A rare tie vote in a Louisiana Senate committee today has stalled a high-profile bill targeting so-called “sanctuary cities.” It was an emotional debate, with Attorney General Jeff Landry saying opponents chose to “confer criminal illegals more rights.”
The bill’s author, Rep. Valarie Hodges, R-Denham Springs, had targeted Lafayette and Orleans parishes as “sanctuary cities.” Had it not failed in a 2-2 vote, the measure would have penalized cities, like New Orleans, and parishes that are perceived to be implementing policy that protects illegal immigrants.
“Despite the fact that Congress passed a law to ban sanctuary cities, sanctuary cities have exploded over the past 20 years, and we have got to start doing something to push back against what’s happening in our country,” Hodges said.
Law enforcement outfits, like the Louisiana Sheriffs’ Association, opposed the bill and argued that they shouldn’t be saddled with the cost of enforcement duties—a responsibility police officials contend should be a federal task. It may have been enough to help sway the Senate Judiciary A Committee.
“This is a federal problem, and what we are telling these police officers is ‘you’ve got to keep these people or run the risk that you will be declared a sanctuary city,’” said Sen. Danny Martiny, R-Metairie. “I look at it this way: I think it’s an unfunded mandate that we’re telling local government, ‘Y’all deal with it.’”
In related action today, the House and Governmental Affairs Committee, in an equally unexpected move, rejected legislation in a 7-3 vote that would have paved the way for electronic license plate readers to be used by law enforcement. Senate Bill 54 by Sen. Ronnie Johns, R-Lake Charles, would set up a pilot program in nine parishes that would utilize already-existing license plate reading cameras to issue tickets to uninsured drivers.
In addition to privacy concerns, lawmakers complained about the ability of the Louisiana Public Safety Consortium, a private company, to access state records and turn a profit on the pilot program that was proposed.
—Jeremy Alford & D.B. Narveson
Jeremy Alford, D.B. Narveson and Gordon Brillon will publish a daily update throughout the legislative regular session on Daily Report PM. Alford reports on Louisiana politics at LaPolitics.com. Follow him on Twitter or on Facebook. He can be reached at JJA@LaPolitics.com.
