By Gabe Firment, District 22 Representative

On July 2nd Gov. Edwards officially vetoed 28 bills by Republican legislators, including bills that would have secured our Second Amendment Right to Bear Arms, protected women’s sports, prevented vaccine mandates, and guaranteed free and fair elections. Many of these bills vetoed by the governor passed in the state legislature with overwhelming bipartisan support. It is absolutely imperative that the state legislature take a stand and come together as a united body to override these reckless vetoes of legislation clearly supported by the great majority of people across District 22 and Louisiana. It is especially important that we summon the courage to override the vetoes of SB118 by Sen. Jay Morris(Constitutional Carry Bill) and the veto of SB156 by Sen. Beth Mizell(Fairness in Women’s Sports Bill).  

The state constitution requires that the legislature convene a special veto override session 40 days after the adjournment of the regular session, unless a majority of the members of either the House or Senate sign a declaration proclaiming that they DO NOT want to enter into a special session. Rest assured, I have already received my ballot from the House Clerk and destroyed it, thereby guaranteeing my wholehearted support of entering into special session with the intent to override every single one of the governor’s vetoes. It is my sincere hope and prayer that my colleagues in the House and Senate will join me in calling for the veto session and in obtaining the 2/3 vote in each Chamber required to overturn the vetoes.

There are numerous sound and rational arguments that can be made in support of  SB118 which would simply allow law-abiding citizens to carry concealed firearms without first obtaining permission from the government in the form of state-imposed training and licensing, however, the irrefutable defense of SB118 proceeds directly from the Second Amendment of the Bill of Rights which declares that “the right of the people to keep and bear Arms shall not be infringed”.  The right to protect one’s person, family, and property from harm is a natural God-given right that transcends even the U.S. Constitution.

In addition, the veto of SB118 clearly targets law-abiding citizens because it removes our ability to protect our families from criminals intent on committing acts of violence such as rape, robbery, and murder. It flies in the face of logic to contend that criminals are going to abide by the laws of the land and participate in concealed carry training courses, pay for permits, and declare to law enforcement that they are carrying a firearm.  It is said that history repeats itself – let us consider the warning from the great American statesman Patrick Henry who declared the following at the Virginia Ratifying Convention with the memories of British oppression still fresh in his mind: “Are we at last brought to such humiliating and debasing degradation that we cannot be trusted with arms for our defense? Where is the difference between having our arms in possession and under our direction, and having them under the management of Congress? If our defense be the real object of having those arms, in whose hands can they be trusted with more propriety, or equal safety to us, as in our own hands?”

Perhaps even more egregious than the veto of the Constitutional Carry bill, is the governor’s veto of SB156 by Sen. Mizell which would prohibit biological males from competing in elementary, secondary, and post-secondary sports against biological females. This bill simply protects our daughters and granddaughters by ensuring that there is a level playing field, and that the tremendous progress made in women’s athletics over the past few decades will not be wiped out by radical activists who wish to tear down our culture by redefining biological sex and destroying the traditional family. Common sense and science prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that biological males have clear physiological advantages over biological females, including increased bone density, greater muscle mass, and enhanced cardiovascular capacity. 

As the father of two daughters, one of whom is currently in junior high school and participating in sports, I recognize that we must override the veto of SB156 in order to guarantee the integrity of girls’ sports and to safeguard the futures of those we love.  Make no mistake, these efforts by liberal politicians, Hollywood elites, and progressive members of the mainstream media to shove transgender ideology down the throats of the American people is an affront to our Christian heritage and an attack on our conservative values. As your state representative I will not be intimidated by the threats of “cancel culture” or bullied by the “woke” mob. I will continue to fight for what is right, and to do my best to reflect the conservative values and traditional principles of the citizens of District 22. Thank you and God Bless.

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