Highlights

• Louisiana House passes speed camera restrictions 72-23, but exempts Opelousas by a single vote
• Senator Stewart Cathey calls the Opelousas amendment the elimination of previous restrictions
• Representative Dustin Miller cites police staffing shortages as justification for exemption
• Cathey urges Opelousas voters to oppose elected officials who approved cameras
• Bill returns to Senate with school zone exemptions intact

Opelousas Exempted from Louisiana Speed Camera Restrictions in House Vote

Last-minute amendment creates carve-out for St. Landry Parish city despite statewide restrictions

OPELOUSAS, La. (KPEL News) — The Louisiana House of Representatives voted 72-23 to pass legislation restricting speed cameras statewide, but added a last-minute amendment exempting Opelousas from the new rules by a single vote.

Monroe Republican Senator Stewart Cathey's Senate Bill 99 to eliminate automated speed enforcement throughout Louisiana now returns to the Senate for consideration of the House changes.

House Amendment Creates Opelousas Carve-Out

According to Louisiana Radio Network, Democrat Representative Dustin Miller proposed the amendment to exempt Opelousas from the speed camera restrictions. Miller cited staffing shortages in the Opelousas Police Department as justification for maintaining automated enforcement.

"They also eliminated all of the restrictions for Opelousas that we put in place last year that the representatives who brought the amendment said that they were doing such a good job of being. Well, now, they don't have to obey those rules anymore because they don't exist because of this amendment," Cathey said following the House vote.

Cathey Calls for Voter Response

The Monroe senator urged Opelousas residents to hold their elected officials accountable for supporting the exemption.

"It would be nice if the people in Opelousas would rise up and say, 'Look, we don't like this, we don't want it.' I'd vote every elected official in Opelousas out of office that approved these speed cameras," Cathey said.

The Opelousas amendment puts Cathey in a difficult position as the bill returns to the Senate. He acknowledged uncertainty about how to proceed.

"Is this a deal where we just come back next year? We take what we can get? Because we don't want to lose the bill over that one little fight," Cathey said, noting that he obtained "99% of what he wanted" in the overall legislation.

School Zone Exemptions Remain

The legislation includes exemptions for school zones that Cathey agreed to during negotiations. Speed cameras would remain operational in school zones "two hours in the morning and two hours during after school hours."

Cathey said the school zone exemption was necessary for the bill to pass.

Next Steps

Cathey expressed concern that the Opelousas exemption could encourage other municipalities to seek similar carve-outs, describing it as a potential "slippery slope."

The bill now returns to the Senate, where lawmakers must decide whether to accept the House amendments or seek further negotiations.

Ever wondered where the worst speed traps in Louisiana are? Check them out below.