Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards vetoed a bill that would have imposed a mandatory minimum three-year sentence for stepping onto “critical infrastructure” during a state of emergency, which civil liberties advocates said infringed on their right to protest industrial development. Credit: Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards on Friday vetoed a bill that would have stiffened penalties for trespassing on pipelines, levees and a long list of other facilities in the state. The veto handed a victory to civil liberties advocates and local organizers, who said the bill would have trampled on their right to protest industrial development. The legislation would have imposed a mandatory minimum three-year sentence for stepping onto "critical infrastructure" during a state of emergency and expanded the list of what falls under that definition, to include flood control structures, which criss-cross the state. Advocates said the bill would have extended the reach of an already vague law that imposes harsh penalties for trespassing on oil and gas industry land and other sites. They argued that the law would intimidate activists who have fought pipelines and chemical plants across the state, by threatening prison sentences for minor infractions. In St. James Parish, […]

Latest Articles
Okanagan conservation group looks to protect wildlife with ecological corridor
Looking east towards Black Mountain over the Okanagan valley. The Okanagan is home to a vast array of wildlife. Unfortunately, however, the region...
More than 50 countries commit to protection of 30% of Earth’s land and oceans
A coalition of more than 50 countries has committed to protect almost a third of the planet by 2030 to halt the destruction...
Greener planes of the future… or just pretty plans?
BBC News image captionThe Airbus Maveric is a remote-controlled blended-wing test aircraft At an undisclosed location Airbus has spent months testing a radical...
Hawaii Will Power Its Clean Grid With 6,000 Home Batteries Installed by Swell Energy
Swell will link batteries in 6,000 different homes to create a decentralized power plant for the local utility. The virtual power plant model...
Cox Enterprises Accelerates Sustainability Goals by 10 Years
Cox Enterprises announced on January 21, 2021, that it has accelerated its goal to be carbon and water neutral from 2044 to 2034 as...
Total Buys Stake in Adani Green Energy, World’s Biggest Solar Developer
Adani won a huge 8 GW tender in India last June. (Credit: Adani Renewables) Total is aiming for 35 GW of operational renewable...