I'd like to see what any of the attorneys say as well.
The way it was explained to me by Gordon Hutchinson was that there are 2 separate permits, one administered by the Sheriff and good only in that parish; and the other is administered by the State Police and is a statewide permit. The requirements for each are slightly different and the carry permission is slightly different (for example, a parish permittee must post a bond and may carry in a "Firearm Free School Zone," while a statewide permit does not require a bond and is not exempted from the "Firearm Free School Zone" laws).
Gordon said it was set up this way so as to have the support of the Sheriffs who might otherwise have opposed the newer law for removing some of their powers. But perhaps I misunderstood what Gordon said to me.
This is all true -- and both (parish and state-wide) permits are authorized by 40:1379.1, which is the enabling legislation for both.
This stuff isn't complicated -- it's just confusing, convoluted, confounding and f 'd up ..... like so many things that emanate from the legislature. But bottom line is HB 44 deals with the discharge of firearms, not the carrying of firearms.