House Passes Bill Mandating Death or Life Imprisonment Without Parole for First Degree Murder of Law Enforcement, First Responders

The Tennessee House passed a bill mandating death or life imprisonment without parole for the first degree murder of law enforcement and first responders. The bill would elevate the intentional targeting and murdering of first responders to an act of terrorism. It passed without opposition, 88 to 0. 

Two amendments moved to strengthen the language of the bill. One amendment noted that defendants who receive life sentence can’t be eligible for parole consideration until they’ve served 51 years. The other amendment added to the definitions of terrorism to offer further protections to law enforcement and first responders. Both amendments were adopted.

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Full Tennessee Senate to Consider Bill to Allow First Responders to Choose Where They Live

Members of the Tennessee Senate State and Local Government Committee on Tuesday voted to advance Senate Bill 29 to allow first responders to live where they choose, allowing the bill to be placed on the calendar Thursday for the Senate.

Sponsored by State Senator Brian Kelsey (R-Germantown), the legislation would ban residency requirements statewide for police officers and firefighters, the Tennessee Senate Republican Caucus said in a statement. Kelsey said the bill is a matter of public safety and will allow police and fire departments to recruit top-tier first responder candidates, regardless of where they live. The lawmaker said, in particular, it will help Tennessee address a deficit of police officers occurring throughout the country.

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Tennessee Senate Considers Bill to Allow First Responders to Live Outside the Jurisdictions They Serve

State Senator Brian Kelsey (R-Germantown) on Wednesday filed SB 29 which would allow first responders to live where they choose, the Tennessee Senate Republican Caucus said in a statement.

Kelsey posted on the caucus’ Facebook page, “This is a public safety bill. It will enable us to hire more police officers, which will help us fight our rising crime rates.”

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Gov. DeWine Signs into Law Expanded Tax Exemption for Spouses of Fallen First Responders

A new law signed by Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine will increase tax exemptions for spouses of fallen first responders.

House Bill 17 was an expansion of previous legislation and increases the homestead tax exemption from $25,000 to $50,000. The legislation allows the spouse of a fallen first responder to exempt $50,000 of their home’s appraised value from property taxes or the manufactured home tax.

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From Utilities to Sea Turtles, Tennesseans Help Hurricane Victims

Tennesseans’ responses to the recent hurricanes has included the traditional measures of sending money and supplies as well as more creative efforts like providing housing for evacuees and sea turtles. The Volunteer State lived up to its name as individuals, churches, utilities, emergency responders and others offered their support to residents of Texas, Louisiana, Georgia and Florida from hurricanes Harvey and Irma. Metro Nashville Water Services sent 27 employees to Key West and Key Largo, the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency reported on Sept. 15. The utility has experience in restoring services after disasters, such as the 2010 Nashville flood. The utility workers will spend 11 days repairing water lines along the Florida Keys Aqueduct which serves almost 50,000 customers in the Florida Keys. The team will operate from Marathon, Florida. “Power restoration and petroleum supplies are of significant concern, and many survivors cannot reach their homes due to debris and flooding,” Patrick Sheehan, TEMA director, said in the statement. Tennessee’s emergency services response to Irma victims has included five ambulance strike teams, two public health incident management teams, an urban search and rescue team, and a nurse strike team, TEMA reported. The Murfreesboro Fire Rescue Department and Rutherford County Special…

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