Two weeks after a shooting incident left three people dead and 14 injured on McCallie Avenue, Tennessee lawmakers were in Chattanooga this week as part of a multicity tour celebrating the passage of a new law they say makes the state a national leader in enforcing stiffer penalties for violent crimes.
Flanked by local law enforcement, legislators and victims’ families, Lt. Gov. Randy McNally and Tennessee House Speaker Cameron Sexton ceremonially signed what is known as the truth-in-sentencing bill during a Friday news conference at the Hamilton County Courts Building.
The law will go into effect on July 1 without Gov. Bill Lee’s signature, as he questioned whether it would work as intended.
“When you travel the state and you talk to a lot of people and you ask them what their No. 1 issue is and what we can do to help, tougher sentencing is the one thing they talk about,” Sexton said.
The law requires people convicted of the most violent offenses – including first- and second-degree murder, aggravated vehicular homicide and carjacking – to serve 100% of their sentences.