Get your gun: A Senate judiciary panel has supported a rewriting of Louisiana’s constitutional protections for the right to bear arms, despite concerns it could nullify most gun restrictions in the state and could open the door to allow guns in schools, bars and churches. The proposal, sponsored by Sen. Neil Riser, R-Columbia—and pushed by the National Rifle Association—is headed to the full Senate for debate over the opposition of the state’s district attorneys, chiefs of police and higher education leaders. Riser describes the bill as an attempt to ensure the state has strong protections for gun owners if federal courts overturn current U.S. constitutional provisions. Opponents say the measure would go further and could leave lawmakers unable to enact gun-free zones. See the full text of Senate Bill 303 here.
Turn it up! New Orleans City Council members are finding it difficult to balance the interests of residents and bar owners in the historic French Quarter. A council committee today reviewed a proposed plan to tone down the music blasting from bars so it doesn’t disturb the neighbors. The measure would govern the placement of loudspeakers in bars and other businesses in the French Quarter and nearby Central Business District. In some instances, it would require doors and windows to be closed to hold in the noise. Residents say that the increased use of amplified music at all hours of the night has been a growing problem for years in the neighborhood famous for its nightlife, historic buildings and residences. Some bar representatives say the ordinance goes too far, requiring closed doors that aren’t near speakers. The full council may take up the issue Thursday, although it may delay the matter to conduct more discussions with neighborhood residents and businesses.
On the brink of a backslide? Federal Reserve policymakers are worried that recent strong gains in hiring could fizzle if U.S. economic growth doesn’t pick up. Minutes of the Fed’s March 13 meeting show that members expressed those concerns before sticking with a plan to keep interest rates at record lows until at least late 2014. A couple of members said they’d want to take further steps to boost the economy if conditions worsen or inflation remains tame, according to the minutes, which were released today. The Fed sketched a slightly sunnier view of the economy after its last meeting, the best three months of hiring in two years having just passed. But members noted that there have been similar bursts of hiring in the past two years that ended up fading. Check out the full story from The Associated Press, as well as an interactive feature on the job growth forecast here.
