Lifetime Citizen Portal Access — AI Briefings, Alerts & Unlimited Follows
Widow and daughter urge funding for safer pursuit technology; panel advances fee to pay for grants and training
Loading...
Summary
After the March death of a deputy deploying a spike strip, the committee reported HB 8 73 favorably. The bill would impose a $2 driver's‑license supplemental fee to fund pursuit‑intervention technology and training administered by the Louisiana Commission on Law Enforcement.
Members of the House Transportation Committee voted to report HB 8 73 favorably after emotional testimony from the family of Sergeant Grant Candies and technical testimony from law‑enforcement trainers and association leaders.
Representative Glorioso framed the measure as a targeted funding mechanism for safer pursuit interventions. The bill would create a fund, administered by the Louisiana Commission on Law Enforcement, to support equipment purchases (remote‑deployed spike systems, grappler systems, vehicle‑mounted trackers) and recurring training. Glorioso said the mechanism in HB 8 73 is a $2 supplemental fee on each driver's license renewal and estimated the fee could generate roughly $2 million a year.
Courtney Candies, the widow of Sergeant Candies, told the committee: "Please don't make another mother tell their children their father was killed deploying spike strips." Their daughter Brenna, 14, also testified about the family's loss and urged lawmakers to act. Captain Mark Cano, a law‑enforcement instructor, described the danger of manual spike deployment and provided cost estimates: state‑of‑the‑art devices cost roughly $5,000 to $12,000 each and agencies will need recurring training and service contracts.
Law‑enforcement organizations backed the bill and said small agencies especially lack funds for new technologies. Sponsors said the fee would support grant writing and make federal grant programs more accessible to rural departments. Multiple members expressed sympathy and support; Representative Broussard moved the bill favorably and the committee reported HB 8 73 to the floor without objection.
The committee also noted a companion bill to create the grant program and emphasized that training standards, eligibility and program rules will be developed by the Louisiana Commission on Law Enforcement once funding is available.
