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Yahoo
22-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Tennessee lawmakers pass buffer when approaching police, limits aimed at neo-Nazi activity
A law that could ban standing within 25 feet of a police officer after being told to retreat has passed the Tennessee General Assembly. Passage of the legislation is prompting First Amendment concerns from some lawmakers and free speech experts who say that such laws make observing police misconduct nearly impossible and protests more dangerous. Following a rash of intense neo-Nazi activity in downtown Nashville in the summer 2024, House Majority Leader William Lamberth, R-Portland, filed House Bill 55, known as the Protecting Everyone Against Crime and Extremism (PEACE) Act. The legislation seeks to address a number of methods that were used by neo-Nazi members to intimidate Nashville residents over the summer in 2024. It passed the House on April 21 in a 70-20 vote and in the Senate on April 14 in a 30-2 vote. The bill is co-sponsored by Sen. Mark Pody, R-Lebanon, and comes after years of historically large protests at the state Capitol. The bill criminalizes "intentionally (approaching) within 25 feet" a law enforcement officer who is conducting either a lawful traffic stop, an active investigation of "the scene of an alleged crime," or an "ongoing and immediate threat to public safety," after being told to stop or retreat. It also adds misdemeanor penalties for littering or trespassing on personal property with the intent to intimidate, as well as for giving a false name to law enforcement after being detained and transporting people within the cargo area of a box truck and placing signs on roadways. More: White supremacist group marched in Nashville without permit; breached U-Haul customer contract The bill also expands the circumstances in which an officer can arrest or detain an individual for a misdemeanor to include when an officer only has "probable cause" to believe someone committed an offense, "regardless of whether the offense was committed in the peace officer's presence," and requires that officers note their reasons for not issuing a citation to someone upon arrest. A number of activities addressed in the bill relate to the series of repeated neo-Nazi marches and appearances in Nashville, including one instance where white supremacist group The Patriot Front marched up the steps of the state Capitol on July 6, chanting "deportation saves the nation" and "Sig Heil," a German phrase and Nazi salute which means "Heil (to) victory." The group arrived there after being transported in the back of U-Haul box trucks. Concerns surrounding the bill largely rest on the buffer portion of the law as lawmakers and First Amendment experts across the country have called out the law as an unconstitutional barrier for journalists and residents observing and reporting on potential police misconduct, and as a way for law enforcement to crack down on constitutionally protected protests. "Let's start with the name: the PEACE Act is Orwellian," said Rep. Aftyn Behn, D-Nashville, in a statement following the bill's passage at the Senate on April 21. "The bill isn't about peace — it's about suppressing dissent, silencing protest, and expanding unchecked police power." Behn filed an amendment to the bill that would have removed the buffer portion of the law, but the House rejected the amendment. She later commended her fellow Democrats in the Senate for unanimously voting against the bill, calling it a "clear stand for the First Amendment and the right to protest." "This isn't an antisemitism bill — it's an anti-civil liberties bill. It's a direct response to years of protest, organizing and public visibility — from racial justice to reproductive freedom to pro-Palestinian solidarity," she said. "The GOP is trying to criminalize movement work, not protest public safety." In a statement, Lamberth defended the bill as a way to help law enforcement perform their duties better. 'A 25-foot buffer zone for working law enforcement is a reasonable distance to protect the public's safety and ensure our officers are able to perform their duties unobstructed," Lamberth said. Under current Tennessee law, it is already a crime to obstruct law enforcement from carrying out official duties. Similar buffer-zone laws in Arizona, Louisiana, Florida and Indiana, which have no exception for journalists, have all faced public and legal pushback on First Amendment grounds. More: Leaders wrestle with solving Nashville's neo-Nazi problem while protecting free speech In Indiana, a buffer-zone law faced two civil rights lawsuits, and was struck down on the second as unconstitutional in September. In Arizona, a 2022 buffer-zone law that banned filming an officer within 8 feet was similarly struck down. Most recently, in Louisiana, a nearly identical law was temporarily blocked by a federal judge in late January as it faces a lawsuit by multiple news organizations and First Amendment lawyers. Emily Hockett, a legal fellow with the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, a nonprofit legal group whose attorneys sued the state of Louisiana over the buffer law, said in a statement that the Louisiana law was 'troubling.' 'The law has no exceptions,' she said in the statement. 