Gov. Bill Lee has used his first-ever veto to shoot down a bill that would have expanded the board of parole’s powers in Tennessee to deny parole.

The Tennessee District Attorneys General Conference (TNDAGC) is not happy with the Republican governor’s move and is urging the legislature to override the veto.

“HB 527 / SB 455 expands the Board of Parole’s authority to deny early release when the severity of the offense demands it or where it sends a critical message that serious crimes carry serious consequences,” TNDAGC said. “These are not abstract concepts – they are the bedrock of public safety, justice for victims, and confidence in the rule of law. To ignore the gravity and specific facts of an offender’s crime when determining early release eligibility is not only irresponsible, it is dangerous. It disregards the suffering of victims, erodes trust in the criminal justice system, and places our communities at greater risk.”

The group of attorneys general said they’re disappointed Gov. Lee chose to veto the bill and that his move sends the wrong message to victims, law enforcement, and Tennesseans. Every individual sentenced to prison will eventually be released once they serve their sentence. Tennessee District Attorneys support this legislation because we believe there are crimes where the facts are so egregious the defendant should not be let out early.”

They went on to say that the board of parole should have the ability to make such judgements.

“We believe the Board of Parole should have the authority to deny early release for someone who nearly strangles another individual to death. We believe there are times when someone who trafficked enough fentanyl into a community to kill over 75,000 people should in fact serve every day they are sentenced, as should someone convicted of the continuous sexual abuse of a child. We support HB 527 / SB 455 because we believe someone who burglarizes a home disqualifies themselves from getting out early the day they choose to rob a family of their entire sense of safety.”

Gov. Bill Lee sent a letter to Lt. Gov. McNally and House Speaker Sexton on his decision to veto the bill saying, in part, that signing the bill would have negatively impacted the Reentry Success Act of 2021 that has been responsible for the lowest recidivism rate in state history.