by Sam Stockard and Cassandra Stephenson, Tennessee Lookout May 5, 2025
Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee issued the first veto of his six-plus years Monday against a measure that would have expanded authority of the state Probation and Parole Board.
Lee sent a veto letter to the speakers of the House and Senate saying he is returning SB455/HB527 because the new bill would be a “step backwards” from the advances of the Reentry Success Act of 2021.
That measure passed overwhelmingly with a single no vote “because we all know we cannot tackle crime without tackling recidivism. Together we recognized that the vast majority of offenders will return to our communities, and their successful reentry impacts the safety of every neighborhood for the better,” Lee said.
The governor said two years after the Reentry Success Act passed, the state recorded its lowest recidivism rate in history, the rate for which convicts return to prison, “meaning fewer crimes and fewer victims.” Lee added he is “confident” the board and other “safeguards” can make sure parole is “awarded appropriately.”
Current statute allows the parole board — which is appointed by the governor — to deny parole based solely on the seriousness of the offense for 22 violent felonies. The bill seeks to broaden that authority beyond those crimes.
Sen. Paul Rose, photographed at Cordell Hull Legislative Office Building. (Photo: John Partipilo)
Republican Rep. Rick Scarbrough of Oak Ridge and Republican Sen. Paul Rose of Covington passed the bill with little debate along party lines, 75-16 in the House and 22-4 in the Senate.
Scarbrough, former police chief of Clinton in East Tennessee, issued a statement saying he had dedicated his career to protecting his community and in January 2026 would work to override the veto, which takes a simple majority of the House and Senate.
“While I have deep respect for Gov. Lee, I am both surprised and disappointed by his decision to veto this bill,” Scarbrough said. “This legislation addresses critical gaps in our parole system while strengthening public safety and confidence, ensuring that serious offenses aren’t minimized.”
The law currently allows the parole board’s finding to be the sole basis for denial for offenses including murder, voluntary manslaughter, vehicular homicide, kidnapping, human trafficking, especially aggravated robbery, rape of a child and sexual battery.
The bill increases the number of offenses for which the board would be able to revoke parole and probation, including aggravated assault resulting in death, fentanyl delivering resulting in death or injury, reckless homicide, carjacking, aggravated robbery, aggravated kidnapping, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon on a first responder, reckless endangerment and several other offenses such as money laundering, financial exploitation of a vulnerable adult, terrorism offenses, abuse of a corpse and official misconduct/oppression.
In a March Senate Judiciary Committee meeting, Rose said the bill allows the parole board to have “more discretion in granting or denying parole” in situations where “releasing the inmate might erode public confidence in the legal system and signal that certain crimes aren’t taken seriously.”
The bill gained support from the Tennessee District Attorney General Conference.
“The parole board should be given the greatest discretion to determine which among those inmates deserve to be kept from among us, and those which can be released back into society,” Executive Director Stephen Crump said at the hearing.
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Tennessee Lookout is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Tennessee Lookout maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Holly McCall for questions: info@tennesseelookout.com.
Note: The following A.I. based commentary is not part of the original article, reproduced above, but is offered in the hopes that it will promote greater media literacy and critical thinking, by making any potential bias more visible to the reader –Staff Editor.
Political Bias Rating: Center-Right
The content primarily focuses on a policy issue related to parole board authority and public safety, featuring perspectives from Tennessee Republican officials and law enforcement representatives. The emphasis on law and order, crime reduction, and public safety aligns with typical Center-Right priorities. The reporting remains largely factual and neutral without evident partisan framing, but the framing of veto opposition by Republican lawmakers and their focus on strengthening parole restrictions reflects a Center-Right outlook.
SUMMARY: Severe tornadoes and flooding in early April devastated parts of Tennessee, killing 10 and causing extensive damage, including destroyed homes like one in Selmer. FEMA is now offering in-person disaster recovery assistance to affected residents and small businesses, providing financial aid for home repairs, uninsured expenses, childcare, medical needs, and property replacement. Mobile help centers are open at multiple locations, including Nashville, Lebanon, and Dyer County, with more sites planned. Aid applications can also be submitted online or by phone until the August 19 deadline. Since openings, over $1.6 million has been approved for 170+ applicants across nine counties.
SUMMARY: Fireworks for U.S. Fourth of July celebrations rely heavily on imports from China, which produces 99% of consumer and 90% of professional fireworks used in the country. The ongoing U.S.-China trade war and tariffs threaten to increase costs, creating uncertainty for small businesses and volunteer groups that fund local fireworks shows. Despite a temporary 90-day tariff pause, industry experts warn prices could soar, forcing show organizers to potentially shorten displays or substitute cheaper fireworks. Annual fundraising efforts, like those at Elephant Butte Lake State Park in New Mexico, remain crucial to maintaining traditions that celebrate national pride and community spirit.
www.thecentersquare.com – By Kim Jarrett | The Center Square – (The Center Square – ) 2025-06-30 15:55:00
Kilmar Abrego Garcia remains in federal custody following a Monday ruling by Magistrate Barbara D. Holmes. Garcia faces federal human smuggling charges related to a 2022 Tennessee traffic stop where he was caught driving an SUV with eight passengers, suspected of smuggling them for money. Garcia sought release, citing conflicting government statements about potential removal to a third country before trial. Holmes noted these conflicting positions and decided Garcia will stay detained until a July 16 hearing. He is to be held separately from other inmates and given private access to his defense counsel. Garcia was recently returned to the U.S. after deportation to El Salvador.
(The Center Square) – Kilmar Abrego Garcia is not getting out of jail for now.
The Monday ruling from federal Magistrate Barbara D. Holmes comes at the request of Garcia, who is facing federal charges of human smuggling. Garcia is concerned “based on purported conflicting statements by the government, specifically that it intends to remove Abrego to a third country upon his return to DHS custody following release in this case and that it would ensure Abrego is not removed before trial on the instant criminal charges,” Holmes said in the ruling.
Holmes previously said that Garcia should be released but acknowledged that he would likely remain in federal custody. In her ruling Monday, Holmes said she considered the “perceived conflicting positions taken by the government regarding whether it will deport Abrego pending final disposition of this case including the further review by the District Judge of the government’s request for pretrial detention.”
The ruling means Garcia will be held in federal custody until a July 16 hearing.
“He shall, to the extent practicable, be held separately from persons awaiting or serving sentences or being held in custody pending appeal and he shall be afforded a reasonable opportunity for private consultation with defense counsel,” Holmes said in her ruling.
Garcia was returned to the U.S. after being deported to El Salvador to stand trial on charges of “alien smuggling” and “conspiracy to commit alien smuggling.”
The smuggling charges stem from a 2022 Tennessee traffic stop. Garcia was driving an SUV with eight passengers. One of the officers believed that he was smuggling them, remarking in a video of the traffic stop that he was “hauling these people for money.”
Note: The following A.I. based commentary is not part of the original article, reproduced above, but is offered in the hopes that it will promote greater media literacy and critical thinking, by making any potential bias more visible to the reader –Staff Editor.
Political Bias Rating: Centrist
The article presents a straightforward report on the federal magistrate’s ruling regarding Kilmar Abrego Garcia’s detention without promoting or endorsing any political viewpoint. The language used is factual and neutral, focusing on legal proceedings and specific court statements without commentary or emotionally charged phrasing. It describes the charges, court decisions, and events sequentially without framing the issue through a particular ideological lens. Thus, the content adheres to neutral, factual reporting rather than expressing or implying a political bias.
