Rick Perry: People Should Be Allowed To Bring Their Guns Into Movie Theaters

Mediaite reports:

“I think that it makes a lot of sense to send a message across this country,” Perry said on CNN’s State of the Union Sunday morning. “If we believe in the Second Amendment, and we believe in people’s right to protect themselves and defend themselves, and their families.” “I believe that, with all my heart, that if you have the citizens who are well trained, and particularly in these places that are considered to be gun-free zones, that we can stop that type of activity, or stop it before there’s as many people that are impacted as what we saw in Lafayette,” he added. Perry also said the Lafayette shooter, who had a history of mental instability and criminal activity, was able to procure a firearm because the existing gun laws weren’t being enforced. How he squares this with only “well-trained” people in movie theaters having guns was left to the winds.

Headline Of The Day

The SPLC has lots of details.

REPORT: Movie Shooter Was A Teabagger

Via Lafayette's ABC affiliate:

The man identified as killing two people and wounding nine more in last night's shooting is John Russell Houser, 59, of Alabama. He's also known as Rusty Houser, and apparently has a presence on social media as an outspoken conservative. The last thing someone posting as Rusty Houser posted on Facebook was in 2013, when he linked to an article called "A woman's place in the church and the weak church elder." He wrote, "The bible doesn't ask me to like what it says, only to obey it. Death comes soon to the financially failing filth farm called the US." He only had two things liked on Facebook, among them "I hate liberals!" In addition, a John Russell Houser from Phenix City, Alabama, is listed as a member of a group called the Tea Party Nation. However, KATC could not confirm if this John Russell Houser is one in the same with the shooter.

Shocking.

LOUISIANA: Theater Gunman Identified

The gunman in last night's mass shooting in a Louisiana movie theater has been identified as 59 year-old John Russell Houser. Local police are calling Houser a "drifter from Alabama" who had been living in a nearby hotel since early this month. Houser's motives are not yet known. He is reported to have an "old" criminal history.

Mass Shooting At Louisiana Theater

Via Reuters:

A gunman fatally shot at least one person and injured eight others at a movie theater in Lafayette, Louisiana, before killing himself on Thursday, according to police and local media. NBC News reported that one person died and eight others were wounded at the Grand Theatre in Lafayette before the gunman took his own life. Those reports could not immediately be confirmed by Reuters, but Lafayette police said in a tweet that they were "working a shooting at the Grand Theater on Johnston Street" and that it involved multiple victims. The local Advertiser newspaper reported that the gunfire broke out during a 7 p.m. showing of the film "Train Wreck". Witness Katie Domingue told the paper that the gunman was an older white man who stood up in the theater and began shooting. "He wasn't saying anything. I didn't hear anybody screaming either," Domingue said.

It was three years ago this week that James Holmes murdered 12 and injured 70 in a mass shooting at a movie theater in Aurora, Colorado.

LOUISIANA: Married Gay Man Denied Communion At His Mother's Funeral

Via the New Orleans Advocate:

Tim Ardillo said he was standing next to his mother’s coffin leading his young son to receive a blessing when the priest presiding over the funeral Mass denied him communion. The longtime Catholic said the priest told him it was because he married outside the church, but Ardillo doesn’t think that’s the whole story. He believes he was denied the sacrament because, as is stated in his mother’s obituary, he is married to a man. The priest in question, the Rev. Mark Beard [PHOTO], of St. Helena Catholic Church in Amite, did not return multiple calls seeking comment in the week following the July 10 funeral. Ardillo said the church passed out a quotation from 1 Corinthians at Mass the next Sunday, which states, in a portion highlighted in red ink, “Whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord. A man ought to examine himself before he eats of the bread and drinks of the cup. For anyone who eats and drinks without recognizing the body of the Lord eats and drinks in judgment of himself.”

Ardillo says he has gotten an apology from the Diocese of Baton Rouge and from the Archbishop of New Orleans. (Tipped by JMG reader Ken)

LOUISIANA: Done And Done

(Tipped by JMG reader TJ)

Whatcha Gonna Do NOW, Bobby?

