NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee (R) on Thursday signed legislation dissolving independent oversight boards meant to investigate police departments in the Volunteer State. They will be replaced with review committees that have no power to investigate allegations of police misconduct, but simply make referrals.
Lee enacted the measure after the GOP-dominated General Assembly passed the proposal during this year’s legislative session despite objections from opponents and Democratic lawmakers, Yahoo News reported.
Under the new law, community oversight boards will transition into “police advisory and review committees.” As such their authority will be restrained. The mayor-appointed community members will be allowed to refer complaints to law enforcement internal affairs units rather than independently taking action to investigate allegations of misconduct, according to AP News.
Republican lawmakers pushed for the bill in order to counter-act left-leaning cities this year. Supporters said the law was needed to provide uniformity across the state while declaring that some community oversight boards hindered law enforcement investigations.
The new law goes into effect July 1.
