Louisiana State Law (RS 29:724) gives the Governor authority to set restrictions on gatherings and businesses in the interest of public safety and to prevent spread of COVID-19. These proclamations and declarations have the power of law.
As such, local, parish, and state law enforcement agencies as well as other state authorities including ATC and the State Fire Marshal, will be acting to enforce these rules set by the Governor.
Violations of gathering capacity and business hour restrictions may result in revocation of licenses and/or citations for violating the executive order under La. R.S. 29:724(E), Disturbing the Peace, or other appropriate violations of law.
For more information, contact your local law enforcement agency and/or agency media contact.
For whatever it’s worth, the thing is getting close. There are cases in DeSoto and Rapides.
One confirmed case in Natchitoches now. NRMC just released a statement.
Great article for those so inclined to learn. Analyses by a guy that knows “data analysis” and good for the discussion of Liberty and it’s price.
https://medium.com/six-four-six-nine/evidence-over-hysteria-covid-19-1b767def5894
Here’s what I don’t understand.
The CDC estimates that so far this season there have been at least 23,000 deaths from flu, 38 million flu illnesses and 390,000 hospitalizations.
Yep, so why aren’t people yelling to shutter businesses, and self isolate because of this larger threat?
Mike Casey, Jim Kilcoyne, and Randy answer this question, how can I endanger your life if YOU choose to stay home or choose to close your business? Why do you need government to protect you from me when you have the ultimate authority over YOUR life?
Mike Hilton it’s not about one person.
Mike if you don’t understand that this IS about the individual then you will never understand the danger the government poses when it acts unconstitutionally in these situations.
So again, how can I, or 30 other people (whatever number you think appropriate), endanger your life if YOU choose to stay home or choose to close your business?
Well, can you drive 100+ mph down a busy street and only endanger yourself? We need, use, government to “protect” us to avoid anarchy. Otherwise folks might decide to take action on their own.
As I posted before, I share your concerns over anything morphing toward some Orwellian government over-reach. Those of us who value true liberty must remain guarded against our government getting too powerful, and yes, some in government will grasp opportunities like this expand their grip.
For now, I don’t think it represents such an over-reach for government officials to issue executive orders designed to bring this Covid-19 crisis to an end as soon as possible.
Jim you make some good points however the logical end to your 100+ mph public safety argument is who gets to decide what type of threat is worthy of limiting civil liberties? Limiting the speed at which you can drive is not imposing on an essential liberty. If the government can shut down private contracts which are what businesses are in the name of safety, then you have no rights under the Bill of Rights. I reject your argument that the choices I advocate will only result in nihilism or supreme power of the State.
Again what threat do I or anyone for that matter pose to those choosing to self isolate? The answer is none unless of course I come to your house. If you think it best to isolate or shutter your own business then do so but to impose restrictions based on someone’s idea of
a fluid definition of “public safety” is ignoring the threat to Liberty.
There’s people out there that can’t isolate. First responders, doctors and nurses and other’s. And then there’s the ones that think they know more then the CDC and everyone else who won’t just because they don’t think it’s right so their actions continues the spread and keeps everything going that much longer. So who’s fault is that? Keep it contained be done with it or keep doing your thing because it ok in your mind. To hell with everyone else!
OK Mike now that you assume that I’m some kind of monster for standing up for our rights, I’m done. However I will continue to fight for your Liberty.
And Randy, if that is your real name, you are free to give up your rights anytime you desire and if you think the risk to your life is too great you are free to stay at home and avoid the idiots. You are not free to restrict my rights recognized in the Constitution. Strange isn’t it? How my take on the Constitution and rights doesn’t require anything of you but to make your own choices whereas your view requires others to bend to the government’s will. It appears that not only the virus has never heard of Constitutional rights.
I have no idea why I can’t reply directly to your post Jim, but I must point out that according to Article IV Section 5 of the LA Constitution the Governor does not have the power to shut down businesses or restrict the movement of citizens. The law you cite is in conflict with the enumerated powers of our US Constitution. Additionally if you read the Louisiana Constitution he is required to uphold the U.S. Constitution which recognizes the citizen’s rights to freedom of assembly.
