House passes bills in response to Alton Sterling shooting

BATON ROUGE - Two bills written in response to the shooting death of a black man outside a Baton Rouge convenience store last year have passed the House.



Lawmakers voted 102-0 Tuesday to reduce the amount of time police officers have to hire an attorney following incidents in which an officer has killed or seriously injured someone. Officers would have 14 days, rather than 30, to secure representation, with some exceptions.



Baton Rouge Rep. Ted James sponsored the bill after Alton Sterling was killed in July by two officers. The officers are on administrative leave pending an investigation.



The House also voted 97-0 in favor of allowing a council to revoke the certification of suspended or discharged officers.



Both proposals head next to the Senate.