LA House Votes to Suspend Fire Marshal’s COVID Restrictions Enforcement Ability

If you're hoping the tight reins Louisiana residents are living under will be loosened soon, this is a good step.

It's no secret that the majority of us in Louisiana are ready to open our state again, and get back to our way of life. Since COVID took over, you'd be hard-pressed to find many other states who have handcuffed their citizens quite like Louisiana. Governor John Bel Edwards has kept Louisiana in Phases for months on-end, and these restrictions have forced so many of our local businesses to close up shop.

This week, a resolution hit the Louisiana House Floor that would suspend the Fire Marshal’s authority to enforce coronavirus restrictions. That, of course, is a really big deal, however it is worth noting that our Fire Marshal is not who issues penalties. That would be the state Office of Alcohol and Tobacco Control and the state Health Department who actually punish Louisiana businesses for not following restrictions.

Fire marshal deputies are the ones checking businesses to make sure they are following restrictions.

Blake Miguez, representative from Erath, brought the legislation to the House this week, and he's very passionate about his reasoning for prosing the resolution. He says, "The reason why I ran for office was to make sure my children and my grandchildren want to live in Louisiana and enjoy LSU football and now I fear they are going to be a Texas or Texas A&M fan.” He continued by saying, "It’s time to release the entrepreneurial spirit of Louisiana.”

I couldn't agree more.

The Resolution passed on a 62-33 vote. Now, it will head to our Senate for more consideration.