White County voters approve Tenn constitutional amendments

Tennessee voters approved all three proposed amendments to the state constitution Tuesday, expanding judges' authority to deny bail, prohibiting a state property tax and strengthening constitutional protections for crime victims. White County voters supported all three measures by even larger margins than voters statewide.

The strongest support locally went to Amendment 3, which expands the rights of crime victims. It received 6,737 yes votes to 995 no votes in White County, an approval rate of 87.1 percent. Statewide, the measure passed with approximately 76 percent of the vote.

Known as Marsy's Law, the amendment expands the rights already guaranteed to crime victims under the Tennessee Constitution. Among the additions are protections against harassment and intimidation, greater participation in parole proceedings and the right to receive information about an offender's minimum sentence and scheduled release date.

The amendment also requires that the safety of victims, their families and the public be considered when decisions are made about releasing an offender.

Amendment 1, which expands the circumstances under which judges can deny bail before trial, also received overwhelming support in White County. Local voters approved it 6,324 to 1,540, with 80.4 percent voting yes. Statewide, approximately 67 percent supported the measure.

Previously, Tennessee's constitution generally guaranteed the right to bail before trial except in capital cases. The amendment allows judges to deny bail for additional serious offenses, including terrorism, second-degree murder, aggravated rape, aggravated rape of a child and grave torture. It also covers crimes for which a convicted person would be required to serve at least 85 percent of the sentence.

The amendment does not automatically deny bail to everyone charged with those offenses. Judges must make that determination under the applicable legal standards and explain their reasons on the record.

The measure drew opposition from civil liberties advocates who argued that expanding pretrial detention could punish people who have not been convicted of a crime. Supporters maintained that the change would give judges more authority to protect the public when dealing with defendants accused of serious offenses.

The third measure on Tuesday's ballot, Amendment 2, prohibits the Tennessee General Assembly from imposing a state property tax.

White County voters approved the amendment by a vote of 6,152 to 1,628, or 79.1 percent. Statewide, it passed with approximately 67 percent support.

Tennessee has not collected a state-level property tax since 1949, but the General Assembly previously retained the authority to establish one. The amendment places that prohibition in the state constitution, meaning a future legislature could not create a state property tax without another constitutional change.

The amendment does not eliminate or change property taxes collected by counties and municipalities. White County and the City of Sparta will continue to have the authority to levy local property taxes.

Changing Tennessee's constitution also requires more than a simple majority of voters answering yes or no on an amendment. To pass, a proposal must receive more yes votes than no votes, and its yes votes must exceed half the total number of votes cast in the governor's race.

All three measures cleared both requirements Tuesday.