TBA Law Blog

TBA Law Blog

Senate, House Committees Advance Measure Amending Bail Law

Posted by: Stacey Shrader Joslin on Feb 21, 2024

Committees in both the state House and Senate have advanced a proposed constitutional amendment to the state’s bail law, setting up floor votes in both chambers, the Tennessean reports. In the Senate, SJR919 passed the Judiciary Committee by a vote of 6-3 despite opposition from Chair Todd Gardenhire, R-Chattanooga. He argued the change — which would expand the list of crimes for which a judge could deny bail — would pack county jails and put local governments in a financial bind to expand or build new facilities. In the House, the Criminal Justice Committee passed HJR859 on a voice vote. If approved by both chambers, the resolution still would have to pass in the 114th General Assembly before being placed on the next ballot involving a gubernatorial race. It would then have to receive a majority vote of those participating in the governor’s election.

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