Tennessee Lawmakers Pass Bill Making Some Acts Of Protest Felonies

[Nevilledog]

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/tennessee-protests-felonies_n_5f34b532c5b6960c067057f6

The Tennessee legislature passed a sweeping proposal on Wednesday that would increase penalties against some protesters who have camped outside the statehouse in Nashville for months demanding racial justice and an end to police brutality.

State lawmakers in the majority-white Tennessee General Assembly passed the measure in a nearly party-line vote in both chambers. The bill, which is now headed to Republican Gov. Bill Lee’s desk, would punish those who illegally camp on state property — as protesters have outside the state Capitol for months — with a Class E felony rather than a misdemeanor.

Class E felonies are punishable by up to six years in prison in Tennessee, and such convictions also result in the loss of a person’s voting rights.

“If you want to overthrow our government through violent revolution, you shouldn’t have the right to vote,” state Sen. John Stevens (R) said Wednesday, according to The Associated Press.

The bill would also impose mandatory minimum sentences for rioting. It would also mandate that those arrested for a bevy of charges such as vandalism of public property and other protest-related offenses be held for at least 12 hours without bond.

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[SheltieLover]

1. Loss of voting rights is key here!

Isn't gov Lee "special?"