May 2024 R.A.C.E. Taskforce Update

The 113th General Assembly of the Tennessee Legislature has adjourned for the 2024 session. As expected, a slew of bills were passed for harsher penalties in our criminal justice system and to tie the hands of local municipalities. We will highlight a few of these:

Blended Sentencing, SB0624/HB0430 - For certain offenses, a jury can impose a blended sentence on a juvenile offender ages 14 and up that automatically transfers them to the adult system at age 19 for incarceration and/or probation of up to 5 years. In addition, the bill allows for the automatic transfer of 16-17 year old youth to adult court for specific murder charges. This is a very dangerous bill that is not in line with what MICAH and our partners have advocated for which is rehabilitative and restorative services for youth beyond age 18.

Pretextual Traffic Stops by Law Enforcement, HB1931/SB2572 - This bill prohibits a local government entity from adopting or enacting an ordinance or policy that prohibits or limits the ability of law enforcement to take all necessary steps that are lawful under state and federal law to fulfill the law enforcement agency's duties to prevent and detect crime and apprehend criminal offenders. Any ordinance that is adopted is null and void so this bill negates the pretextual traffic stop ordinance passed by the Memphis City Council in response to Tyre Nichols death and may also void some of the 5 other ordinances that were passed. This bill was a direct attack on Memphis citizens who supported these ordinances.

Death Penalty Expansion, HB1663/SB1834 - This bill expands the death penalty to non-lethal child sexual assault which will not make us safer and is, in fact, harmful to children. Experts on child sexual assault testified that this unconstitutional bill, although framed as being "tough on child rapists," will actually have a negative impact on the reporting of these crimes. 

Expansion of Access Compensation Fun, HB1021/SB1416 - This is a small win this season. This legislation expands access to the Tennessee Criminal Injuries Compensation Fund for all Tennesseans impacted by violent crime including mental health counseling for victims and family members and help with funeral expenses. When victims get the help that they need, they are more likely to cooperate with law enforcement and less likely to be trapped in cycles of violence. 

Although we are discouraged, we will continue to work on the core issues of the MICAH Race & Class Equity in the Justice System Task Force. We thank all of our strategic partners who stood with us in advocating against many of the dangerous bills that passed. 

Join us for our next Race and Class Equity in the Justice System Task Force Monthly Meeting, Monday, May 20, 6:00pm, via Zoom, as a part of MICAH Issues Night where we will meet alongside the other MICAH Task Forces (thus the change in schedule from our first Monday meetings). To get email notices from the RACE Task Force, email lisa@micahmemphis.org to be added to our mailing list.