Tennessee State Senator Brent Taylor (R-Memphis) on Tuesday described 2024 as “an amazing year” marked, in part, by the passing of “tough-on-crime legislation” that became active earlier this year.
Taylor wrote in a post to the social media platform X, “2024 was an amazing year as you and I worked to #MakeMemphisMatter by restoring law and order to our community through holding our local elected officials accountable and passing tough-on-crime legislation,” referring to his public safety bills aimed at lowering crime in Memphis.
One such bill was HB 2124, the companion bill to Taylor’s SB 624, which was signed by Governor Bill Lee in May. The legislation allowed for teenage criminal offenders to receive blended sentences, meaning the criminal repercussions for their behavior can continue into adulthood, while previously those who committed violent offenses at age 17 were released upon their 19th birthday.
The law formally goes into effect on January 1, 2025.
“With blended sentencing, if the defendant commits additional crimes as a young adult, then they go straight to prison. The consequences of Blended Sentencing will be a powerful deterrent to juveniles from participating in criminal activity,” wrote Taylor in a post to X after the law was passed. “It will also provide the public much needed safety from these young criminals who are terrorizing Memphis.”
Other public safety legislation passed in 2024 by Taylor and lawmakers in the General Assembly includes bills to fine parents of juvenile offenders for their children’s offenses and prohibit judges from considering a defendant’s ability to pay when setting bail.
Activists nonetheless remain opposed to blended sentencing, with MLK 50 recently publishing a thought experiment that suggested a 14-year-old offender could be imprisoned until 23.
Despite the criticism, Taylor wrote on X that more public safety legislation will be filed during the 2025 legislative session.
“With the next legislative session mere weeks away, I am ready to continue our work to tackle our crime challenge so we can seize economic opportunities and our families can flourish no matter where they live in Shelby County,” wrote Taylor. “2025 and the future are bright, but we mustn’t get complacent.”
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Tom Pappert is the lead reporter for The Tennessee Star, and also reports for The Pennsylvania Daily Star and The Arizona Sun Times. Follow Tom on X/Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
