New Tennessee Laws Test Free Speech

Tennessee recently enacted two pieces of legislation that have brought constitutional free speech protections into question. 

PEACE Act: Gov. Bill Lee (R-TN) signed the Protecting Everyone Against Crime and Extremism Act (PEACE Act) into law in May. The legislation’s additions and provisions include classifying refusal to identify oneself or falsely identifying oneself as Class D misdemeanors and littering or trespassing “with the intent to unlawfully intimidate another from the free exercise or enjoyment of any right or privilege secured by the constitution or [state] laws” as Class A misdemeanors. 

Juvenile Anti-Bullying Law: Tennessee law already upheld that “harassment by a minor committed by engaging in bullying or cyberbullying is a delinquent act and must be punished as such under state law.” However, a revision was put into effect in July that states, “in addition to any other disposition authorized by law, the disposition must include the suspension of the minor's driving privileges or ability to obtain a driver license for a period of one year [with some exceptions] in accordance with the procedures set out in applicable state law pertaining to motor vehicles, penalties, crimes, and procedures.”

How The Media Covered It: Media did not widely cover the PEACE Act; however, the media that did often criticized the legislation’s ambiguity. A commentator for Tennessee Lookout (Lean Left bias) called the PEACE Act a “clear and deliberate threat to the First Amendment freedoms of Tennesseans” due to unclear definitions and expanded police powers. The anti-bullying law’s addition was more widely covered by media on the left, and most media across the political spectrum did not give voice to those opposing it. The New York Times (Lean Left) was an exception, referencing a psychologist who claimed, “Research shows psychological interventions are more effective than punishment at stopping bullying.”

Written by the AllSides staff (of humans). Learn more. Support our mission. Suggest an improvement to this summary.