Rep. Vince Dean, (R-East Ridge), pushed a bill through the Tennessee House today that he said makes retaliation against any employee of a court clerk's office a criminal offense. The bill passed unanimously in the House with a vote of 87 to 0. The Senate also passed the bill, sending it to the governor's desk for his signature.
"It is vital that we protect those dedicated employees of the clerks' offices across our state, who typically are the ones to sign off on court documents that might lead to retaliation," said Rep.
Dean, who is running for Hamilton County Criminal Court clerk.
The bill broadens the state law protecting court clerks, among others, from retaliation to include the employees of the clerk. Rep. Dean said he was asked to back the bill by court clerks throughout the state.
He said, "I've been communicating with clerks across Tennessee, and they have made it clear that the safety of their employees is top priority. I feel this is one more way of showing those employees that we indeed are concerned for their safety."