The Advocate published some damn good journalism today, throwing back the veil on the genesis of legislation put forward as a “public safety” initiative but which, not coincidentally — it’s never coincidental — would line the pockets of a corporation.

Senate Bill 54 would authorize the installation of cameras on police cars that can automatically scan license plates and identify uninsured motorists and stolen vehicles. It sounds like a good idea on the surface, but as The Advocate’s Tyler Bridges reports, fines generated by the technology would substantially benefit a private company, and the bill owes its genesis at least in part to a private meeting held in the office of former Louisiana House Speaker Jim Tucker.

Read the report here.