BATON ROUGE—Have you been stopped at a red light only to have a reckless driver swerve past you on the shoulder and run the light?

The Louisiana House advanced a bill Monday by Rep. Mike Bayham, R-Chalmette, to stop such behavior. House Bill 487 would institute a $250 fine for drivers using the shoulder or a turning lane to zip past other cars stopped at red lights.

If the reckless driver caused others to be injured or killed, the fines would range up to $5,000. Additional consequences for death as a result of the violation would be imprisonment for no more than a year and the additional threat of a suspended license for 365 days. 

“Bad drivers don't always get into accidents, but they sure do cause a lot of them,” Bayham said in an interview. “That's what my bill is about: public safety.”

A second bill by Bayham, House Bill 846, would prohibit drivers from obscuring license plates with coverings or films. It also passed on the House floor. 

This violation was already illegal under Louisiana law but without monetary penalty. The new fine for such violations would be $75 for the first offense and $250 for subsequent violations.

Both of Bayham’s bills need approval from the Senate and the governor’s signature to become law.

In addition to adding a monetary penalty, the license bill also redefines obscure license plate coverings to include “electrochromatic film, coating, spray, frame, bracket, substance, electronic and nonelectronic device, or any material over or on the license plate.” 

Bayham hopes that word will get out before the bill is enforced, so people have ample time to remove the license plate covers or doctoring. 

“My goal is not to fine people in compliance,” he said. “My goal is to encourage people to become compliant.” 

Shortly before the House convened, the House Transportation, Highways and Public Works Committee voted 8-5 to pass House Bill 613 by Rep. Dodie Horton, R-Haughton.

The bill would require the Office of Motor Vehicles to include the image of an eagle on Louisiana driver's licenses to designate United States citizenship. 

This law would apply to renewals and duplicates, not preexisting IDs. Horton also said the eagle signifying citizenship would be unique to Louisiana. 

“The eagle is just another stamp that you’re a U.S. citizen and it comes with privileges, being a U.S. citizen. There’s no question,” said Horton. 

The bill is meant to align with requirements under the federal Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act. The act, if codified into law, would require motor vehicle agencies to provide data to assist state departments in detecting and scrubbing noncitizen voters from voter rolls.

Rep. Patricia Moore, D-Monroe, said in the Transportation Committee meeting that she supported the bill. She found it would remove potential barriers to obtaining proof of citizen needed to register to vote under the SAVE Act.

President Trump has been pushing hard for the voting act, which would require people registering to vote to have documents like passports or birth certificates to proof citizenship.

Voting rights groups say it could disenfranchise some voters, and Republican leaders in the U.S. Senate say they have not been able to put together enough support there to pass it.