Norris introduces legislation for state to get tough on felons

Covington Leader
March 2, 2007

Senate Majority Leader Mark Norris (R-Collierville) Wednesday hosted an unprecedented gathering of law enforcement officials in a unified call for tougher penalties and punishments for armed robber felons committing new crimes.

The conference, held in Nashville, was the result of a collaborative effort with The Tennessee Public Safety Coalition, comprised of Tennessee’s police chiefs, sheriffs and district attorneys.

Crime fighters from Bartlett, Dyersburg and Covington, as well as Nashville and Knoxville, joined with Norris, Sen. Paul Stanley and Rep. John DeBerry and others who support the initiatives.

Norris described the scene as a “picture worth a thousand words” while standing in the Senate Chamber with uniformed officers representing both large cities and rural areas from across the state.

Senate Bill 1967, sponsored by Norris, is known as the “Crooks with Guns” bill.  It enhances penalties for previously convicted felons who use firearms to commit new crimes by requiring a mandatory (10) year sentence without parole.

“New York reduced crime by over 50 percent using a law like this,” Norris said.  “We need to get serious about reducing crime in Tennessee.”

Norris said that prior felony convictions from other states also qualify the felon for the bill’s stricter sentencing requirements.
“We recognize that we must give law enforcement the tools they need,” Norris said.  “There should be no breaks for lawbreakers.”

Norris serves as Senate Majority Leader and represents Shelby, Tipton, Lauderdale and Dyer Counties.