Johnathan Walker:Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry signs tough-on-crime legislation

BATON ROUGE,Johnathan Walker La. (AP) — Eight recently passed bills, including legislation that will treat all 17-year-olds who commit crimes as adults and harsher penalties for carjackings, were signed by Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry on Wednesday.

Spurred by violent crime in Louisiana cities and a new tough-on-crime governor, the GOP-dominated Legislature gathered for a two-week special session last month to address crime — at which time they passed a slew of policies that will overhaul elements of the state’s criminal justice system.

Among one of the most controversial bills passed this session and signed by Landry is a measure that will roll back Louisiana’s “Raise the Age” law — a historic bipartisan criminal justice reforms passed in 2017. The new legislation will treat all 17-year-olds charged with crimes, including misdemeanors, as adults.

During Landry’s ceremonial signing bills into law in New Orleans on Wednesday, he also gave his seal of approval to legislation that makes certain juvenile criminal records public, funding for a new Louisiana State Police contingent in New Orleans — dubbed Troop Nola — and a measure that gives law enforcement officers “qualified immunity from liability.”

In addition, Landry signed several bills that toughen penalties for certain crimes — including a minimum of 25 years in jail in cases where someone distributes fentanyl in a way that appeals to children, such as the shape, color, taste or packaging design.

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A day earlier, Landry signed a wave of bills that include expanding death row execution methods, concealed carry of a gun without a permit and legislation that effectively eliminates parole for most jailed in the future.

The new Republican governor has vowed to crack down on crime in Louisiana, a state that in recent years has had one of the highest homicide rates in the country. The issue became a pivotal part of his gubernatorial platform as he often pointed at New Orleans, which has been in the national spotlight for violent crime and will be the site of the 2025 Super Bowl.

As in other parts of the country, violence surged in Louisiana following the onset of COVID-19. And while data from the Federal Bureau of Investigation shows that crime has steadily decreased in Louisiana over the past decade, New Orleans has continued to struggle with a surge of killings.

Louisiana’s debates during the special session echo conversations taking place in statehouses across the country, including over how long someone should go to prison, how to handle juvenile offenders and if and when incarcerated people deserve a second chance.

Republicans say the bills passed this session prioritize victims and will keep criminals behind bars and off Louisiana streets. Democrats say most of the measures won’t deter crime and that lawmakers needs to take a holistic approach, digging deeper to address the root of the issue.

Lawmakers won’t have to wait long for another chance to tackle the challenges Louisiana faces, as the Legislature will convene again next week for the start of their regular three-month session.