Tennessee Governor Bill Lee just signed a bill that will see protesters potentially losing their voting rights.
According to reports from The Hill, the new law states that anyone who “illegally” camps on state property could face a Class E felony (six years in prison maximum sentence), and anyone in the state found guilty of a felony loses the right to vote.
Despite Bill Lee indicating that there are aspects of the bill, he “would have done differently,” he quickly proceeded to make the proposal law effective immediately on Thursday. Thus, a part of the new bill now has a mandatory minimum 45-day hold for any potential protesters convicted of aggravated rioting. Likewise, the fine for obstructing emergency vehicles from accessing highways will be increased.
Again, a Class C felony for anyone convicted of aggravated assault has also been introduced, bearing $15,000 fine and a 90-day minimum prison sentence.
“We are very disappointed in Governor Lee’s decision to sign this bill, which chills free speech, undermines criminal justice reform and fails to address the very issues of racial justice and police violence raised by the protesters who are being targeted,” ACLU Tennessee Executive Director Hedy Weinberg told the Associated Press. “While the governor often speaks about sentencing reform, this bill contradicts those words and wastes valuable taxpayer funds to severely criminalize dissent.”
Meanwhile, Governor Bill Lee defended the bill’s introduction against criticism by citing a demonstration in May that saw fires start in and outside a local courthouse.
“I think what we saw was a courthouse on fire and businesses being broken into and vehicles being damaged. We saw lawlessness that needed to be addressed immediately,” Bill told reporters.