'It does not matter if the officer's order to stop approaching is objectively unreasonable. Nor does it matter if complying would make observing law enforcement activity impossible, because it would obstruct the view of onlookers…Finally, it does not matter if the person being told to stop approaching is a journalist.' She said the author of the Indiana version of the same law had previously stated that the law was created in response to the riots of 2020 that followed the murder of George Floyd — a murder that may not have prosecuted or come to light if not for the woman who stood near the crime to film it. 'The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit, which includes Indiana, has held that there is a First Amendment right to record government officials performing their duties in public," Hockett said. "Though this law does not mention recording law enforcement explicitly, it poses an acute challenge to the right to record. Police would be able to arrest a journalist quietly and peacefully filming nearby, regardless of whether that journalist was interfering with police duties.' In a statement, Lamberth said that the First Amendment concerns were unfounded. "This legislation was carefully crafted to guarantee everyone's First Amendment right is protected," said Lamberth. "You can be present, say and record anything you want — that is your constitutional right — but you can't hinder or interfere when a police officer is carrying out their official duties.' Similar legislation was passed by the Metro Council in Nashville in September to address the neo-Nazi activity, though no buffer laws were included. The bill marks the second time Lamberth has addressed neo-Nazi activity at the state level, with the first being the House Joint Resolution 963 passed in March 2024. The USA TODAY Network - Tennessee's coverage of First Amendment issues is funded through a collaboration between the Freedom Forum and Journalism Funding Partners. Have a story to tell? Reach Angele Latham by email at alatham@ by phone at 931-623-9485, or follow her on Twitter at @angele_latham This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Tennessee lawmakers pass limits aimed at protests, neo-Nazi activity
Yahoo
08-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Tennessee Senate puts restriction on private prisons with high death rate
The Tennessee legislature is considering a measure to force private prison contractor CoreCivic to lower the size of inmate populations in facilities with high death rates. (Photo: John Partipilo/Tennessee Lookout) Tennessee's Senate passed legislation Monday that would force the state's private-prison operator to lower the inmate population in facilities with high death rates. Senators voted 30-0 in favor of Senate Bill 1115 sponsored by Republican Sen. Mark Pody of Lebanon, who wants to renew the legislature's correction oversight board and take action if the private operator, CoreCivic, can't bring down death rates. The bill would require the inmate population at CoreCivic-run prisons to be reduced by 10% if the death rate there is twice as high as the rate at a comparable state-run prison. It also requires the company to resolve problems causing high death rates. The House version, HB114, backed by Republican Rep. Clark Boyd of Lebanon isn't expected to be considered until House members approve a budget, likely within two weeks. Pody said he anticipates no problems getting the House version passed. Lebanon resident Tim Leeper said after Monday's vote he believes prison privatization has no benefits, except for CoreCivic shareholders. The Senate vote sends a message that lawmakers aren't satisfied with private prisons, he added. 'It puts us on record and it puts legislators on record, now we have a problem. If we didn't have a problem, we wouldn't have legislation that has proceeded up to this point, unanimously,' said Leeper, whose son died of an overdose at Trousdale Turner prison, one of four the company runs in Tennessee. State Comptroller audits show Trousdale Turner had a 146% employee turnover rate in 2023, making it more difficult to check on prisoners and avert murders and drug overdoses. Trousdale Turner, which is under a civil rights investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice, has a correction officer vacancy rate of 33.7%, compared with 26% at state-run prisons, officials said earlier this year. Still, the state is seeking a $6.8 million contract increase for the private prison operator despite penalizing the company $44.78 million since 2022 for contractual shortfalls, $15 million in the last half year. CoreCivic, which is paid based on the number of inmates it houses, doesn't pay those penalties but simply forgoes state payments. A spokesperson for CoreCivic said in a recent email statement that prisoner safety, health and well-being is 'top priority' and that each facility has emergency response teams to handle medical care. All deaths are reported immediately to the state for investigation, he said. Tennessee Correction Commissioner Frank Strada has called the company an important 'partner.' SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
26-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Covenant marriages exclude LGBT people and that's what Tennessee lawmakers want
