Editor’s note: This week’s Publisher’s Position is reprinted from the October 5 edition of The Knoxville Focus. Early voting is ongoing through October 29, with the general election on November 3. For more information on where to vote, please visit knoxvotes.org.
Voters will have an opportunity to vote on three proposed amendments to the Tennessee Constitution on the upcoming ballot. Voters inside the City of Knoxville will also have the opportunity to vote on an amendment to the city’s charter.
Constitutional Amendment #1:
This amendment to our state’s constitution will allow courts to hold certain defendants without bail pending a trial. That will only occur when the defendant is charged with a crime that can be punished with the death penalty or such crimes that involve acts of terrorism, second-degree murder, aggravated rape of a child, aggravated rape, grave torture, or any crime for which a convicted person would be required to serve 85% of the sentence given them.The proposed amendment requires that any court must state on the record the reasons for having reached a decision whether to grant bail or deny bail in such cases.
It is certainly true that some crimes are so terrible that a person charged with a particularly heinous act is not released back into society while a trial is pending. Certainly, someone charged with a crime is entitled to a speedy trial, but we all know oftentimes attorneys keep kicking the case down the road for weeks, months and sometimes years. That places people in all walks of life at risk from a possible predator or worse. Someone charged with a crime can receive a speedy trial if his/her attorney doesn’t employ delaying tactics to keep him/her out of a courtroom. The best assurance of someone receiving a speedy trial is to make sure they are no threat to society and give them some incentive to have their day in court.
Constitutional Amendment #2:
This amendment is quite clear in its intent and meaning. It prohibits the legislature from imposing a state property tax on real, personal or mixed property. In other words, it keeps the state legislature from trying to increase your property taxes on your home or property so they have more to spend. Keep in mind, renters pay property taxes, too, as landlords almost always pass along any tax hike to their tenants. What the free spenders won’t tell you is that increasing the property taxes increases mortgages and rents.
Constitutional Amendment #3:
This proposed amendment is the lengthiest on the ballot. In short, it proposes to clarify the existing rights of victims of crime, as well as add new rights. Amendment #3 proposes to place into our state constitution the rights of victims of crime to ensure they have the right to be informed and participate in the parole process of the criminal, the person who victimized and harmed them. It also protects victims of crime from being harassed, intimidated and abused. It requires victims to be notified of the minimum sentence to be served by the criminal, as well as the scheduled release date. It requires that the victim, the victim’s family and the public’s safety be taken into account before the convicted criminal can be released.
This amendment is vital to anyone who believes that the victims of crimes should have rights and be protected from further injury and harm.
City of Knoxville Charter Amendment:
Currently, elections in the City of Knoxville require a subsequent run-off even if a candidate receives a majority of the vote in the first election. This amendment to the city charter simplifies the process, as any candidate receiving a majority of the vote in the primary is declared the victor. The entire purpose of a runoff election is for a candidate to acquire a majority of those voting. It makes little sense to have the same election over again when a candidate has already won a majority.
