In a move that could see Tennessee parents fined for their offspring's delinquency, a contentious bill is en route to Governor Bill Lee. After a 72-24 House vote on Monday, the proposition, which would permit judges to slap parents with fines up to $1,000 for a child's repeated criminal antics, anxiously awaits the governor's signature. Sailing through the Republican-ruled Senate beforehand, this legislation could soon see the light of day.

Proponents, like Republican Rep. John Gillespie, champion the "Parental Accountability Act" as a necessary step towards family responsibility. According to FOX13 Memphis, Gillespie stated, "All were trying to do is create a mechanism for a judge to exercise and allow these parents to be better held accountable." But there's a catch: fines aren't mandatory, with judges also empowered to dish out community service if the bill doesn't match the wallet.

This piece of legislation has its detractors, namely Democratic lawmakers. They contend that the bill may disproportionately burden working parents, particularly those already strapped for cash. "We’re not going to solve this problem by criminalizing parents doing the best that they can," Democratic Rep. John Ray Clemmons expressed his concern, as AP News reports.

Amid the bill's progression, a recent tragedy in Memphis has sparked heated community dialogue on juvenile crime. Following a fatal shooting of a teen behind The Douglass Community Center, neighbors are calling for parental involvement. A Douglass community member and former teacher urged at an emergency meeting, "If you’re tired of your babies being shot down in these streets, get involved," as stated in an Action News 5 interview. Another community member, also a parent, inveighed, "We are the problem. We want to cover up and we want to be our children’s friend. Be their parents."

As for the courts, the decision to impose fines or community service on parents ultimately rests with the presiding judges. The bill's fate is pending, with the Tennessee community keenly awaiting Governor Lee's decisive endorsement or rejection of this polarizing parental fine proposition.