An off-hand comment by a north Louisiana legislator caused a tense moment during Wednesday’s debate over gun rights legislation.

State Rep. Roy Burrell, D-Shreveport, opposed legislation aimed at preventing enforcement of any federal restrictions on possession of semi-automatic weapons.

Burrell noted that Louisiana once committed slavery.

“There’s a federal law that prohibits that,” Burrell said. “These are federal and state relationships where the federal government has to intervene in the process.”

“There’s a federal law that prohibits that,” Burrell said. “These are federal and state relationships where the federal government has to intervene in the process.”

Bill sponsor state Rep. Jim Morris, R-Oil City, said he would be right there protecting Burrell if anyone tried to impose slavery in the state.

Burrell responded that Morris might but he wasn’t so sure about bill co-sponsor state Rep. Jeff Thompson, R-Bossier City, which brought a protest from Thompson.

“You just interjected into this discussion a personal insult to me,” Thompson said, calling slavery “a blight on this nation.”

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