guns-in-church law draws interest

From Louisiana:

Capt. Kenny Sanders' phone hasn't stopped ringing since Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal signed the "gun-in-church" bill into law July 6.

House Bill 1272, sponsored by Rep. Henry Burns, allows churches or other religious institutions to authorize people with concealed weapons permits and who have passed the required training to bring weapons into houses of worship as part of a security force.

"My phone has rung no less than 20 times a day with inquiries about what does the law actually mean, who can actually carry the weaponry, what type training is required for people to carry the gun," said Sanders, director of the Caddo Sheriff's Regional Law Enforcement Training Academy.

Sanders said many people are under the misconception that just having a concealed handgun permit allows them to carry a gun into a house of worship.

That's just the first step.

Once the permit is obtained, the person must be approved, authorized and announced to the church, plus participate in eight hours of initial tactical training and eight more hours annually.

The sheriff's office began offering security training for church employees about nine months ago, and Sanders estimates about 30 churches have taken advantage of the program so far. ...

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