Louisiana: Cop Targeting a Hate Crime

The Louisiana legislature has introduced a bill referred to as “Blue Lives Matter,” which would make targeting police officers a hate crime. Louisiana House Bill 953 cleared the House easily and the State Senate approved it as well. The bill is now waiting for the signature of Gov. John Bel Edwards. No other state has similar legislation that includes police officers as part of a protected class of citizens under hate-crime laws. But 37 different states have stiffer penalties for assaulting police officers.