First, it's clear that tougher sentencing laws are needed for crimes committed using firearms. In Florida, such laws helped drive down violent gun crime by 30 percent! Call the Governor and urge him to support passage of such legislation. Follow the Midtown Security Community blog and Operation Safe Community for more info on this legislative effort.
However, there is a roadblock in Tennessee for passing such laws. There is a mandate requiring funding for any bill before it can be introduced to the assembly. In principal, this is a great idea. It should help avoid overspending and budgedt deficits. However, it can also be used to block legislation without debate. According to Shelby County District Attorney General Bill Gibbons, the fiscal note estimating the cost of newer gun sentences is $73 million. Where did that figure come from? No telling, because the research for these fiscal notes is done behind closed doors.
We need to amend the current legislative mandate requiring fiscal notes for all bills introduced to the legislature and require sourced and cited accounting behind these notes be made public. Otherwise, tacking on a prohibitive fiscal note to a bill is an easy way of killing it without taking a public stand against it.
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