Source: SFGate
“Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee has vetoed his first bill since taking office in 2019, nixing a measure that would make it easier for a state board to deny parole. The Republican’s veto Monday eliminates the bill, though the GOP-supermajority Tennessee Legislature can override a veto with the same number of votes that were required to originally pass the bill. In his veto letter, Lee wrote that the legislation unwinds a key component of a 2021 law aimed at reducing recidivism named the Reentry Success Act. He said removing that provision would be a ‘step backwards from safer Tennessee communities.’ That older bill, which Lee pushed for, only received one ‘no’ vote ‘because we all know we cannot tackle crime without tackling recidivism,’ he wrote. ‘I am confident that the Board of Parole and other safeguards ensure parole is awarded appropriately,’ Lee wrote.” (05/06/25)