WE’RE GETTING PHONE CALLS AND EMAILS FROM THEIR CONSTITUENTS. DEFINITELY GETS THE EAR OF A LEGISLATOR. SO WHO’S REPORTING THINK BROUGHT A LOT OF ATTENTION TO THE MATTER. ATTENTION TO THE BILL. A CONTROVERSIAL BILL FILED AFTER MURDERS OF A BELOVED COVINGTON PRIEST AND PARISHIONER JUST PASSED THE SENATE AND HAS ONE FINAL STEP BEFORE IT BECOMES LAW. THE LAWMAKER WHO FILED THE BILL SAYS IT PASSED AFTER MULTIPLE WDSU INVESTIGATIONS. WDSU INVESTIGATIVE REPORTER AUBRY KILLION HAS BEEN FOLLOWING THIS LEGISLATION VERY CLOSELY. AUBREY, WHAT’S NEXT? HEY THERE, GINA. SO HOUSE BILL 188 COULD GIVE JUDGES THE OPTION TO KEEP VIOLENT OFFENDERS IN PRISON LONGER. IT NOW HEADS TO THE GOVERNOR’S DESK. IN FACT, I JUST WANT TO THANK YOUR STATION FOR BRINGING ATTENTION TO THIS MATTER. STATE REP LARRY FREEMAN AUTHORED HOUSE BILL 188. WELL, THIS BILL, IF IT GOES INTO LAW, WILL ALLOW A JUDGE TO DECIDE WHETHER A REPEAT OFFENDER, A FELONY REPEAT OFFENDER, IS A DANGEROUS OFFENDER THAT CAN BE SENTENCED TO SERVE 85% OF THEIR SENTENCE BEFORE BECOMING ELIGIBLE FOR PAROLE. THIS WILL KEEP THESE TYPES OF OFFENDERS OFF THE STREETS LONGER, IN JAIL, LONGER SO THEY CANNOT TERRORIZE OUR COMMUNITIES. FREEMAN FILED THE BILL AFTER THE HORRIFIC MURDERS OF RUTH PRATTS AND FATHER OTIS YOUNG. I TRAVELED TO BATON ROUGE AND SHOWED FREEMAN DOCUMENTS THAT I UNCOVERED. THEY SHOW ANTONIO TYSON, THE SUSPECT ACCUSED OF THEIR MURDERS, HAD HUNDREDS OF PRISON VIOLATIONS WHILE SERVING TIME FOR RAPE IN THE 90. HE DID NOT SERVE HIS FULL 40 YEAR SENTENCE AND WAS LET OUT LAST AUGUST. DOC SAYS THEY FOLLOWED ALL LAWS. I ALSO UNCOVERED THAT TYSON VIOLATED HIS PAROLE EIGHT DAYS BEFORE THE MURDERS LAST NOVEMBER. REPORTING, I THINK, BROUGHT A LOT OF ATTENTION TO THE MATTER. ATTENTION TO THE BILL AND DEFINITELY HAD TO HELP. IT’S IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT THIS NEW LEGISLATION WOULD NOT HAVE APPLIED TO TYSON STATE REP LARRY FREEMAN SAYS TYSON DID NOT HAVE A PRIOR FELONY, BUT HE SAYS HE FILED THE BILL TO PREVENT ANOTHER TRAGEDY. HOW CONFIDENT ARE YOU THAT GOVERNOR EDWARDS WILL SIGN THIS BILL? WELL, I’M NOT CONFIDENT AT ALL IF HISTORY REPEATS ITSELF. LAST YEAR, WE SENT FIVE REALLY STRONG CRIMINAL BILLS THAT TIGHTENED UP THE CRIMINAL CODE AND HE VETOED. ALL FIVE. SO TAKE A LOOK. GOVERNOR EDWARDS OFFICE SAYS THAT HB 188 HAS NOT MADE IT TO OUR OFFICE YET. AS USUAL, THE GOVERNOR WILL CAREFULLY REVIEW ALL BILLS THAT MAKE IT TO HIS DESK BEFORE MAKING A FIN