Current:Home > NewsLouisiana’s Governor Vetoes Bill That Would Have Imposed Harsh Penalties for Trespassing on Industrial Land-Angel Dreamer Wealth Society D1 Reviews & Insights
Louisiana’s Governor Vetoes Bill That Would Have Imposed Harsh Penalties for Trespassing on Industrial Land
View Date:2024-12-23 18:40:44
Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards on Friday vetoed a bill that would have stiffened penalties for trespassing on pipelines, levees and a long list of other facilities in the state. The veto handed a victory to civil liberties advocates and local organizers, who said the bill would have trampled on their right to protest industrial development.
The legislation would have imposed a mandatory minimum three-year sentence for stepping onto “critical infrastructure” during a state of emergency and expanded the list of what falls under that definition, to include flood control structures, which criss-cross the state.
Advocates said the bill would have extended the reach of an already vague law that imposes harsh penalties for trespassing on oil and gas industry land and other sites. They argued that the law would intimidate activists who have fought pipelines and chemical plants across the state, by threatening prison sentences for minor infractions. In St. James Parish, west of New Orleans, residents who have been fighting a planned petrochemical complex had regularly stepped onto a levee adjacent to the site, an action that could have qualified as a felony punishable by a minimum sentence had the law gone into effect.
“I’m filled with joy,” said Sharon Lavigne, a St. James resident who has led the opposition to the chemical plant, saying she felt like a weight had been lifted off her chest.
The bill’s author, Rep. Jerome Zeringue, a Republican, said he introduced the bill on behalf of the Association of Levee Boards of Louisiana, and that he did not speak with any energy or chemical companies about the legislation. But the bill did draw support from Robert Baumann, a lobbyist who represents oil and gas and pipeline companies. Baumann did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
In a statement, Edwards, a Democrat, said he supported the intent to protect water control structures, but that the bill’s wording would have included levees used for recreation. He also said that because Louisiana “is in a constant state of emergency, there would likely never be a time when the lesser penalty is in effect.”
Under current law, trespassing on critical infrastructure carries a sentence of up to five years in prison.
The bill had passed with enough votes in both houses of the State Legislature to override the governor’s veto, a chance lawmakers will have later this year. Zeringue said that while he would consider an override, “I feel it would be better for everyone if we just clarify” the bill next session.
Last year, Lavigne and other activists discovered that the company behind the planned petrochemical plant, Formosa Plastics, had learned of a burial site on the property that may contain the remains of slaves. Lavigne’s family has been in St. James for as long as she knows, and she considers the people buried there to be her ancestors, so she and others in her group had been visiting the site to lay flowers until Formosa told her she was trespassing. Because a pipeline happens to run under the area, the site could be considered critical infrastructure under state law.
Lavigne and her organization, RISE St. James, are planning to hold a ceremony at the burial site to celebrate Juneteenth, the holiday on June 19 that commemorates the end of slavery. Their lawyer sent a letter to Formosa’s lawyer asking for access. They have not gotten a response yet.
“We still have plans to go out there,” Lavigne said. “Because it’s our right to visit the gravesite that just happens to be on their property.”
veryGood! (56)
Related
- Man waives jury trial in killing of Georgia nursing student
- Is This TikTok-Viral Lip Liner Stain Worth the Hype? See Why One E! Writer Thinks So
- Jax Taylor Enters Treatment for Mental Health Struggles After Brittany Cartwright Breakup
- 2024 Olympics: Stephen Nedoroscik’s Girlfriend Tess McCracken “Almost Fainted” Over Pommel Horse Routine
- Former NFL coach Jack Del Rio charged with operating vehicle while intoxicated
- Another Chinese Olympic doping scandal hurts swimmers who play by the rules
- Entrepreneur who sought to merge celebrities, social media and crypto faces fraud charges
- DJ Moore signs 4-year, $110 million extension with Chicago Bears
- Lady Gaga Joins Wednesday Season 2 With Jenna Ortega, So Prepare to Have a Monster Ball
- 2024 Paris Olympics: Paychecks for Team USA Gold Medal Winners Revealed
Ranking
- Sean Diddy Combs' Lawyers File New Motion for Bail, Claiming Evidence Depicts a Consensual Relationship
- Court holds up Biden administration rule on airline fees while the carriers sue to kill it
- Olympics 2024: Why Jordan Chiles Won’t Compete in the Women’s Gymnastics All-Around Final
- Three Facilities Contribute Half of Houston’s Chemical Air Pollution
- 'Gladiator 2' review: Yes, we are entertained again by outrageous sequel
- French police investigating abuse targeting Olympic opening ceremony DJ over ‘Last Supper’ tableau
- Paychecks grew more slowly this spring, a sign inflation may keep cooling
- Eight international track and field stars to know at the 2024 Paris Olympics
Recommendation
-
New Orleans marks with parade the 64th anniversary of 4 little girls integrating city schools
-
Simone Biles' redemption and Paris Olympic gold medal was for herself, U.S. teammates
-
Entrepreneur who sought to merge celebrities, social media and crypto faces fraud charges
-
Criticism mounts against Venezuela’s Maduro and the electoral council that declared him a victor
-
Sister Wives’ Madison Brush Details Why She Went “No Contact” With Dad Kody Brown
-
Republican challenge to New York’s mail voting expansion reaches state’s highest court
-
Criticism mounts against Venezuela’s Maduro and the electoral council that declared him a victor
-
Interest rate cut coming soon, but Fed likely won't tell you exactly when this week