Even though under Section (K) “Other Powers and Duties. It says that “The governor shall have other powers and perform other duties authorized by this constitution or provided by law.” Such laws cannot be in conflict with the rights of the people and I submit that the law you cite is indeed in conflict. Our Revised Statutes are laws passed by the legislative body NOT Constitutional provisions and thus are subject to “interpretation” by the Judicial Branch.
Simply put, any law codified in the Revised Statutes that is contrary to either Constitution is in effect null and void. This whole overreach of elected officials should be challenged in the Courts.
Uh, fact check… Nowhere in the 1974 Constitution of Louisiana does it state “the Governor does not have the power to shut down businesses or restrict the movement of citizens” as you have so claimed.
And to a further extent, if the governor believes that a “shelter-in-place” mandate is key to protecting lives and property, I do believe that falls under his duty to uphold the rights of the people.
If you are so concerned with being able to contract an infectious disease, please go to New Orleans and have someone cough on you.
I’m sure if there was a hurricane heading our way, you would be staying inside your home. Or if mandated by the state governor, you would be evacuating without being contrary.
So the Bill of Rights are given by the government and can be taken away for any reason the State decides? Uh fact check..No where in the the US or LA Constitutions does it say the Governor, President, Congress, etc. can violate your civil rights. Go read the documents then maybe we can have a discussion but we sure can’t have one with all the misinformation you put forth. If you really believe what you posted why are you choosing to remain anonymous? Easy to hide behind a alias I guess. Oh and for a good fact check you might want to go read the original source documents of the founders. Have a great and stay well.
On a scale, 1-10, how wrong do you think you are?
I can’t, for the life of me, understand what is the problem with having a little common sense and courtesy to stay indoors. These sort of steps are being made for us to not contract COVID-19 and/or spread it to those who are immunocompromised or helpless.
Also, do you really think our “founders” had COVID-19 on their mind? We’re not in the olden days anymore. This is a very serious matter.
Our rights will still be waiting on us after this is over, whether we are told to stay inside or not.
God bless.
Anonymous,
No one, and I mean NO ONE, is advocating spreading the virus, that’s a silly and distracting argument. I’m afraid you are deadly wrong in that “our rights will still be waiting on us after this is over.” Look what we gave up after 9-11, we never got those back.
Understandable, Creeping Compromise, that is a very great point.
What’s a unexceptionable number of deaths before government steps in and shuts things down?
Mike you miss the point, the government has no authority under the Constitution to shut things down. If they do then we have no Liberty. You ask what is an acceptable number? I ask you why would you ask a silly question when you know, I hope, that Liberty and Freedom isn’t without risk? Do you honestly believe that the ruination of lives and businesses is somehow noble? It is up to each of us to determine the amount of risk with which we are comfortable and in a free society I and I alone will make that determination for myself. That is the essence of the Constitutional protections.
Mike you’re missing the point,the government is trying to stop a virus that’s speeding across the nation KILLING People! Thats the point! They issued warnings of things to avoid and things you shouldn’t do and people don’t take it seriously! Look at the idiots at spring Break,how many new cases will that create? Their not trying to rule your life damn their trying save lives man. Sorry you’re going to miss a few meals at your favorite eatery but there are people that would like to be around and have their relatives around when this is over. A good meal or a trip to the theater is not worth 1 life!
By your logic then we should ban Spring Break because the kids are endangering their lives by drinking, We should ban driving because less competent drivers are endangering others to the tune of 30,000 deaths per year. We should let government ban private businesses from providing services because they put the public at risk by their manufacturing processes. We should ban gun ownership because there are people that use them incompetently or criminally. After all man they are trying to save lives. And before you say this is silly, it is no more silly than your argument. Anytime your government ignores our Constitutional protections they become rulers and not servants of the people.
I understand, and share, your concerns. But I did want to point out under the Louisiana Constitution R.S. 29-721, the Governor does have the authority during any declared emergency to issue executive orders such that is deemed to provide for the safety and well-being of Louisiana citizens.
