Tennesee Governor Bill Lee(R) has signed a new bill into law to harshly punish protestors which include stripping away their voter rights.
RELATED STORIES: Colorado Springs Officer Suspended for ‘KILL THEM ALL’ Comment On Protest Livestream
The new law has classified camping out on state property as a Class E felony and those who are found guilty of committing the act will lose their right to vote while serving up to six years in prison. As reported by INSIDER, the bill has also introduced mandatory 45-day sentencing for rioting and increasing fines for blocking emergency vehicles from entering a highway along with listing aggravated assault towards a first responder as a Class C felony.
The bill was passed last week by the General Assembly and Gov. Lee signed it into law earlier this week. Their decision comes amid the various protests for racial equality and police reform outside of the state’s Capitol after George Floyd was killed by four police officers in Minneapolis.
RELATED STORIES: KKK Leader Who Drove Into BLM Protestors Sentenced To 6 Years In Prison
American Civil Liberties Union of Tennessee executive director Hedy Weinberg called Gov. Lee’s actions “contradicting” since he often spoke about sentencing reform.
“We are very disappointed in Governor Lee’s decision to sign this bill, which chills free speech, undermines criminal justice reform and fails to address the very issues of racial justice and police violence raised by the protesters who are being targeted. While the governor often speaks about sentencing reform, this bill contradicts those words and wastes valuable taxpayer funds to severely criminalize dissent.”