KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Three Knox County area senators voted in favor of a Tennessee bill that would effectively criminalize homelessness. Those senators include Richard Briggs (R – Knoxville), who said he thinks unhoused people simply shouldn’t be sleeping outside in poor conditions.
It is already illegal to sleep or camp on state-owned property. The bill would expand that prohibition to any property owned by local governments, making it a felony. However, it lets authorities choose not the pursue charges.
“They’re living under bridges, and that’s just not a humane way to live, folks. We have the opportunity to get them out of those horrid conditions,” he said.
Advocates from Connect Ministries and the Knox Area Rescue Ministries said they believed putting homeless campers in jail would lead to more harm than good.
“How can you punish someone for being poor?’ asked Vivian Shipe of Connect Ministries.
“The goal is really for them to get help, and we’re not going to accomplish a lot by putting someone behind bars,” said Burt Rosen, the CEO of KARM.
The law specifically makes camping or sleeping outside a Class E felony, which can include jail time, a $3,000 fine and losing voting rights. Versions of the bill already passed the House and Senate, and a version resolving differences in those bills could soon go to Governor Bill Lee’s desk for his signature.
“We just need to be willing to help,” said Shipe. “We can all rise together.”
The bill is still being reviewed by the General Assembly. The House of Representatives is looking over the Senate’s most recent version of the bill and will vote on whether to approve or deny it.
SURE ya just sweep em away!!!!! FCK YOU!!!!!
Jail time and a 3000$ violation on their rights
This cannot stand
Wtf?
Oh and the brilliance of it all
If these people had 3000$ they likely wouldn’t be homeless or sleeping on the streets
It doesn’t sound like something a person would be doing out of choice
Everyone is a criminal to a pedofile commie I guess
No
You can’t have fries with that , it’s against the law and now you have lost your voting rights LMFAO like a fckin homeless person gives two fcks about weather or not they can vote for some shit head politician that’s already fuking up his world
These self important shit heads are so detached from reality it would almost be comical if it wasn’t so dam criminal
A fire keg on the verge, didn’t have to be this way. Prays for all on this journey towards true freedom. All people of this earth as well.
There’s no such thing as “State owned property”. The state owns nothing. It’s public property owned by We the People. So any such stupid bill or law is null and void and treason against the American people, plain and simple.
Bingo, NC. “They” own NOTHING, it is OURS!!!!
Dam Good Point NC!