NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Gov. Bill Lee issued his first veto this week, blocking a law that would have tightened Tennessee's already strict parole requirements.
The vetoed legislation would have allowed the Board of Parole to deny requests based solely on the seriousness of the crime and would have expanded this power to cover more types of offenses.
"My state should be proud to have given me a second chance," said Rahim Buford.
Buford has been on parole for about 10 years after serving 26 years in prison for his role in a deadly shooting and robbery at a Gallatin Pike restaurant. He appeared before the Board of Parole three times before his release in 2015.
"When you go to the parole board, you have to revisit the crime. You never get past that part. You don't really see a lot, hear a lot about or feel like it's about the rehabilitation, transformation," Buford said.
After his release, Buford founded Unheard Voices Outreach, an organization partly focused on improving the parole process. His organization helped pass Tennessee's Reentry Success Act of 2021, an initiative supported by Gov. Lee aimed to help formerly incarcerated people successfully re-enter society while reducing both incarceration and crime rates.
The governor's veto was his first since taking office. In a letter to lawmakers, he said it would have unraveled a meaningful part of that legislation.
"SB 455 and HB 527 unwinds a meaningful part of the Reentry Success Act, which is a step backward from safer Tennessee communities," wrote Gov. Lee.
Lee noted that two years after the Reentry Success Act passed, the state recorded its lowest recidivism rate in history, signaling "fewer crimes and fewer victims."
Under current rules, parole candidates must demonstrate they have plans for education, employment, and housing upon release. The seriousness of their crime is also a major factor in the decision-making process. Already, the parole board can deny parole solely based on nearly two dozen violent felonies. The vetoed bill would have allowed the Board to expand this power to cover more types of offenses.
"He had to stand up, in my opinion, because if you don't stand up for what you say you believe, we have to question your integrity," Buford said.
Buford agrees with the governor that the Board doesn't need additional authority at this time.
"I have great respect, and I want to commend his leadership for standing up for something he believed in," said Buford.
Tennessee’s District Attorneys General denounced the governor's decision and strongly urged the Tennessee General Assembly to vote to override the Governor’s action.
If lawmakers so choose, they could override the governor's veto with a simple majority the next time they reconvene.
Data compiled by the Tennessee Department of Corrections shows parole approvals in Tennessee have been declining in recent years. Between July 2023 and June 2024, nearly 11,000 parole hearings were held, with only 22% of applicants granted parole.
This continues a downward trend from the previous fiscal year, when 26% of approximately 11,400 hearings resulted in parole being granted. Two years ago, the approval rate was 31.5%.
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