Louisiana on Thursday became the first state in the nation to include law enforcement officers as a protected class under hate-crime law, treating attacks on public safety workers the same as attacks motivated by race, religion, gender identity or sexual orientation.
The “Blue Lives Matter” bill was signed into law Thursday by Democratic Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards. The first-of-its-kind legislation establishes increased penalties under the state’s hate crimes law for attacks on police officers, firefighters and emergency medical personnel.
Anyone convicted of intentionally targeting public safety workers can now face an additional five years in prison and up to a $5,000 fine for felonies, and an additional $500 or up to six months in prison in misdemeanor cases.