Last night Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal ignored the rulings of SCOTUS and the Fifth Circuit Court, declaring that the state would not recognize same-sex marriages until the original ruling by the district court was rescinded. The Fifth Circuit gave that court until July 17th to act, but it did so today. From the ruling:

IT IS ORDERED that this Court's Order and Reasons and the accompanying Judgment dated September 3, 2014, are hereby recalled and rescinded; IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that Article XII, Section 15 of the Louisiana Constitution, Article 89 of the Louisiana Civil Code, and laws enacted pursuant thereto, violate the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution and may not be enforced against the Plaintiffs or any other same-sex couple; IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that Article XII, Section 15 of the Louisiana Constitution, Article 3520(B) of the Louisiana Civil Code, and laws enacted pursuant thereto, violate the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution and may not be enforced against the Plaintiffs or any other same-sex couple.

BOOM.

LOUSIANA: Bobby Jindal Blocks State Recognition Of Same-Sex Marriage

SCOTUS has ruled, the Fifth Circuit has ruled, but Bobby Jindal just doesn't care.

Gov. Bobby Jindal delayed -- for the second time -- the recognition of same-sex marriage by the Louisiana state government on Wednesday evening. The governor refused to let Louisiana agencies acknowledge same-sex marriage following a U.S. Supreme Court ruling last Friday. At the time, he said he was waiting for a lower appeals court to affirm the U.S. Supreme Court's decision, before moving forward with same-sex marriage recognition in Louisiana. But now that the lower appeals court confirmed Louisiana's same-sex marriage ban has been overturned, Jindal has decided Louisiana same-sex couples need to wait for yet another court's decision. "Our agencies will follow the Louisiana Constitution until the District Court orders us otherwise," said Mike Reed, Jindal's spokesman in the governor's office.

In its opinion released Wednesday evening, the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals made it clear that Louisiana's same-sex marriage ban no longer applies, though it technically sent a same-sex marriage case back to a U.S. District court for reversal. Jindal is saying the state government won't recognize same-sex marriage until the District Court issues its own decision. The appeals court gave the district court until until July 17 to make a new ruling, though it has encouraged the district court to do so earlier. One of the plaintiffs in the case, Robert Welles, is in declining health. "I wait every day for a phone call," said the 52-year-old Welles. "The way I see it, we started this thing in New Orleans, and we want to finish it in New Orleans." But Kyle Duncan, a lawyer working for Louisiana and the Jindal administration, said it makes sense for state agencies to wait to recognize same-sex marriage until the district court ruling. "The court made it crystal clear," he said. "It's when the district court renders final judgment."

You'd almost think that Jindal is hoping that the plaintiff will die before his marriage is recognized.

Fifth Circuit Court: Obergefell Is Now The Law Of The Land, Don't Take It Lightly

The Fifth Circuit Court has finally issued its long-postponed ruling on the cases out of Texas, Louisiana, and Mississippi. Will this drag the still-resisting counties into the light? Don't count on it.

Louisiana Marriage Map

Via the New Orleans Advocate:

If a parish is shaded blue, that means The Advocate has confirmed it's issuing licenses. If a parish is shaded yellow (or green-ish on some devices/screens), that means The Advocate hasn't reached anyone at the parish for comment. If a parish is shaded red, that means the clerk has confirmed to The Advocate that it isn't issuing licenses.

An interactive version of the map is being updated as information changes. You can click on each parish for details. (Tipped by JMG reader Mike)

LOUISIANA: First Marriage Takes Place, Gov. Bobby Jindal Says Clerks Can Opt Out

Louisiana has seen its first same-sex marriage but Gov. Bobby Jindal is following the lead of Texas and today declared that state employees can opt-out if they have religious objections.

Gov. Bobby Jindal's administration has said Louisiana court clerks and other state employees who don't want to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples because of religious objections won't have to do so. Jindal's office has said the governor's religious freedom executive order as well as state and federal law will protect clerks and state employees who have moral objections to gay marriage and don't feel comfortable handing out licenses to same-sex couples. "We believe the U.S. Constitution, Louisiana Constitution, Louisiana's Preservation of Religious Freedom Act, as well as our Executive Order prevents government from compelling individuals to violate sincerely held religious beliefs. We will continue to fight to protect religious liberty," said Mike Reed, spokesman for the governor's office.

