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Tennessee has officially banned all forms of slavery. Voters on Tuesday approved a ballot measure that removes language allowing slavery and involuntary servitude as forms of punishment for those convicted of crimes.
The measure passed with 79.54% of the votes, according to the Secretary of State's office.
The measure amended Article I, Section 33 of the Tennessee Constitution, which states that "slavery and involuntary servitude are forever prohibited in this state – except as punishment for a person who has been duly convicted of crime." The new amendment removes the language allowing for these punishments.
The section will now read: "Slavery and involuntary servitude are forever prohibited. Nothing in this section shall prohibit an inmate from working when the inmate has been duly convicted of a crime."
Before it was sent to voters in the state, a majority of Tennessee lawmakers supported the proposal, but six legislators voted against it.
"I'm a non-lawyer and most of my voters are non-lawyers and I can't explain this amendment in words they understand," Republican State Senator Frank Niceley said during a 2021 meeting of the Tennessee General Assembly. "The Constitution is too sacred is too scared to clutter up with a lot stuff non-lawyers can't explain to other non-laywers. So I guess I'll be voting no on this."
cbsnews.com
The measure passed with 79.54% of the votes, according to the Secretary of State's office.
The measure amended Article I, Section 33 of the Tennessee Constitution, which states that "slavery and involuntary servitude are forever prohibited in this state – except as punishment for a person who has been duly convicted of crime." The new amendment removes the language allowing for these punishments.
The section will now read: "Slavery and involuntary servitude are forever prohibited. Nothing in this section shall prohibit an inmate from working when the inmate has been duly convicted of a crime."
Before it was sent to voters in the state, a majority of Tennessee lawmakers supported the proposal, but six legislators voted against it.
"I'm a non-lawyer and most of my voters are non-lawyers and I can't explain this amendment in words they understand," Republican State Senator Frank Niceley said during a 2021 meeting of the Tennessee General Assembly. "The Constitution is too sacred is too scared to clutter up with a lot stuff non-lawyers can't explain to other non-laywers. So I guess I'll be voting no on this."
cbsnews.com
