(KLFY)-- The Louisiana legislature will soon decide if citizens can conceal carry without a permit or training.

This comes after District 1 State Representative Danny McCormick pre-filed the bill he's been pushing for over five years now. He said the bill is all about protecting the second amendment, the right to bear arms.

"The constitution tells us we get our rights from God. The government is supposed to preserve those rights, and instead, in this case, they've taken those rights taken those rights away from us and are selling them back to us in the form of a permit. We're getting back to what the true founders meant for the constitution to me," McCormick said.

He said citizens have the right to self-defense. He believes concealed carry, also called constitutional carry, helps people defend themselves and shouldn't require a permit or training.

"In other states when this is legalized, crime actually goes down because they know more citizens are able to protect themselves. That puts the criminals on notice," McCormick told News 10.

George Fournet is the owner of Post Exchange in Youngsville, where he offers concealed carry classes and training. This bill concerns him.

"I am pro-second amendment," Fournet said. "I'm a gun shop owner, but I'm also a realist."

The issue he has is this bill allows law-abiding citizens to conceal carry without prior training.

"This is the weapon (pointing to his head) and if the weapon is not honed, then you have nothing. The gun will not save you," Fournet explained.

As a seven-year marine, Fournet says his training is what's saved him. He adds someone can easily find themselves in jail or hurting someone if they're not required to know the laws or how to properly use a firearm.

"Whether constitutional carry passes or not, it is crucial to get your training so that when you go into society with a gun, your safety and the safety of others is still held in paramount regard," he told News 10.

To conceal carry a firearm in Louisiana according to the law right now, citizens have to go through eight hours of training and apply for a $125 permit. That permit lasts five years.

The permitless conceal carry bill will be brought up in either the special session on crime in February or the regular legislative session in March.

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