Marriage Holdouts: Louisiana & Mississippi

Reuters reports:

Same-sex marriage remained on hold in Louisiana and Mississippi, even as a U.S. Supreme Court ruling on Friday legalizing it nationwide led to gay couples joyously tying the knot in other states that banned such weddings before the decision. In Louisiana, Republican Attorney General Buddy Caldwell's office issued a statement saying that it had "found nothing in today’s decision that makes the Court’s order effective immediately."

The Louisiana Clerks of Court Association advised clerks not to issue licenses for 25 days, the period in which the Supreme Court could be petitioned for a rehearing, said New Orleans lawyer Brandon Robb, who works with the gay community. Mississippi was waiting until a lower court lifted a stay to start issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples, said state Attorney General Jim Hood, a Democrat, adding that his office would not stand in the way of the ruling.

DOMA attorney Roberta Kaplan and the Campaign For Southern Equality have already petitioned the Fifth Circuit Court for the immediate lifting of the stay in Mississippi.

IBM Cancels Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony With Jindal Over Anti-Gay Executive Order

Via the New Orleans Fox affiliate:

IBM has cancelled Monday's ribbon-cutting for its new National Service Center in Baton Rouge because of Governor Bobby Jindal's executive order. The event on June 22 had been reserved for months, according to several city leaders, including Davis Rhorer, executive director of the Downtown Development District.The technology giant IBM voiced "strong opposition" to Louisiana's so-called religious freedom legislation as far back as mid-April.

In a letter to the governor, IBM executives said the legislation cut at the very heart of what their company stands for, equal rights and opportunity for everyone, discrimination for no one. The letter implored Jindal not to support any agenda that protected discrimination against LGBT people. Other companies followed suit, triggering a number of similar statements, but IBM, the major player local and state leaders fought so desperately to bring to Baton Rouge, was not amused by Jindal's handling of any of the matter or his response by letter to them.

Good for Big Blue.

NOM Exploits Jindal With Money Beg

Brian Brown would like NOM's followers to "thank" Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal by signing up for NOM's email money beg list. He writes:

When Louisiana State House Bill 707, which would have blocked the government from penalizing companies because of the owner's stance on same-sex marriage, was defeated in the state house's Civil Law and Procedure over fears that it legalized discrimination against LGBT people, Governor Jindal said that he was "disappointed by the committee's action." But then he did something about it! The Governor is taking bold action in defense of our most precious first freedoms — freedom of religion and freedom of speech. And when one of our elected officials is willing to take a stand like this, you and I must be willing to stand behind him. Please click here to send Governor Jindal an email thanking him for standing up for religious freedom. And then, once you've taken action, please forward this email to family and friends using the sharing buttons below, asking them to do the same.

Earlier yesterday Brown sent a separate email in which he announced that NOM will soon be issuing its 2016 anti-gay marriage pledge for presidential candidates. (NOM's 2012 pledge was signed by all major GOP candidates.) That email contained 13 links to NOM's donation page.

LOUISIANA: Bobby Jindal Issues Executive Order Legalizing Anti-Gay Discrimination

Earlier today a Louisiana House committee rejected the bill that would have legalized anti-gay discrimination. That rejection came after big business, including IBM, denounced the bill. Unswayed, Gov. Bobby Jindal has already followed through on his vow to issue an executive order that bypasses the state legislature. Dominic Holden reports on the reactions at Buzzfeed:

“This executive order falls into category of unnecessary, gratuitous and discriminatory,” Sainz told BuzzFeed News. “On the same day that Louisiana legislators had the good sense to turn back discrimination, Governor Jindal, who’s facing one of the lowest approval ratings in state history, decided to promote his presidential fortunes by championing ignorance. He’s on the wrong side of this issue and will no doubt be on the wrong side of history.” In contrast, Alliance Defending Freedom, which backs religious freedom laws, said in a statement to BuzzFeed News, “We are happy that Governor Jindal supports religious freedom and that nobody should be punished for believing that marriage is between one man and one woman.

