Gov. Bill Lee has vetoed a bill for the first time in his six-year career as Tennessee’s top official.
Bills that make it to the governor’s desk have all become law. Lee has either signed the legislation or allowed it to go into effect without his signature. The governor made an exception Monday for a measure that would have given the state more power to reject parole requests.
Under current law, the Board of Parole must consider multiple factors when deciding to grant parole, like the completion of in-prison education programs. The bill was designed to allow the board to reject petitions solely on the severity of the crime, and expand the number of crimes for which the board can revoke parole or probation.
In a letter to lawmakers, Lee argued that the legislation contradicted a bipartisan law passed in 2021 that established incentives for re-entry education programs.
“Two years later, Tennessee achieved the lowest recidivism rate in state history, meaning fewer crimes and fewer victims,” Lee wrote. “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.”
Lawmakers could override Lee’s veto with a simple majority — a lever the legislature has not had to pull since Lee took office in 2019.
The Tennessee District Attorneys General Conference urged lawmakers to override the veto on Tuesday morning, stressing that the legislation “strikes the right balance.”
“It supports rehabilitation while affirming the seriousness of crime. It protects victims. It promotes public safety. We are disappointed Gov. 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,” the TNDAGC said in a statement.
Update: This story has been updated to include comment from the Tennessee District Attorneys General Conference.
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