Editor's note: Letters to the editor reflect the views of individual readers. Scroll to the bottom to see how you can add your voice, whether you agree or disagree. We welcome diverse viewpoints. Re: "Covenant marriages will make Tennessee families stronger especially for children," by Noah Jenkins, Feb. 22. Noah Jenkins has written a thoughtful and coherent guest opinion column in support of the Covenant Marriage Act. However, his description omits a key element of the bill which is clearly one of its main points. The first condition of House Bill 315/Senate Bill 737 states "a covenant marriage is a marriage entered into by one male and one female." In creating a different category that excludes the LGBT community, our legislators are designating a class of citizenry unavailable to all. The Senate sponsor of the bill, Sen. Mark Pody, R-Lebanon, has been very clear about his disdain for gay marriage. After the U.S. Supreme Court's Obergefell vs. Hodges decision in 2015, then state Representative Pody declared that same sex marriage is "wicked" and stated that,"I believe God told me this" before reading a passage from the book of Ezekiel in which he warns that "they shall surely die." I am very cautious about people who declare that a supernatural deity speaks to them, and their actions are sanctioned by a god. To declare this as an elected American state representative is misguided at best and dangerous. Opinion: Contradictions between faith, politics and racism still haunt the South It is with sincere hope that I say please, please do not allow this or other biblical passages to influence our laws. Surely, our state will not command a virgin who has been raped to marry her rapist (Deuteronomy 22:28-29). This is a prime example of why our founders established a wall of separation between church and state. This wall should keep all religions from pushing any bigoted laws through a secular legislature. Wesley H. Roberts, Pegram 37143 Agree or disagree? Or have a view on another topic entirely? Send a letter of 250 words or fewer to letters@ Include your full name, city/town, ZIP and contact information for verification. Thanks for adding to the public conversation. This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: LGBT couples would be excluded from Tennessee's Covenant Marriage Act
Yahoo
22-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Covenant marriages will make Tennessee families stronger especially for children
The American family is struggling. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1-in-5 marriages in the United States fail within five years, ballooning to 1-in-2 within 20 years. And while year-to-year divorce rates hit a 50-year low – which really isn't saying much in absolute terms – this has come with the side-effect of marriage rates continuing to plummet, down over 50% over the last half-century. From here, there are many directions I could go to explain why any of this matters. Marriage and the family are the foundations upon which society rests. When these foundations are shaken, their effects, to varying degrees, ripple through all aspects of society. The most immediate of these effects, however, is that on children. A recent journal article in 'World Psychiatry' underscored how divorce has been 'associated with an increased risk' of poor academic performance, behavioral and substance use issues, and depression in youth. But I don't think we need psychiatrists to tell us this. If you yourself didn't experience the disruptive effect of divorce growing up, you most definitely know some who did. No wonder younger generations are so leery to enter marriages. We are traumatized. But we must not forget that this understandable reaction itself has beget another problem. More children than ever before are being born out of wedlock either into broken familial situations or into cohabitating situations that, without the security marriage provides, are disproportionately correlated with the same type of issues addressed above. It isn't just that divorce is bad for children, it's that marriage is actively good for them. For the sake of America's families, we need to Make Marriage Great Again, and Tennessee is poised to do just that with a bill – the Covenant Marriage Act (House Bill 315/Senate Bill 737) – introduced this session by Rep. Gino Bulso, R-Franklin, and Sen. Mark Pody, R-Lebanon. The bill contains two symbiotic elements that I think would help reduce divorce rates in Tennessee, which as of 2023 has the 13th highest rate in the nation. First, those seeking a covenant marriage would need to undergo marriage counseling and, second, the couple's divorce options after marrying would be limited to extreme situations such as domestic violence or abandonment. While the latter might seem overly restrictive, it serves to keep the couple accountable. Attraction and a sense of connection to the other – both of which have their highs and lows, with many jumping ship in the low moments – are not the only things marriage is about. It is about making a lifelong commitment to the betterment of the other and fostering a bond so strong that a family, abounding in the love of the parents, can be born. Committing to this family, a commitment baked into marriage, means working through even some