The order cites Hobby Lobby. An excerpt:

SECTION 1: All departments, commissions, boards, agencies, and political subdivisions of the state are authorized and directed to take cognizance of the definition of “person” contained in La. R.S. 1:10 when complying with the Preservation of Religious Freedom Act (La. R.S. 13:5230-5242), the interpretation of the virtually identical federal law definition contained in 1 USC 1 by the United States Supreme Court in Burwell v. Hobby Lobby in its holding that the federal government is prohibited from requiring a “person” to act in contravention of a sincerely held religious belief, and that the definition of “person” includes individuals, non-profit, or for-profit corporations.

SECTION 2: All departments, commissions, boards, agencies, and political subdivisions of the state are authorized and directed to comply with the restrictions placed upon government action in the Preservation of Religious Freedom Act and, including more specifically, on the basis that such person acts in accordance with his religious belief that marriage is or should be recognized as the union of one man and one woman, shall take no adverse action.

LIVE AUDIO: Tony Perkins Hosts Bobby Jindal After Anti-Gay Marriage Bill Fails

Starting now. Listen here.

UPDATE: Tony Perkins has the sadz.

“These ten legislators voted today against freedom and against two-thirds of Louisianans who support the Marriage and Conscience Act,” said Tony Perkins, president of the Family Research Council and a supporter of the bill. “This is a failure of leadership and goes to the heart of what’s wrong with American politics today.” Perkins was referring to a WPA poll commissioned by the Louisiana Family Forum and FRC that indicated 67 percent of likely voters supported the bill. Even more shocking – 63 percent of Democrats supported the bill. “These elected leaders effectively endorsed government discrimination against individuals and nonprofits simply for believing in marriage between a man and a woman,” Perkins said. “No person or nonprofit should lose tax exempt status, face disqualification, lose a professional license or be punished by the government simply for believing what President Obama believed just three years ago – that marriage is the union of a man and a woman.”

LOUISIANA: Bobby Jindal Vows To Issue Executive Order On "Religious Liberty" Bill Just Killed by State House Committee

"We are disappointed by the committee’s action to return the Louisiana Marriage and Conscience Act to the calendar. We will be issuing an Executive Order shortly that will accomplish the intent of HB 707 to prevent the state from discriminating against persons or entities with deeply held religious beliefs that marriage is between one man and one woman. This Executive Order will prohibit the state from denying or revoking a tax exemption, tax deduction, contract, cooperative agreement, loan, professional license, certification, accreditation, or employment on the basis the person acts in accordance with a religious belief that marriage is between one man and one woman." - Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal, in a press release issued after a state House committee failed to advance HB 707.

LOUISIANA: House Committee Rejects "Religious Liberty" Bill For 2015 Session

This is the bill that Bobby Jindal has been using to sell his presidential bid. From last month:

Jindal insists the law is not about discrimination, but rather prohibiting the state from enacting punitive measures against people who act, in the words of the proposed law, "in accordance with a religious belief or moral conviction about the institution of marriage." Asked at a press conference April 16 if any punitive measures have been imposed here, Jindal said they hadn't but cited cases in other states where, he claims, bakers and florists were forced to provide their services to same-sex weddings under the threat of fines. "It has not happened in Louisiana," Jindal told reporters, "and it certainly won't happen as long as I'm governor and I can prevent it from happening."   Meanwhile, Jindal received a letter last week from IBM's top Louisiana official expressing the company's "strong opposition" to HB 707. "IBM has made significant investments in Louisiana including most recently a technology services delivery center in Baton Rouge, creating new jobs for Louisiana workers," wrote James M. Driesse, the company's senior state executive.

I'll update this post with Jindal's reaction.

UPDATE: Oh brother.

IOWA: Bobby Jindal Launches "Religious Liberty" Ad Campaign On Local TV

Via Breitbart:

American Future Project, Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal’s issues advocacy group, is running ads starting today in Iowa touting the need for protection for religious liberty in America. “Our religious liberty must in no way ever be linked to the ever-changing opinions of the public,” Jindal is quoted as saying in a speech he gave to Liberty University to open the ad. “We must understand that our freedom of conscience protects all Americans of every persuasion.” The ad shows Jindal meeting with people across the country and in a church, and then quotes him from another speech. “These are rights endowed by our creator given to humanity by God,” Jindal said in that speech. “The United States of America did not create religious liberty. Religious liberty created the United States of America.” The Iowa ad will run on cable television and online for one week in the nation’s first presidential state.

Jindal will announce his presidential plans on June 11th.