Governor John Bel Edwards vetoed a bill that would make it a misdemeanor crime to be within 25 feet of a law enforcement officer who is on the job and orders you to step back.
Opponents had raised First Amendment concerns related to the legislation, while the bill’s sponsor said he was just trying to back police officers. House Bill 85, filed by Pineville Representative Mike Johnson, would have made it a crime to knowingly or intentionally approach within twenty-five feet of a law enforcement officer who is lawfully engaged in the execution of his official duties after the law enforcement officer has ordered the person to stop approaching or to retreat.
In his veto letter, Governor Edwards wrote that legislation already exists to prevent interference in law enforcement investigations.
Governor Edwards also said he has found a way to restore several spending cuts approved by lawmakers in the final chaotic minutes of the legislative session, including a surprise $100 million reduction for the Department of Health. He also said he would restore about $4 million that lawmakers stripped for a planned ship container terminal in St. Bernard Parish.
