Latest news with #ReentrySuccessAct
Yahoo
06-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Gov. Bill Lee issues first-ever veto to reject bill making it easier to deny parole
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) — For the first time since taking office in 2019, Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee has vetoed a bill approved by state lawmakers. The bill would expand the Board of Parole's authority to deny early release based on the severity of the offense. The bill would've taken effect immediately upon becoming law. The Tennessee General Assembly could override the veto with a simple majority in the next legislative session. Under current state law, the Board of Parole must consider multiple factors when considering a parole application including prior criminal history and in-prison program participation. However, parole can be rejected solely on the seriousness of the crime for 22 specific offenses like murder, human trafficking, rape, and aggravated child abuse. 'Targeting the most vulnerable' Second Harvest Executive Director reacts to food distribution scam post HB 527/SB 455 would have allowed the board to reject parole applications based on the seriousness of the offense regardless of the crime. The Associated Press reported that Lee wrote in a veto letter to lawmakers that the measure would be a 'step backwards from safer Tennessee communities' and would undermine a key component of the bipartisan Reentry Success Act of 2021 that creates incentives for the completion of re-entry education programs in an effort to reduce recidivism. The Tennessee District Attorneys General Conference, which represents District Attorneys General from the state's 32 judicial districts, issued a statement criticizing the veto and urged lawmakers to override the decision. ▶ See more top stories on This legislation strikes the right balance. It supports rehabilitation while affirming the seriousness of crime. It protects victims. It promotes public safety. We are disappointed Governor Lee has chosen to stand in opposition to these goals. His veto sends the wrong message to victims, to law enforcement, and to the citizens of this state. We implore the legislature to override his decision. Partial statement from the Tennessee District Attorneys General Conference Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WATE 6 On Your Side.
06-05-2025
- Politics
Tennessee's governor vetoes easier denial of parole bill, his first since taking office
NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee has vetoed his first bill since taking office in 2019, nixing a measure that would make it easier for a state board to deny parole. The Republican's veto Monday eliminates the bill, though the GOP-supermajority Tennessee Legislature can override a veto with the same number of votes that were required to originally pass the bill. In his veto letter, Lee wrote that the legislation unwinds a key component of a 2021 law aimed at reducing recidivism named the Reentry Success Act. He said removing that provision would be a 'step backwards from safer Tennessee communities.' That older bill, which Lee pushed for, only received one 'no' vote 'because we all know we cannot tackle crime without tackling recidivism," he wrote. 'I am confident that the Board of Parole and other safeguards ensure parole is awarded appropriately,' Lee wrote. Currently, the Board of Parole can deny a felony inmate's application based solely on the seriousness of the crime for more than 20 specific offenses, ranging from first-degree murder to aggravated child abuse. The bill would have allowed such rejections regardless of the type of crime. With Tennessee's weak veto authority, Lee had previously only shown his displeasure with bills by working to get them changed or defeated in the committee process, or, in rarer instances, letting them go into law without signing them. But vetoes like the one exercised Monday that are timed when lawmakers are out of session can delay a bill from become law for months, since lawmakers don't return until January. Vetoes can also leverage the political weight of the governor's office in hopes of convincing lawmakers not to override. One prominent example where Lee wouldn't sign a bill was the 2019 legislation that paved the way for online sports betting in the state, which Lee disliked because it expanded gambling in a state that doesn't allow casinos. Lee also notably declined to sign a 2022 bill that requires serving entire sentences for various felonies and at least 85% of sentences on other offenses. Lee, who ran in 2018 on criminal justice reform, said the data did not support the premise of the law. Lee's first veto likewise scrutinized a toughened approach to criminal justice. Rep. Rick Scarbrough, the Republican bill sponsor from Oak Ridge, said he plans to seek a veto override in January. The legislation passed 75-16 in the House and 22-4 in the Senate, with Democrats casting the only 'no' votes. A few House Democrats voted for it. 'While I have deep respect for Governor Lee, I am both surprised and disappointed by his decision to veto this bill,' Scarbrough said in a statement. 'This legislation addresses critical gaps in our parole system while strengthening public safety and confidence, ensuring that serious offenses are not minimized.' The bill was backed by the Tennessee District Attorneys General Conference. Its executive director, former district attorney Stephen Crump, told a panel of senators in March that there are some 'very significant offenses' that are not part of the current law, and he argued that the parole board needs greater discretion in its decision making.
