Image Credit: John Partipilo/Tennessee Lookout
By Sam Stockard [The Tennessee Lookout -CC BY-NC-ND 4.0] –
A move to override Gov. Bill Lee’s first veto is crumbling.
Sen. Paul Rose, a Covington Republican who sponsored the bill that Lee vetoed in early May, told the Tennessee Lookout this week he will not pursue an override on the bill expanding authority of the Board of Parole and Probation to deny inmates’ requests.
Rose said he spoke with the parole board and was assured it has the authority to deny based on the “severity” of the crime.
“Somebody else may pick it up, but I do not plan to,” Rose said. “I don’t plan to die on that hill. Not that I’m expecting to die, but it’s just not one I want to fight.”
The West Tennessee lawmaker who consistently backs conservative legislation notified the Tennessee District Attorneys General Conference this week he would not seek to override the measure it brought to him for passage.
Rose could hand the measure to Republican Sen. Brent Taylor of Shelby County. But Taylor told the Lookout he wants to consult with the Governor’s Office and the House sponsor, Republican Rep. Rick Scarbrough of Oak Ridge, before making a decision. Taylor indicated that Lee might have a different view of the bill than the legislature, which passed it with little, if any, debate.
Scarborough, a former Clinton police chief in his first legislative term, said immediately after the governor’s veto that he would work toward an override, which requires only a simple majority vote of both houses.
But Sen. Todd Gardenhire, chairman of the Judiciary Committee, predicted an override would fail if it does come before the Senate.
Gardenhire added that it’s not the right fight to take to the governor, even if he has only a year remaining in his second term.
This doesn’t appear to reflect a rift, either, between the governor and legislature on law-and-order bills, even though they’ve had their share of disagreements. Instead, it stems from frustration within the DAs Conference that the governor would veto its bill.
The conference released a fiery statement in the wake of Lee’s veto condemning his decision and calling the move “dangerous” for Tennesseans.
DAs Conference Executive Director Steve Crump gave a statement in response to questions: “We are aware of Sen. Rose’s position. We remain committed to expanding the Parole Board’s authority in a way that supports rehabilitation while affirming the seriousness of crime. We are already in conversations with Sen. Taylor and are open to all options in pursuit of the passage of this bill.
The measure expands the number of offenses for which the parole board can refuse to grant parole, from 22 to about 50.”
Maybe they’re not accustomed to losing.
But senators felt the missive went overboard in attacking the governor on an obscure bill that isn’t likely to have a major impact on the criminal justice system and protecting victims.
One Response
Lucifer won.