With the nationwide friction between the Black Lives Matter movement and supporters of law enforcement as a backdrop, Louisiana is set to approve a bill that would expand the state's hate-crimes statute to add the targeting of police officers, firefighters, and emergency medical services personnel.
The bill, also known as the "Blue Lives Matter" bill, has passed both chambers of the Louisiana legislature and heads to Gov. John Bel Edwards' desk. Edwards intends to sign the bill soon, his press secretary Shauna Sanford tells CNN.
Louisiana would become the first state to have such as law on its books.
State Rep. Lance Harris authored HB 953 after Dep. Darren Goforth was ambushed, shot, and killed while in uniform last August.
If the governor signs the measure, the state's hate-crime law would change to read: "It shall be unlawful for any person to select the victim of the following offenses against person and property because of actual or perceived race, age, gender, religion, color, creed, disability, sexual orientation, national origin, or ancestry of that person or the owner or occupant of that property or because of actual or perceived membership or service in, or employment with, an organization, or because of actual or perceived employment as a law enforcement officer, firefighter, or emergency medical services personnel."