Winnipeg Free Press
06-05-2025
- Politics
- Winnipeg Free Press
Tennessee's governor vetoes easier denial of parole bill, his first since taking office
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee has vetoed his first bill since taking office in 2019, nixing a measure that would make it easier for a state board to deny parole. The Republican's veto Monday eliminates the bill, though the GOP-supermajority Tennessee Legislature can override a veto with the same number of votes that were required to originally pass the bill. In his veto letter, Lee wrote that the legislation unwinds a key component of a 2021 law aimed at reducing recidivism named the Reentry Success Act. He said removing that provision would be a 'step backwards from safer Tennessee communities.' That older bill, which Lee pushed for, only received one 'no' vote 'because we all know we cannot tackle crime without tackling recidivism,' he wrote. FILE - Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee delivers his inaugural address in War Memorial Auditorium, on Jan. 19, 2019, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey, File) 'I am confident that the Board of Parole and other safeguards ensure parole is awarded appropriately,' Lee wrote. Currently, the Board of Parole can deny a felony inmate's application based solely on the seriousness of the crime for more than 20 specific offenses, ranging from first-degree murder to aggravated child abuse. The bill would have allowed such rejections regardless of the type of crime. With Tennessee's weak veto authority, Lee had previously only shown his displeasure with bills by working to get them changed or defeated in the committee process, or, in rarer instances, letting them go into law without signing them. But vetoes like the one exercised Monday that are timed when lawmakers are out of session can delay a bill from become law for months, since lawmakers don't return until January. Vetoes can also leverage the political weight of the governor's office in hopes of convincing lawmakers not to override. One prominent example where Lee wouldn't sign a bill was the 2019 legislation that paved the way for online sports betting in the state, which Lee disliked because it expanded gambling in a state that doesn't allow casinos. Lee also notably declined to sign a 2022 bill that requires serving entire sentences for various felonies and at least 85% of sentences on other offenses. Lee, who ran in 2018 on criminal justice reform, said the data did not support the premise of the law. Lee's first veto likewise scrutinized a toughened approach to criminal justice. Rep. Rick Scarbrough, the Republican bill sponsor from Oak Ridge, said he plans to seek a veto override in January. The legislation passed 75-16 in the House and 22-4 in the Senate, with Democrats casting the only 'no' votes. A few House Democrats voted for it. 'While I have deep respect for Governor Lee, I am both surprised and disappointed by his decision to veto this bill,' Scarbrough said in a statement. 'This legislation addresses critical gaps in our parole system while strengthening public safety and confidence, ensuring that serious offenses are not minimized.' The bill was backed by the Tennessee District Attorneys General Conference. Its executive director, former district attorney Stephen Crump, told a panel of senators in March that there are some 'very significant offenses' that are not part of the current law, and he argued that the parole board needs greater discretion in its decision making.
Yahoo
06-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Tennessee governor issues first veto on parole authority expansion
Gov. Bill Lee, pictured March 20, 2025, issued his first veto in his six-plus years in office on May 5, 2025. (Photo: John Partipilo/Tennessee Lookout) Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee issued the first veto of his six-plus years Monday against a measure that would have expanded authority of the state Probation and Parole Board. Lee sent a veto letter to the speakers of the House and Senate saying he is returning SB455/HB527 because the new bill would be a 'step backwards' from the advances of the Reentry Success Act of 2021. That measure passed overwhelmingly with a single no vote 'because we all know we cannot tackle crime without tackling recidivism. Together we recognized that the vast majority of offenders will return to our communities, and their successful reentry impacts the safety of every neighborhood for the better,' Lee said. The governor said two years after the Reentry Success Act passed, the state recorded its lowest recidivism rate in history, the rate for which convicts return to prison, 'meaning fewer crimes and fewer victims.' Lee added he is 'confident' the board and other 'safeguards' can make sure parole is 'awarded appropriately.' Current statute allows the parole board — which is appointed by the governor — to deny parole based solely on the seriousness of the offense for 22 violent felonies. The bill seeks to broaden that authority beyond those crimes. Republican Rep. Rick Scarbrough of Oak Ridge and Republican Sen. Paul Rose of Covington passed the bill with little debate along party lines, 75-16 in the House and 22-4 in the Senate. Scarbrough, former police chief of Clinton in East Tennessee, issued a statement saying he had dedicated his career to protecting his community and in January 2026 would work to override the veto, which takes a simple majority of the House and Senate. 'While I have deep respect for Gov. Lee, I am both surprised and disappointed by his decision to veto this bill,' Scarbrough said. 