Current:Home > StocksLouisiana’s Governor Vetoes Bill That Would Have Imposed Harsh Penalties for Trespassing on Industrial Land -LegacyBuild Academy
Louisiana’s Governor Vetoes Bill That Would Have Imposed Harsh Penalties for Trespassing on Industrial Land
View
Date:2025-04-18 23:33:59
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! (79)
Related
- Federal hiring is about to get the Trump treatment
- Five Years After Speaking Out on Climate Change, Pope Francis Sounds an Urgent Alarm
- Young LGBTQI+ Artists Who Epitomize Black Excellence
- Once-resistant rural court officials begin to embrace medications to treat addiction
- IRS recovers $4.7 billion in back taxes and braces for cuts with Trump and GOP in power
- Inside Halle Bailey’s Enchanting No-Makeup Makeup Look for The Little Mermaid
- Wave of gun arrests on Capitol Hill, including for a gun in baby stroller, as tourists return
- U.S. formally investigating reports of botched Syria strike alleged to have killed civilian in May
- In ‘Nickel Boys,’ striving for a new way to see
- Trump Aims to Speed Pipeline Projects by Limiting State Environmental Reviews
Ranking
- Working Well: When holidays present rude customers, taking breaks and the high road preserve peace
- Latest Canadian wildfire smoke maps show where air quality is unhealthy now and forecasts for the near future
- Delta plane makes smooth emergency landing in Charlotte
- CDC recommends first RSV vaccines for some seniors
- Buckingham Palace staff under investigation for 'bar brawl'
- Why TikTokers Francesca Farago and Jesse Sullivan Want to Be Trailblazers in the LGBTQ+ Community
- Grimes Debuts Massive Red Leg Tattoo
- California’s Car Culture Is Slowing the State’s Emissions Cuts
Recommendation
Federal Spending Freeze Could Have Widespread Impact on Environment, Emergency Management
Al Pacino, Robert De Niro and More Famous Dads Who Had Kids Later in Life
Wave of gun arrests on Capitol Hill, including for a gun in baby stroller, as tourists return
Electric Trucks Begin Reporting for Duty, Quietly and Without All the Fumes
All That You Wanted to Know About She’s All That
California man sentenced to more than 6 years in cow manure Ponzi scheme
7 die at Panama City Beach this month; sheriff beyond frustrated by ignored warnings
Ryan Mallett, former NFL quarterback, dies in apparent drowning at age 35