Over 100 activists from Lafayette gathered at the Louisiana State Capitol on Tuesday in protest of Governor Jeff Landry's newly proposed crime bills. Members of Vote of the Experienced -VOTE- and Families and Friends of Incarcerated People drove to Baton Rouge to attend the special committee hearings and have their voices heard.
The group hope to persuade law makers to do away with the proposals which they call, "discriminatory."
Consuela Gaines, Chapter Organizer for VOTE in Lafayette said the bills would have a negative impact on the community and push more minorities into prisons.
“It’s going to undo a lot of the criminal justice reforms and one thing we notice is the fact that they have no evidence that changing or going back to tough on crime is going to make our state any safer by implementing any of these laws they are trying to change here. “
The organization say they are opposed to all but one of the 24 bills on the agenda. Some of the proposed bills that are of concern to the group include:
Restricting Parole Eligibility.
Increased Penalties For certain crimes like carjackings.
Immunity for Police in State Court.
Expanding Death Row Laws.
Lowering age of minors who are tried as adults in violent crimes.
And Gun Permit Laws.
On Monday, Governor Jeff Landry gave opening remarks on the special session where he said the bills are meant to address Louisiana’s alarming crime rates, while protecting law abiding citizens and providing ease to victims of crime.
The Governor said the new bills are part of his campaign promise to help keep Lousiana safe and rid the streets of violent offenders.
Nell Hann who attended the rally say the bill would have a counter effect. “We know what the root causes of crime are, its poverty, its lack of education, its lack of housing and healthcare. We know that’s what drives crime. What doesn’t work is long incarceration periods…We’re investing all of our resources in prisons and keeping people in honestly brutal conditions.”
Reverened Wilfered Johnson of New Iberia said he was dissapointed with the way the bill was being introduced citing lack of transparency to the public.
“We came here to let the Governor of Louisiana and the state legislatures know we are standing for equal justice, we are standing for equality, we’re standing for the laws that will protect us as a people and if you don’t think we’re playing, wait until Election Day.”
On Monday, members of the Democratic Caucus and Black Caucus said they were against the special session being held in such a short time. The representatives also said they were not consulted or asked for input on the bills.
