NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Millions were spent on overtime and travel expenses for Tennessee Highway Patrol troopers this summer after months of standoffs with protesters outside the capitol building.
In July, 412 troopers clocked in $949,196 in overtime covering protests and another $56,827 for travel expenses. Troopers from around the state were told to drive to Nashville with the expectation that their travel would be paid for.
Add that to the $850,689 in overtime and $27,936 for travel in June and the total is well over $1.8 million between the two months.
It's a cost that Rep. Mike Stewart says is steep, but we must pay if troopers were called to work those hours. Stewart was one of the first people NewsChannel 5 talked to about the overtime costs when we learned about the numbers from June.
Since his comments, he says people were quick to argue that he was somewhat against paying the troopers. He says that couldn’t be further from the truth. This is not about paying the troopers, as much as it is about who’s demanding they work these long hours in the first place.
“The troopers are just doing their jobs and if they’re going to do the work, they should get paid overtime, but there was no reason to have this lengthy standoff. All these young people wanted to do was to talk to the governor and express their point of view,” Stewart said.
Members of the People’s Plaza activist group spent more than 70 days across the street from the capitol building before Tennessee legislators had enough.
State Rep. William Lamberth drafted a bill that was later signed into law by Lee, that effectively turned much of what the protesters were once getting fined for, into felonies.
According to the bill, something like sidewalk chalk may also fall under vandalism, carrying a penalty of a minimum 30 days in jail, all the way to felony charges with a minimum of 45 days. You’re also responsible for paying for any damages.
As a result, the group ended their months-long protest and instead focused their attention on holding protests around the state and beyond. From the moment they began, members of the group demanded any one of three requests be made possible.
First of which was defunding law enforcement, then removing the Nathan Bedford Forrest bust from the capitol building and or meeting with Lee to talk social justice issues.
We’ve asked members on numerous occasions if that’s what it would’ve taken to end the protest and the answer was always the same.
“Absolutely. They don’t want us to be here and it’s hot, we don’t want to be here. It’s sad that we have to be here,” organizer Jay Terry said back in July.
Governor Lee has never met with the group and says he has no plans to. His office today offered this statement.
"Protesters repeatedly defaced public property and violated Tennessee law, so an increased law enforcement presence was necessary and appropriate. We're grateful to the men and women of the Tennessee Highway Patrol for protecting state property and enforcing the law."
We also contacted THP and the Department of Safety and Homeland Security who coordinates overtime and they chose not to comment at this time.
