Legislative Recap: Tougher on Crime - Public Safety Wins for Tennessee Families

Public safety is one of the first responsibilities of government. Tennessee families deserve to be safe in their homes, on their streets, and in their communities. That means holding violent criminals accountable, supporting law enforcement, protecting victims, and making sure repeat offenders are not quickly returned to the streets.

This session, the General Assembly passed several important public safety measures. I supported many of those efforts because I believe Tennessee should be tough on violent crime and serious about protecting innocent people.

But being tough on crime also requires being careful with the rights of law-abiding citizens.That is why I voted no on HB 33.

HB 33 created a presumption against release for certain defendants charged with offenses involving a firearm that result in death or bodily injury. While the goal of the bill was to address violent crime, I had serious concerns about how the bill could affect a law-abiding citizen who uses a firearm in legitimate self-defense.

In Tennessee, a person may be forced to defend themselves, their family, or another innocent person in a dangerous situation. Sometimes those situations result in serious injury or death. Even when a person acted lawfully, they may still be charged first and have to prove the facts later. My concern with HB 33 was that it could place an innocent person who acted in self-defense at a serious disadvantage before the full facts of the case are known.

I will always support efforts to keep dangerous criminals off our streets. But I will not support policies that could unintentionally punish someone for exercising their constitutional right to defend themselves.

At the same time, I supported several other public safety bills that strengthen accountability and protect Tennessee families.

HB 920 requires judges to set bail and prohibits release on personal recognizance or unsecured bond for defendants charged with Class A and Class B felonies, aggravated assault, aggravated assault against law enforcement or first responders, and felony domestic assault. The bill creates a rebuttable presumption that bail must be at least $10,000 for these offenses. A judge may set a lower amount only by making specific written findings explaining why a lower bail still ensures the defendant’s appearance and the safety of the community.

HB 1450 reins in third-party groups that post bail for criminal defendants. The bill prohibits these groups from posting bail for the same defendant more than once per year and limits them to no more than $5,000 in bail per defendant annually. Family members, legal guardians, employers, and licensed professional bondsmen are not affected. This restores accountability to a system that has too often allowed repeat offenders to return to the streets quickly.

HB 1668 creates a Class A misdemeanor offense for bank jugging, the practice of following someone leaving a financial institution or ATM with the intent to commit theft. If the crime escalates to burglary or robbery, the penalty increases to a Class D or Class B felony.

HB 555 increases penalties for burglaries of conveyances, including freight cars, trucks, trailers, and boats, from a Class E felony to a Class D felony.

HB 2140 cracks down on organized retail crime by requiring a 30-day mandatory minimum jail sentence when a firearm or anti-theft device is used. The bill also extends the timeframe for combining stolen merchandise from 90 to 180 days.

We also passed HB 1454 to add aggravating circumstances allowing prosecutors to pursue the death penalty for child rapists, HB 1922 to require sex offenders to notify campgrounds of their status, HB 1354 to expand self-defense protections for victims of human trafficking, and HB 1552 to allow victims of domestic violence to use a substitute address to keep their home address hidden from their abusers.

Tennessee can be tough on crime without weakening constitutional rights. My goal is simple: protect victims, hold violent offenders accountable, and preserve the right of innocent Tennesseans to defend themselves and their families.