Tennessee Senate Passes Bill That Would Undo Police Reforms Put In Place After Tyre Nichols’ Death

The Tennessee Senate on Thursday passed a bill that would restrict local governments’ power to pass police reform measures — and would undo a police reform ordinance that Memphis’ City Council passed after police there beat Tyre Nichols, a Black man, to death last year.

The GOP-led state Senate passed the bill by a vote of 26-6. The bill is moving to Republican Gov. Bill Lee’s desk next.

Democrats in both Tennessee’s House and Senate have spoken out against the bill, which was initially brought to the floor by state Rep. John Gillespie ®. State Sen. Brent Taylor ® presented a version of the bill to the Senate floor.

State Sen. London Lamar (D), who represents Memphis, introduced Nichols’ parents, Rodney Wells and RowVaughn Wells, on the Senate floor ahead of the vote. They have strongly opposed the legislation.

But Taylor argued that the Memphis City Council ordinance would give free rein to “violent criminals” in Memphis.

“Law enforcement groups support this bill,” Taylor said of the legislation passed by the Senate. “They think they need this bill, and it has caused a lot of communication in my community.”

He also argued that the city ordinance was causing confusion among Memphis police officers.

“We need to take the handcuffs off the police and put the handcuffs on the criminals where they belong,” Taylor said.

Tennessee Senate Minority Leader Raumesh Akbari (D), who represents Memphis, spoke in opposition to Taylor’s legislation. She described it as “extreme overreach” and “cruel” and invoked Nichols’ death.

“They still cannot say why they pulled that young man over. And they beat him. They beat him,” Akbari said. “It is surreal to see your city on the television when a horrific incident occurred.”

Akbari noted