Tennessee Republicans file bills to deter acts of hate
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On the heels of multiple demonstrations by neo-Nazi groups in Nashville last year, Republican lawmakers filed legislation last week seeking to deter hate crimes in Tennessee.
Why it matters: There were prominent appearances by hate groups in Tennessee last year. Neo-Nazi groups brazenly walked through Nashville on multiple occasions, and hung hateful messages on highway overpasses.
- Neo-Nazis also distributed antisemitic literature to congregants at a synagogue.
Zoom in: The legislation from state Rep. William Lamberth (R-Portland) and Sen. Mark Pody (R-Lebanon) creates a new misdemeanor offense for littering or trespassing when the act is "intended to intimidate or prevent someone from exercising their civil rights, such as religious freedom or ability to vote."
- The lawmakers also want to help police encountering hateful demonstration by creating a new buffer zone requiring the public to keep a distance of at least 25 feet from an officer engaged in official duty.
- The bill makes it illegal to transport people in the back of a box truck. It also makes it illegal to hang a sign on an overpass, bridge or tunnel.
The big picture: Nashville Mayor Freddie O'Connell, a Democrat, endorsed the proposal in a press release.
- Nashville's Metro Council and O'Connell passed similar legislation last year to prohibit people from blocking public buildings and regulate wearing face coverings, among other measures.
- "Nashvillians and all Tennesseans deserve to know that they are safe from acts of intimidation and aggression by hate groups in their community, and I appreciate [Lamberth and Pody] for their efforts to give our law enforcement the tools they need to successfully handle such situations," O'Connell said in the release.
What they're saying: "These tactics are deliberate efforts to terrify people and create profound distress," Lamberth said. "Tennessee will not tolerate hatred in any form."