A proposed amendment to the Tennessee Constitution that would increase public safety by allowing bail to be denied for more violent crimes advanced out of the House Finance, Ways and Means Subcommittee this week.
House Joint Resolution 869, filed by House Speaker Cameron Sexton, R-Crossville, would expand a judge’s ability to deny bail for certain violent crimes, including terrorism, second-degree murder, aggravated rape, and grave torture. Current law limits judges’ ability to deny bail to first-degree murder charges.
The proposed amendment would also increase judicial transparency by requiring a judge or magistrate to explain their reasons for allowing or denying bail for a defendant.
The Tennessee General Assembly in 2022 passed truth in sentencing reform, which requires offenders convicted in eight categories of violent crimes to serve 100% of their court-imposed sentences before their release. That same year, murders declined 14.6% statewide while rapes declined 10.6% and kidnappings fell nearly 12% when compared to 2021, according to the TBI.
House Joint Resolution 859 will now go to the Finance, Ways and Means Committee for further consideration. Any proposed amendment to the Tennessee Constitution must first be approved by two separate General Assemblies before it can be placed on the ballot for voters to decide.
Bill allowing veterans to serve as SROs advances
The House chamber this week advanced legislation aimed at filling school resource officer (SRO) vacancies in Tennessee.
House Bill 1899, sponsored by State Rep. Tim Rudd, R-Murfreesboro, allows honorably discharged veterans of the United States armed forces to serve as SROs.
“Many counties… are finding it very difficult and hard to staff the school resource officers,” Rudd said. “There’s simply not enough deputies, especially in rural areas and some urban areas, to find enough officers to be in these schools.”
In order to carry a firearm on school grounds, SRO candidates would be required to complete at least 40 hours of basic training approved by the Tennessee Peace Officer Standards and Training Commission, submit fingerprints for a criminal background check by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, and be free of any health impairment affecting their ability to carry safely.
The General Assembly allocated $232 million in 2023 to enhance school safety, which included $140 million for an armed SRO in every Tennessee public school. According to the Tennessee Department of Education, more than 550 schools statewide were without an SRO as of October.
House Bill 1899 is scheduled to be considered on the House floor on April 16.
The General Assembly this week approved legislation protecting tax dollars from being used to pay for gender reassignment surgeries for inmates in Tennessee. House Bill 2619, sponsored by State Rep. John Ragan, R-Oak Ridge, prohibits the Department of Corrections from using state funds to pay for the procedures or any new hormone replacement therapy for incarcerated individuals statewide. Private funds can still be used to cover the cost of the surgeries and therapy. House Bill 2619 will now head to Gov. Bill Lee’s desk to be signed into law.
The House chamber on Monday passed legislation aimed at combating illegal immigration in Tennessee. House Bill 2304, sponsored by State Rep. Monty Fritts, R-Kingston, requires law enforcement agencies in the state to report every month to the Department of Safety information about each interaction with illegal aliens. The department would also be required to report that information to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation and the General Assembly. The companion version of House Bill 2304 is still advancing through the Senate.
State Representative Dennis Powers represents the 36th House District, which consists of Campbell, Union, and Claiborne Counties in the Tennessee House of Representatives. He is Chairman of the House Banking and Consumer Affairs Subcommittee and serves on 4 other committees: Transportation, Commerce, State Government and Public Service.
