Tennessee and Florida are following each other’s leads, and it’s a good thing to see! Simply put, Tennessee and Florida are cracking down on those who decide to riot.
Tennessee and Florida Laying Down the Law on BLM Riots
Tennessee House Bill 513 would make sure that the penalties and punishments for criminal protesters were higher, with the following new stipulations:
First of all, there would be harsher penalties for protesters who are being disruptive. There would be a harsher penalty for those who block a roadway, with it being a Class E Felony that could be punishable by up to six years in prison. Additionally, there would be some drivers who would be granted immunity if they unintentionally injure a protester. The law would also impose a minimum sentence on those who assault police officers and make it much more difficult for local governments to defund their police departments.
The Washington Examiner notes that H.R. 513 is emulating a new Florida law that has recently been signed by Governor Ron DeSantis. In his case, the police were being discouraged from protecting citizens who had been victimized by the rioters.
Governor DeSantis described his version of the bill as “the strongest anti-rioting, pro-law enforcement example of legislation in our country today.”
As The Washington Examiner notes, H.R. 513 emulates a new Florida law signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis, which the governor says he signed because police were being discouraged from protecting victimized citizens.
Gov. Ron DeSantis described the new bill as “the strongest anti-rioting, pro-law enforcement piece of legislation in the country.
Red States Standing Up To Left-Wing Terrorism; Conservatives Flocking There
“Last summer was pretty bad,” Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said. “We actually had local governments not only here in Florida but throughout the country telling our law enforcement officers to stand down while these cities burned from the riots, while these businesses were being destroyed, and while people were being harmed.” However, there is no question that the Polk County Sheriff is pleased that Governor DeSantis signed this new bill. He felt that it sends the right message: protests are fine, but violence isn’t. His law enforcement officers definitely know the difference between a peaceful protest and a violent riot.
“There is nothing wrong with peaceful protests,” Sheriff Grady Judd said. “Rioting, looting, burning down mom and pop businesses and ruining their lives, that isn’t acceptable. This is all about keeping the 20 million-plus people that live in Florida safe as well as the millions of visitors that we get each year.”
“We do have the back of the community,” the sheriff added. “However, if these government officials don’t have our back, then it won’t be possible to keep our communities safe. In fact, it will be next to impossible to do so if they keep saying to stand down. When you couple in the fact that we have prosecutors saying they aren’t going to prosecute, what do you think is going to happen if you give rioters the permission to riot?”
The sheriff definitely makes some good points, and one thing that I want to add is that many of these businesses that are being burnt down and looted might be black or minority-owned. What about that?
Either way, Kudos to Florida for passing this law and kudos to Tennessee for taking their lead!
What do you think about these excellent new laws on the books? Your comments would be appreciated!
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