One Middle Tennessee lawmaker threatened to cut off state highway funding for Nashville and Memphis if the laws pass. He listed a long list of cities and states that have passed versions, noting that even the conservative Deep South of MS has law on the books. “It’s just another option and what the legislature decides to do in the future and we’ll see”, said District 35 Councilmember Dave Rosenberg. “Because when you start treating good members of our society like criminals they beginning acting like criminals”. “That’s not a bill that I would want to file, but it’s a bill that I’m certainly willing to file if Nashville and Memphis continue down this extraordinarily reckless and unjust path”, he told The Tennessean.
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“This legislation is a positive step forward in addressing the overly punitive treatment of marijuana possession in our state that disproportionately impacts low-income and minority residents”, Barry emailed. The mayor has not given any indication whether she will sign, only that she “generally supports” decriminalization ordinances.
Supporters of the ordinances say the new approach to simple marijuana-possession offenses will allow officers to spend more time on the streets fighting serious crimes, rather than locking people up for minor ones.
The ordinance that Nashville and Memphis are considering would have police who discover such violators simply issue a citation that carries a $50 fine or community service.
Lamberth says he is waiting for a legal opinion from the state attorney general before taking further action.
The bill was originally drafted in a way that would have moved toward closer to outright decriminalization because it would have made a civil penalty automatic.
However, the new law also allows Metro-Nashville police officers to use their discretion in a case-by-case basis. As a result, Nashville police went from being opposed to the bill to being neutral. “These arrests have led to disastrous consequences for their lives, including the loss of job, education and housing opportunities”, the ACLU-TN added.
Such a penalty is in stark contrast to Tennessee law, which calls for people caught with a half-ounce of marijuana or less to face a misdemeanor charge punishable by up to one year in jail and a $2,500 fine.
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The lawmaker, who serves as the chairman of the House Criminal Justice Committee, said his proposal could strip both Davidson and Shelby County of between $120 million and $130 million. “That’s my concern, that they’re not accomplishing as much as they think they might, at least in this respect”. Civil records can only be expunged when a matter is dismissed or is not prosecuted, according to a Metro code.
