Bill to help trooper's family passes House

The state House of Representatives passed a bill that would allow surviving family members of some state workers killed in the line of duty to stay on the state medical plan on Monday afternoon, hours after limiting what sorts of employees are covered.

Speaker David Ralston, R-Blue Ridge, changed the original language of House Bill 107 from covering all state employees to only those in public safety or Department of Transportation jobs.

“We just want to narrow the scope,” said state Rep. Tim Bearden, who shepherded the bill through the Public Safety Committee as chairman.

The bill, which passed 163-0, is a direct response to the plight of the family of Trooper Chadwick LeCroy, who was killed during a traffic stop on Dec. 27. His widow, Keisha LeCroy, would have had to pay more than $900 through COBRA to maintain her husband’s health insurance for her and their 10-year-old son.

The bill also applies to the family of Spencer Pass, a HERO operator who was struck and killed while helping a motorist on I-85 last month.

The proposal was fast-tracked through the process last week and unified political rivals, including Gov. Nathan Deal and his Democratic opponent in November, Roy Barnes. Barnes is representing the LeCroy family for free to help them access state benefits.