serious problems without giving up, which is not only better, on balance, for children but also good for the parents. The requirement of marriage counseling, then, can be seen as a favor. For those already prepared for the commitment, it will just serve as a good reminder. For those not prepared, it will either impel them to build a healthier foundation for a lifelong bond or reveal that marriage isn't for them—both of which are better than a messy, costly, and traumatizing divorce down the line. Honestly, I would make covenant marriages the default option with the ability to opt-out – the current bill does the opposite – as it is just too much of a good to be relegated to the bottom of a form many people won't bother to read. But let's take what we can get. For the good of the spouses and, if for nothing else, the children. Noah Jenkins is the chairman of the Tennessee and Vanderbilt College Republicans and has been featured in U.S. News and World Report, Newsweek, and Fox News Digital. This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Tennessee families will benefit from covenant marriages | Opinion
Yahoo
15-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Sen. Pody meets with constituents
Tennessee Senator Mark Pody discussed his vote on the school voucher bill last Friday at a meeting with constituents at the Lebanon Wilson County Chamber of Commerce Office. Pody, Republican State Senator for District 17, which includes Lebanon, listened to concerns from individuals about the bills voted on in the Tennessee General Assembly's Special Session last month. The primary discussion was over Tennessee Republican Governor Bill Lee's Education Freedom Act of 2025, commonly referred to as the school voucher bill. The bill, which Governor Lee signed into law on Wednesday, sets aside 20,000 vouchers, 10,000 of which will be open to anyone to apply for. Another 10,000 are reserved for families with incomes below 300% of the income limit to qualify for free or reduced price lunch. That comes to about $170,000 for a family of four in the state. 'I am a person who believes in parental rights for education,' Senator Pody said. 'I've been consistent like this.' Bipartisan criticism of the bill claimed that money would be diverted from public education to the voucher program. During the Special Session, multiple amendments from Republican and Democrat legislators were tabled, one of which would have given extra protection to special needs students. Pody said the bill should have been presented and debated in the regular session, not a special session. He also said he 'only liked 60% of the bill' and had to vote on what was submitted. The Wilson County School Board and the County Commission spoke out against the voucher program before the bill was passed. Wilson County residents brought this and other public opposition to the bill up in questions to Pody. 'As a senator, your job is to be our voice,' one person said. 'And our voice said no.' 'We have literally had thousands [of messages]. Thousands of people have inputted this, and it was not in any way overwhelmingly against it,' Pody said. 'We had more people that were saying we would like to support this than the other way.' 'So, if I'm listening to the people and just the numbers that came in, it was more people saying please support it now,' he added. Later on, Pody said the response was closer to 50-50 in support versus non-support. During the meeting, Senator Pody said that of the $429 million put in the bill, the majority of the money will go to public education and that schools in Wilson County will not receive any less money than before. Wilson County Director of Schools Jeff Luttrell said, 'While the House and Senate vote was different than what our stance was on this bill, we will see how this ultimately plays out. But my job is to make sure that our students, teachers and staff receive the resources they need to be successful. That's where my main concern is, despite the bill's passage. We always comply with any new legislation that's passed, so any guidance we receive in the future regarding this bill, we will oblige.' Parents can apply for a scholarship, or voucher, for up to $7,000 for their child to attend a private school. The private school still has rights to approve or deny applications. 'I'm not trying to dictate to a private school what they should or shouldn't do,' Pody said. Not every county in Tennessee has a private school. According to Pody, parents will need to find a way to transport their children to a private school if one is not located in their county of residence. President Donald Trump has voiced support for school choice, which Pody said was a reason why the Education Freedom Act was written the way it was. 'Trump is going to have universal choice. States that don't have a backstop will lose money,' Pody said. 'If we don't have this, we will lose money.' 'The backstop here [is] that this state will make sure everybody is at the same floor in every school district across the state,' he added. '[No] school district is going to receive less money for dis-enrollment.' Other topics discussed were immigration reforms also passed by the Tennessee General Assembly, the Trump Administration's immigration policy changes and access to women's healthcare records.