'This legislation addresses critical gaps in our parole system while strengthening public safety and confidence, ensuring that serious offenses aren't minimized.' The law currently allows the parole board's finding to be the sole basis for denial for offenses including murder, voluntary manslaughter, vehicular homicide, kidnapping, human trafficking, especially aggravated robbery, rape of a child and sexual battery. The bill increases the number of offenses for which the board would be able to revoke parole and probation, including aggravated assault resulting in death, fentanyl delivering resulting in death or injury, reckless homicide, carjacking, aggravated robbery, aggravated kidnapping, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon on a first responder, reckless endangerment and several other offenses such as money laundering, financial exploitation of a vulnerable adult, terrorism offenses, abuse of a corpse and official misconduct/oppression. In a March Senate Judiciary Committee meeting, Rose said the bill allows the parole board to have 'more discretion in granting or denying parole' in situations where 'releasing the inmate might erode public confidence in the legal system and signal that certain crimes aren't taken seriously.' The bill gained support from the Tennessee District Attorney General Conference. 'The parole board should be given the greatest discretion to determine which among those inmates deserve to be kept from among us, and those which can be released back into society,' Executive Director Stephen Crump said at the hearing. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
06-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee issues first-ever veto, blocking bill giving parole board more power
Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee vetoed the first bill of his administration, knocking back a piece of legislation that would have given the state parole board more discretion to deny parole to state prisoners. The legislation would have allowed the Board of Parole to reject parole requests based solely on the crime the person committed, without considering other factors such as behavior during incarceration or the completion of education programs. Currently, the board can only reject parole based on the seriousness of the crime for certain violent and sexual offenses. In a letter to GOP leaders, Lee said Senate Bill 455 would unwind a "meaningful part" of a 2021 criminal justice reform act that received bipartisan support in the legislature. "Together we recognized that the vast majority of offenders will return to our communities, and their successful reentry impacts the safety of every neighborhood for the better," Lee said in a May 5 letter notifying the Senate and House speakers of his veto decision. "Two years later, Tennessee achieved the lowest recidivism rate in state history, meaning fewer crimes and fewer victims. And I am confident that the Board of Parole and other safeguards ensure parole is awarded appropriately. (SB 455) unwinds a meaningful part of the Reentry Success Act, which is a step backwards from safer Tennessee communities." The veto was a surprising move for Lee, who has previously resisted striking down any legislation in the first six years since he took office in 2019. The historic veto also came on a bill that passed quietly and quickly through the General Assembly this year. Lee's veto puts him at odds with the Republican supermajority in both chambers, who voted in favor of the legislation and now have the power to override his veto. Lawmakers could call themselves back into session to override the veto or move to do so at the beginning of the 2026 legislative session, which would be Lee's last as governor. In Tennessee, lawmakers can override a gubernatorial veto by simple majority. Though surprising given his reticence to use the veto prior, Lee's actions align with some criminal justice reform he sought earlier in his administration to divert people away from prison and expand support for people leaving custody. Lee has sometimes clashed with GOP lawmakers in the past over this reform legislation, particularly over measures that might increase prison populations or decrease incentives designed for rehabilitation. After passing the 2021 reform legislation, Lee locked heads with General Assembly leadership in 2022 over a controversial "truth in sentencing" bill, which effectively lengthened some prison sentences in the state. The governor declined to sign the legislation, allowing it to take effect without his signature. Senate Bill 455 moved quickly through the General Assembly this year and passed both chambers with no floor debates, which typically happen on controversial legislation. Votes fell along party lines, with most Democrats voting against the bill. Sen. Paul Rose, R-Sparta, said in March he sponsored the bill at the request of the Tennessee District Attorneys General Conference. "The parole board should be given the greatest discretion to determine which among those inmates deserve to be kept from among us and those which can be released back into society," District Attorney General Conference executive director Stephen Crump said in a March committee hearing. Crump said some "significant offenses" were not included in the current statute, including reckless homicide, carjacking and continuous sexual abuse of a child. In the Senate Judiciary Committee, some senators expressed concern with allowing the parole board to block parole without considering other factors. Sen. Kerry Roberts, R-Springfield, said the sentencing structure is "designed to dangle carrots in front of inmates, so they'll behave to get out." "We're trying to incentivize people to behave, to rehabilitate themselves, to learn a skill, whatever the thing might be to get out," Roberts said. "I'm struggling with why are we giving the parole board more discretion to say no to people, instead of less." This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: TN Gov. Bill Lee issues first-ever veto, blocking parole board bill
