Image Credit: Senator Brent Taylor / Facebook & Gov. Bill Lee / Facebook & Canva
The Tennessee Conservative [By David Seal] –
State Senator Brent Taylor (R-Memphis) has been on a mission to make his city safer for as long as he has been in office. From calling out liberal and lenient judges, proposing legislation to improve the bail system, and pushing for reform of the parole system, Taylor has been a champion of public safety and criminal code reform.
Now he has his sights set on overriding Governor Bill Lee’s first ever veto.
Lee vetoed a bill on May 5, 2025, that would have given the State Board of Parole greater latitude to keep violent and dangerous criminals locked up.
Senate Bill 455 / House Bill 527 was filed by Senator Paul Rose and Representative Rick Scarbrough, respectively. From the bill caption: “removes the limitations on the board of parole’s authority to deny parole based solely on the seriousness of the offence for certain for offences to allow denial based on the seriousness of the offence for any offence”
The full text of the unamended bill, vetoed by Governor Lee is linked here.
Critics of the veto equate the action as one that demonstrated a soft-on-crime approach.
Taylor adds that Memphis officials are gaslighting their citizens with false statements that minimize the worsening crime rate, a crime rate that is skewed by failure to prosecute certain crimes and plead others down to very minimum charges, a practice that is all too common in crime ridden cities.
The senator and others are calling “bullshit” on the Memphis leadership, stating in part for this news report, “In Memphis, our leaders continue to shout that crime is down, but they are asking people to ignore their fears. Memphians feel they are being gaslighted. People used to call bullshit on being lied to! Now, instead of calling bullshit, they are simply calling their realtor and moving! It is truly sad.” – said State Senator Brent Taylor, Memphis, District 31
The full text of Taylor’s statement is provided below. The Tennessee Conservative News will follow the veto override when the 2026 legislative session convenes and report details accordingly.
The final vote on the senate bill was 22 yes, 4 no, one present not voting. In the house, the vote count was 75 yes, 16 no. Both chambers essentially voted along party lines. Numerically, legislative override is well within reach.
About the Author: David Seal is a retired Jefferson County educator, recognized artist, local businessman, 917 Society Volunteer, and past Chairman of the Jefferson County Republican Party. He has also served Jefferson County as a County Commissioner and is a citizen lobbyist for the people on issues such as eminent domain, property rights, education, and broadband accessibility on the state level. David is also a 2024 winner of The Tennessee Conservative Flame Award & has received an accolade from the Institute For Justice for successfully lobbing the TN legislature to protect property rights. David can be reached at david@tennesseeconservativenews.com.