As for the individual risk factor, I agree, if it only affects, endangers ourselves. None of us have the right to endanger others.
By the way Mike this is not an “easy question” as Constitutional protections and individual rights require serious thinking and hard decisions. Any issue involving life and liberty is by its very nature hard. To flippantly ask about an acceptable death rate before government ignores a God given right is not honoring all who gave their lives to protect our individual freedoms from tyranny.
Yes it is a very easy question? At some point you decide what’s more important giving up the right to assemble for a few weeks or the lives of innocent people?
Not 23,000..
Easy question Mike Hilton There’s been 10 deaths in Louisiana as of this morning. Would you cancel let’s say the Christmas Festival or a big crawfish boil if it would have saved those 10 lives down the road?
So Mike do you think you should give up your rights for anything the government says is necessary? Once you compromise on one right the rest are negotiable. I am sorry that you would even think our rights are negotiable under any circumstance.
Nevermind Mike Hilton go invite 50 of your closest friends and have a big party!!
So when do you say enough is enough? Many in my bubble will tell you they believe in the right to keep and bear arms but are telling me to “chill” when it comes to the Wuhan Flu and the restrictions that have been announced by our benevolent government. So all of the sudden you think that restrictions on the right of peaceful assembly and the forced closing of businesses is NOT an attack on liberty? No one may be denied the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness without due process of law and those laws have to be Constitutional. These are not. Don’t give me any argument that the “courts” have held them to be constitutional when those same courts at one time said that slavery was constitutional and that black people were 5/7th of a real person. Oh and those same courts have held that murder is OK as well. I am happy to see that some organizations are defying these orders by the State and will likely result in court challenges.
The government didn’t shut down our lives over the polio virus way back in the fifties and the other viruses that have afflicted and killed hundreds of thousands in the past decades. So now it’s OK to do it over a virus that is just a mutation of a previous virus and the numbers don’t support it?
By the way I am in the “at risk group” where 99% of the deaths have occurred for this virus and firmly believe it is my choice and my choice only on how I live my life. If I want to expose myself to this virus that is my choice and if you want to shelter in place then that should be yours and not the government’s.
I will not “chill” until this stupidity and lawlessness is over. Lives are being ruined and far too many wrongly think that the loss of Liberty is OK to “stop the spread”. Supposedly we are smarter than that.
I hear what you are saying Mike H., but, this is unprecedented. Give it 2-4 weeks we should
see some encouraging news, i.e. peak in cases, I am going to give the Gov. and Pres. the benefit of the doubt at the present. Chill out and try to be patient. And yes some prayer would be good at this time also, probably the best thing to do.
Sorry JC the numbers do not bear out an unprecedented event. Has nothing to do with patience and everything to do with federal and state overreach. The President and Governor should bring the powers of our government to bear on this, make facilities available and resources available as well as make recommendations BUT infringing on our rights is a bridge too far. The Constitution forbids it.
PARANOID!!
These laws need a to be challenged on constitutional grounds. Freedom of assembly is a right guaranteed (not granted) by the the Constitution and no reading of the plain language supports such laws.
waiting for Marshall law to kick in any day now.
in the past, there have been other times when the government has had to impose severe restrictions on the nation in order to defeat a common enemy. This virus is such an enemy who is bent on destroying not only our country, but the world. During WWII, we put aside petty bickering and pulled together to defeat a common enemy. We were successful then and we can be now if we are good citizens and fight together by obeying even those restrictions we may feel are excessive. With God’s help, we will win this fight and return to normal times. God Bless America!
This Is Prayer Time. No room for anything negative .
well said . Hope all is well. Patricia
And just like that freedom dies….
more then crazy ! like third world country,you can do this you can’t do this.
more people are being cured now then harmed.Chill !!
Sheep led to slaughter.
Okay Mike, go ahead and expose yourself to a virus that has never heard of the constitutional right to be a dumbass! Your right to to be an idiot ends where my right to life!