Louisiana lawmakers approved surgical castration as an option for those found guilty of sex crimes against kids. Legislators approved Senate Bill 371 on the final day of the session Monday. If the governor signs the bill into law, Louisiana will become the first state with such a punishment.
As Associated Press Correspondent Jackie Quinn reports, some states have chemical castration as a sentencing option for those convicted of sex crimes against children. Those states include Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Louisiana, Montana, Oregon, Texas, and Wisconsin.
But Louisiana lawmakers are taking it a notch further. The final vote’s been taken by the Louisiana state legislature to give a judge the option of surgical castration in cases of certain aggravated sex crimes, like rape, incest, or the molestation of a child under 13
Governor Jeff Landry hasn’t said yet if he’ll sign it into law. The state Senate approved SB371 back on April 23, by a vote of 29 to 9.
Louisiana House members then voted 77 to 20 on June 3, sending the measure to the governor’s desk. The sponsor of SB371, Senator Regina Barrow, D-Baton Rouge, says this extra step should serve as a deterrent.”
