Image Credit: Senator Brent Taylor / Facebook & Gov. Bill Lee / Facebook
The Tennessee Conservative [By Adelia Kirchner] –
For the first time since assuming office in 2019, Gov. Bill Lee (R-TN) has officially vetoed a bill passed by the Tennessee General Assembly.
This historical veto comes in the wake of a recent decision to not veto the Fertility and Contraceptive Protection Act, despite formal requests from lawmakers.
In the past, if Gov. Lee has not agreed with a piece of legislation passed by state lawmakers, he has simply allowed it to become law without his signature.
However, on Monday, May 5th, 2025, Gov. Lee vetoed Senate Bill 455 (SB0455)/House Bill 527 (HB0527).
Sponsored by Sen. Paul Rose (R-Lauderdale, Shelby and Tipton Counties-District 32) and Rep. Rick Scarbrough (R-Oak Ridge-District 33), the legislation passed in the state Senate with a 22-4 vote and in the House by a 75-16 vote.
The bill intends to remove “the limitations on the Board of Parole’s authority to deny parole based solely on the seriousness of the offense for certain offenses” in order to allow the Board to deny parole based on the seriousness of the offense for any offense.
SB0455/HB0527 received support from the Tennessee District Attorney General Conference with Executive Director Stephen Crump saying that, “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.”
The Governor’s Veto Letter
In a May 5th letter to GOP leadership, Gov. Lee called SB0455/HB0527 a “step backwards from safer Tennessee communities” and said he would be vetoing the bill because it “unwinds a meaningful part of the Reentry Success Act,” part of the state’s 2021 criminal justice reform.
“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,” the Governor wrote. “Two years later, Tennessee achieved the lowest recidivism rate in state history, meaning fewer crimes and fewer victims. And I am confident that the Board of Parole and other safeguards ensure parole is awarded appropriately.”
The General Assembly can override Gov. Lee’s veto of SB0455/HB0527 via a simple majority vote.
While state lawmakers can reconvene at any point for the purposes of overriding the Governor’s veto, Rep. Scarbrough has stated that he plans on working to override the veto in January 2026 during the next regular legislative session.
Memphis Lawmaker Responds to Governor’s Veto
On Tuesday, The Tennessee Conservative reached out to co-sponsor of the bill Sen. Brent Taylor (R-Memphis-District 31) for comment on the situation.
“The Governor’s veto could derail our push to let the Parole Board lock down the baddest of the bad,” Sen. Taylor told The Tennessee Conservative. “But let not your heart be troubled! I will discuss the bill’s next move with Senator Rose and we will demonstrate that the General Assembly’s got override swagger.”
The Memphis lawmaker stated that he would “separate glitter on the floor” before letting this be the final word on keeping violent criminals behind bars.
Tennessee District Attorney General Conference Denounces Lee’s Veto
Following Lee’s veto, the Tennessee District Attorney General Conference released this press release:
On Monday, May 5th, Governor Bill Lee issued his first and only veto from his time as governor – HB
527 / SB 455. Tennessee’s District Attorneys General denounce this decision and strongly urge the
Tennessee General Assembly to vote to override the Governor’s action.
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. 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.
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. 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 disqualified themselves from getting out early the day they chose to rob a family
of their entire sense of safety.
This legislation strikes the right balance. It supports rehabilitation while affirming the seriousness of
crime. It protects victims. It promotes public safety. We are disappointed Governor Lee has chosen to
stand in opposition to these goals. His veto sends the wrong message to victims, to law enforcement,
and to the citizens of this state. We implore the legislature to override his decision.
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About the Author: Adelia Kirchner is a Tennessee resident and reporter for the Tennessee Conservative. Currently the host of Subtle Rampage Podcast, she has also worked for the South Dakota State Legislature and interned for Senator Bill Hagerty’s Office in Nashville, Tennessee. You can reach Adelia at adelia@tennesseeconservativenews.com.
