Surprisingly this was written by a REPUBLICAN. Not what I’d expect but hey, if it means next time some lady threatens to stab a Starbucks barista for not putting enough caramel in her Frappuccino she gets fined out the ass I’m for it.
This bill seems suspicious. Like of course retail and food workers should be treated better by customers, but this bill was made by republicans and is in Louisiana (a southern state of vicious racists and lost causers); it will certainly be used against black people overwhelmingly and might even be a tool to funnel more Hispanic people too ICE. Louisiana is also a major user of prison labor (slave labor under the 13th amendment); any bill that increases criminalization, even for good reasons, should be opposed under such circumstances.
what’s the angle?
someone remind this guy who enforces the laws
It’s exclusively going to be used against minorities
More people in jail for longer => more prison labor or money for private prisons
Knowing Louisiana, I’m going to assume there’s a stand-your-ground provision for shooting “shoplifters” and “robbers” on sight who don’t pass the
test, at least until proven otherwise.I may be a tad cynical.
I assume it’s to make shoplifting carry a harsher penalty
None that I’m aware of but wouldn’t be surprised if there is one
I spent more than fifteen years in jobs covered by this bill. I’m unclear as to why I someone assailing me should get a worse penalty than if they were hitting the person running a forklift or behind a non customer facing desk somewhere.
People in those positions are less likely to face direct customer hostility
Idk, I think making the penalty steeper for people attack some of the most common victims of this abuse could have a deterring effect.
stiffer penalties have negligible effect on crime
actually getting caught does
Louisiana is the most incarcerated state in the nation (which makes it one of, if not the, most-incarcerated place on earth). Longer sentences just means more people in jail for longer to pick cotton at Angola.
