From 2012–2016, Sherman served as a member of the Louisiana House of Representatives Criminal Justice Committee, and in 2015 the Speaker of the House appointed him to be chairman of the Criminal Justice Committee. Over the years, he authored several laws to protect his constituents, including the following:
After a close friend was struck and killed by a drunk driver, Sherman introduced and passed:
- HB 47 (2012) which provided for minimum mandatory jail sentences for certain DWI offenses.
After being approached by victims of elderly and infirmed abuse, Sherman introduced and passed:
- HB 79 (2018) creating the crime of abuse of persons with infirmities through electronic means.
As a constant advocate against government waste, Sherman introduced and passed:
- HB 88 (2018) creating crime of government benefits fraud.
Recognizing the fraud being committed and the residual effect on high insurance rates in Louisiana, Sherman introduced and passed:
- HB 15 (2021) creating the crimes of staging of a motor vehicle collision and aggravated staging of a motor vehicle collision, providing for the elements of the offenses and criminal penalties, and adds the new crimes as elements of the crime of racketeering activity.
Sherman has always supported law enforcement and introduced and passed legislation to assist officers and investigative agencies such as:
- HB 90 (2012) which authorized the issuance of search warrants upon electronic testimony;
- HB 980 (2012) establishing affidavit procedure to assist law enforcement in establishing probable cause to obtain arrest warrant as consistent with the Supreme Court ruling on Rochon case;
- HB 90 (2013) authorizing DPS&C to sell bulletproof vests to other law enforcement agencies;
- HB 155 (2014) requiring any P.O.S.T.-certified law enforcement officer employed on a full-time basis by DPS&C, Dept. of Wildlife and Fisheries, division of probation and parole, or any retired state police officer who receives supplemental compensation to receive credit for their employment if they become employed with any other law enforcement agency for purpose of satisfying the one year of service requirement to receive supplemental compensation;
- HB 112 (2018) requiring the testing of any person who exposes an employee of a forensic laboratory to a serious infectious disease through the employee’s investigation and handling of evidence related to the person’s arrest;
- HB 222 (2018) providing that DPS&C may grant commissions if an officer complies with the requirements and regulations prescribed by DPS&C for the commissioning of special officers;
- HB 166 (2018) adopting and ratifying the National Crime Prevention and Privacy Compact Act of 1998 (compact) which establishes electronic information sharing system among the federal government and the states to exchange criminal history records information for noncriminal justice purposes authorized by federal or state law, such as background checks for governmental licensing and employment, immigration and naturalization matters, and national security clearances.
Sherman further assisted the Attorney General and District Attorney’s across the state to shore up loopholes in the law regarding the make-up and distribution of illegal substances such as:
- HB15 (2013) adding certain chemical groups to the Schedule I listing of stimulants known as cathinones and adds additional substances to the Schedule I listing of synthetic cannabinoids;
- HB 229 (2014) adding nine substances to Schedule I of the Uniform Controlled Dangerous Substances Law;
- HB 72 (2015) adding substances and chemical groups to the list of Schedule I controlled dangerous substances and making nomenclature changes to certain chemical groups;
- HB 153 (2018) adding Cyclopropylfentanyl and Deschloroketamine to Schedule I of the Uniform Controlled Dangerous Substances Law and adding naldemedine to Schedule II of the Uniform Controlled Dangerous Substances Law;
- HB 165 (2018) Provides a definition of “aggregate” for purposes of determining the weight of certain controlled dangerous substances, and relocates the existing criminal penalties for fentanyl to correspond to its classification as a Schedule II controlled dangerous substance. Sherman also assisted other legislators in enhancing penalties concerning drug offenses, crimes of violence and sex offenses.
Sherman opposed measures he believed could compromise community safety, such as the early release of violent offenders, expanded gaming and aggressively fought to keep carbon capture out of Livingston, St. Helena and Tangipahoa Parishes by proposing:
- HB 453 (2023) which would have prohibited the use of a Class VI injection well for carbon dioxide sequestration unless the carbon dioxide is to be injected, transported, and sequestered in the Gulf of Mexico;
- HB 454 (2023) which would have provided for the conducting of a local option election and would have prohibited the permitting of the proposed carbon dioxide sequestration activities without a favorable vote of the people of the parish where the activity would have occurred.