CONCEALED WEAPONS

The Louisiana Legislature and Gov. Jeff Landry agreed in February to let people carry concealed weapons without a permit. Ever since, New Orleans police and others have sought exceptions, most notably for the French Quarter but also at such events as sports events.

Power Poll members overwhelmingly say exceptions are in order. Or at least let local government decide the issue.

"Conceal[ed] carry will weaken efforts at public safety everywhere," said Bill Rouselle, president and CEO of the Bright Moments public relations, marketing and advertising agency. "The state should give each parish the right to decide on how to control access to weapons."

Said Charles Talley, Kean Miller law firm partner:

"The concealed carry law levels the playing field. The bad guys need to have some fear that the guy they are trying to rob might put a bullet in their collective heads. Remember, the bad guys have been playing concealed carry forever. ... That being said, there should be certain areas, such as the French Quarter, churches and schools, where no guns are allowed."

Tulane protest

This week's poll also sought to gauge how well Tulane University responded to campus demonstrations in favor of Palestine, amid the war over the Gaza strip between Hamas and Israel. Students from Tulane and neighboring Loyola University, along with other activists, occupied a prominent lawn at Tulane for more than 24 hours before police pushed them off campus and arrested 14 of them.

That drew a generally positive report from Power Poll members, with about half deeming Tulane's response good or excellent.

"I don't think any university did any better than Tulane because it's a tough situation," said Marjorie Esman, former executive director of the ACLU of Louisiana. "Demonstrators at Tulane helped end segregation there. Student protests can serve an important purpose. In this instance, the issues are more complex and across the country universities struggled with balancing student rights to free expression against the disruption to the communities."

Redistricting

Louisiana's chief elections officer, Secretary of State Nancy Landry, says the wrestlemania over congressional districts in the state must be resolved by May 15 in order to hold elections as scheduled Nov. 4. But the timeline created by three federal judges does not envision meeting her deadline, and considering the complex litigation, half of Power Poll respondents doubt the elections will go off as scheduled.

Rolling on

Our intentionally vague question about the headliners at the 2024 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival found 70% of respondents were pleased by the Rolling Stones.