Soon, you’ll be able to tint your front windows darker. A bill allowing for just that passed overwhelmingly in both houses of the legislature and now awaits a signature from Governor Landry. Its author is Marksville Republican Representative Daryl Deshotel.
“Currently, the state law was that you could only have a certain percentage, which is 40% light transmission through the window. And now we’ve reduced that to only having to produce 25% of the light coming through,” Deshotel said.
Deshotel says this bill brings Louisiana in line with other states which suffer through brutal summer heat.
“Louisiana is an outlier of all the southern states. So, this really just matches Florida and Mississippi and Texas and Arkansas and other states,” Deshotel explained.
One concern brought up during debate was whether the darker tint would hinder law enforcement’s ability to look through a window during a traffic stop for things like firearms and contraband. Deshotel says law enforcement organizations had no problem with the new standard.
“Prior to running the bill, I reached out to the Sheriff’s Association and the Louisiana State Police to make sure that this wasn’t going to harm them, and they took no position on the bill,” Deshotel said.
Deshotel notes that drivers are required to have their windows rolled down by the time an officer approaches, and he offered to add an amendment to impose an extra fine for not doing so. Law enforcement organizations, however, felt that wasn’t necessary.
Comments