Bills become law without Lee’s signature
Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee once again was willing to disagree with the legislature but unwilling to go against them with a veto.
This week, Lee declined to sign bills that would require some incarcerated individuals to serve 100% of their prison sentences and a law that makes it a felony to camp on all public property unless otherwise stated.
Critics of the camping ban have said the bill effectively criminalizes homelessness, which Lee agreed with when speaking to reporters about the legislation on Thursday.
“I worry about the unintended consequences,” Lee said.
By not signing the bills, they still become law.
In Tennessee, lawmakers can override a gubernatorial veto with a simple majority vote. But if Lee had vetoed any legislation this week, lawmakers would not have been able to override this veto since the 112th General Assembly has already concluded its two-year term.
Both pieces of legislation shared a theme of potentially increasing prison populations, something Lee has been at odds with the state legislature over.
House Speaker Cameron Sexton, Rcrossville, and Lt. Gov. Randy Mcnally, R-oak Ridge, carried the bill that required 100% prison sentences, which supporters called “truth in sentencing.”
Those against the bill warned it could cause skyrocketing prison populations and safety issues in an already understaffed system. Often correctional officers use the incentive of earlier parole to encourage good behavior and incentive rehabilitation.
In April, Lee, Sexton and Mcnally negotiated a deal to reduce the number of crimes that required serving complete sentences to avoid Lee’s veto.
The original legislation had 13 different crimes where offenders would have to serve 100% of their sentences. Instead,
the bill included nine offenses where 100% of the sentence would have to be served and 12 where 85% of sentences would be required at a minimum.
“Widespread evidence suggests that this policy will result in more victims, higher recidivism, increased crime and prison overcrowding, all with an increased cost to taxpayers,” Lee said in a letter sent to Sexton and Mcnally on Thursday.
Sexton responded to Lee in a statement, saying he “stands with victims.”
“If we need to build more prisons, we can,” Sexton said. “Either we value life, or we don’t ... It’s hard to stand with victims and law enforcement by going easy on criminals.”
Mcnally said in a statement he appreciated Lee’s willingness to work with lawmakers to avoid a veto of the bill.
Melissa Brown contributed to this report.
Adam Friedman is The Tennessean’s state government and politics reporter. Reach him by email at afriedman@ tennessean.com.