Louisiana Rep. Larry Bagley is like the Energizer battery “bunny that keeps on ticking.” The Republican from Stonewall lost his fifth effort Monday to try and eliminate the state’s vehicle inspections and the odds are that he will try again.

Two other bills affecting Louisiana motorists are enjoying more success. One raises the fine for slow drivers who stay in the left lane too long. The other, if approved, would eliminate, except in school zones, all speed and red light cameras used to catch drivers who are violating traffic laws.

The House Transportation Committee voted 6-5 to defer Bagley’s House Bill 232. Three of the five votes for the bill were cast by GOP Reps. Ryan Bourrique of Grand Lake, chairman of the committee, Rodney Schamerhorn of Hornbeck and Phillip Tarver of Lake Charles.

The Center Square reported that Bagley argues that the current inspection system is outdated, ineffective and ripe for abuse.

Under current law, passenger cars, trailers and low-speed vehicles must display valid safety inspection stickers issued by the state. Bagley’s bill would have only kept inspections for commercial and student transportation vehicles.

Bagley’s 2024, 2020, 2019 and 2017 bills never got far. The 2019 bill got out of committee but died on the House calendar before a final vote.

Louisiana State Police have received some of the $10 cost of annual inspections and that has always been a problem for Bagley. However, he had a solution this year with HB  221 that would have levied a $10 motor vehicle inspection tax.

The state Office of Motor Vehicles that handles inspections would have received $1.25 of the $10. State Police would have received $4 for training police officers and $4.75 for traffic enforcement.

Radio 710KEEL in Shreveport quoted Bagley who said, “What I’m going to do is add $10 a year to the registration fee, which is what you would pay anyway, but you won’t have to go down and keep up with the inspection sticker. And if you get caught without one (inspection sticker), it’s $200.”

Only 13 states don’t require regular safety, emissions or VIN inspections for vehicles owned by residents, according to goodcar.com. They are Alaska, Arkansas,  Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Montana, North Dakota, South Carolina, South Dakota, Florida, Washington and Wyoming.

I watched the committee debate at the Legislature. I’m guessing that the woman who testified that there are 500 inspection stations in Louisiana may have given legislators a major reason for opposing Bagley’s bill. That is all that many of those stations do.

State Sen. Jay Luneau, D-Alexandria, is sponsor of SB 11 that raises the fine of slow drivers who stay in the left lane from $100 to $150 on first offense, and the fine increases for additional offenses within a year. The bill cleared the Senate 35-3 and is in the House.

Sen. Stewart Cathey Jr., R-Monroe, is sponsor of SB 99 that started out clarifying that public officials violating traffic camera regulations constitutes malfeasance in office. However, the Senate didn’t object to an amendment by Sen. Alan Seabaugh, R-Shreveport. The bill then passed the Senate 32-6.

The amendment eliminates all speed enforcement devices except for those used in school zones during specified hours. And it prohibits the use of red light cameras in Louisiana.

The legislation also mandates clear signage that indicates the presence of automated speed enforcement devices and mobile speed cameras. Local authorities that sponsor those devices and cameras would also have to disclose revenue from the devices.

Traffic law violators usually get mail notices that they have been photographed and Cathey’s bill requires local authorities to establish an administrative hearing process for appealing citations.

Legislators have tried many times to do away with all of the traffic monitoring devices but have been unsuccessful. Whether they will accept Cathey’s bill in the House the way it has been amended remains to be seen.

KEEL News asked Cathey about revenue from traffic monitoring devices and he called them “a huge money grab for many towns.” Cathey said Clayton, Louisiana, got $21,000 in traffic fines in 2022 but in 2023 after speed cameras were installed the town took in almost $500,000.

Vehicle inspections are questionable government operations. However, they do improve traffic safety. Whether members of the House will accept Cathey’s bill the way it has been amended remains to be seen. Whatever happens, look for Bagley to be back next year.

 

Jim Beam, the retired editor of the American Press, has covered people and politics for more than six decades. Contact him at 337-515-8871 or jim.beam.press@gmail.com.

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