Tag: Representative Mark Hall

Tennessee House Passes Bill to Establish Formal Review Process for Constitutionality of Presidential Orders

Corinne Murdock
President Biden and the Tennessee Capital

The Tennessee House passed a bill Monday establishing a formal review process to check the constitutionality of presidential executive orders. However, the bill wasn’t passed in its entirety. An amendment adopted to the original bill, introduced by State Representative Rick Eldridge (R-Morristown), removed the provision prohibiting any state agency, political subdivision, or elected or appointed official or employee from implementing any executive order that Tennessee’s Attorney General determined unconstitutional in relation to pandemics; public health emergencies; natural resource, land use, or financial sector regulations; or Second Amendment rights.

According to the legislation, the General Assembly Joint Government Operations Committee would review presidential executive orders at their discretion. Following their review, the Attorney General would then have the final say regarding the constitutionality of any presidential executive orders as reviewed by the General Assembly.

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Bill Proposes Easing Licensing Burden on Tennessee Professionals

Corinne Murdock

One legislator wants to alleviate the burdens for individuals to obtain any licenses required by their profession or occupation. The bill, called the “Licensing Independence for Future Tennesseans Act,” or “LIFT Act,” would allow licensing authorities to issue licenses to those licensed previously. The act would create addendums within Title 62 and Title 63 of the Tennessee Code. 

Specifically, the LIFT Act would require licensing authorities to issue licenses to an individual if they already have a similar license in another state for at least one year, haven’t had their license revoked or surrendered, don’t have unresolved disciplinary issues or pending investigations with other licensing authorities, and don’t have any disqualifying criminal history.  
Specifically, the act would require licensing authorities to issue licenses to an individual if they already have a similar license in another state for at least one year, haven’t had their license revoked or surrendered, don’t have unresolved disciplinary issues or pending investigations with other licensing authorities, and don’t have any disqualifying criminal history.  
Specifically, the act would require licensing authorities to issue licenses to an individual if they already have a similar license in another state for at least one year, haven’t had their license revoked or surrendered, don’t have unresolved disciplinary issues or pending investigations with other licensing authorities, and don’t have any disqualifying criminal history.  

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Tennessee Legislators Propose Empowering General Assembly to Scrutinize Presidential Executive Orders for Constitutionality

Corinne Murdock

Several state representatives and senators have proposed a bill to review the constitutionality of presidential executive orders. According to the bills, if Congress doesn’t affirm an executive order and isn’t signed into law, then the joint government operations committee of Tennessee’s General Assembly would review whether the order overextends its scope of authority. Upon concluding their review, the committee would decide whether to recommend the Tennessee Attorney General and Governor to reexamine or seek an exemption from the order.

Additionally, the bill proposed that no state agency, political subdivision, elected officials, or government employees could enforce the order if the Tennessee Attorney General determines it is unconstitutional. That portion of the proposed bill would specifically apply to orders concerning pandemics or public health emergencies; natural resource regulations; agricultural industry regulations; land use regulations; financial regulations concerning environmental, social, or governance standards; and Second Amendment regulations. 
Additionally, the bill proposed that no state agency, political subdivision, elected officials, or government employees could enforce the order if the Tennessee Attorney General determines it is unconstitutional. That portion of the proposed bill would specifically apply to orders concerning pandemics or public health emergencies; natural resource regulations; agricultural industry regulations; land use regulations; financial regulations concerning environmental, social, or governance standards; and Second Amendment regulations. 
Additionally, the bill proposed that no state agency, political subdivision, elected officials, or government employees could enforce the order if the Tennessee Attorney General determines it is unconstitutional. That portion of the proposed bill would specifically apply to orders concerning pandemics or public health emergencies; natural resource regulations; agricultural industry regulations; land use regulations; financial regulations concerning environmental, social, or governance standards; and Second Amendment regulations. 

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GAME ON: State Rep. Mark Hall Announces Bid for Majority Whip Held by Rick Tillis

Laura Baigert

  In an email sent to his fellow Republicans in the State House, Rep. Mark Hall (R-Cleveland) announced his bid for Majority Whip, a position currently held by Rep. Rick Tillis (R-Lewisburg). Hall, who was a Bradley County Commissioner for 12 years and had an impressive outing during the 2018 Republican primary taking 54 percent of the vote in a four-way race, never mentioned Tillis in his announcement. Tillis, currently in his second term, was chosen as the Majority Whip during the November 2018 House Republican Caucus elections with 43 votes over his conservative opponent Rep. Tim Rudd (R-Murfreesboro). “After much prayer and deliberation,” Hall wrote to his fellow House Republican members, “I have decided to announce my bid for Majority Whip.” Hall explained, presumably alluding to the very difficult decision the Republican Caucus faced in May with a no-confidence vote for current House Speaker Glen Casada (R-Franklin), “With all of the difficult times we have just been through, I believe we need a strong leader who will bring unity and direction to the caucus.” “With my experience in the military and running a successful business, I believe that I have what it takes to lead this body,” said the…

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Heartbeat Bill Passes State House Committee Overwhelmingly With A 15-4 Vote Along Party Lines

Laura Baigert

NASHVILLE, Tennessee – In front of a standing room only committee room, the House Health Committee passed the Heartbeat Bill by an overwhelming majority of 15 for and 4 against, straight along party lines. The bill, sponsored in the Tennessee House by Representative Micah Van Huss (R-Van Huss) as HB 0077, establishes the viability of a pregnancy when a fetal heartbeat is detected and bans an abortion once the fetal heartbeat is detected. The bill passed through the House Health Subcommittee last week, moving on to the full House Health Committee Tuesday. The hearing of Van Huss’s HB 0077 in the House Health Committee coincided with a previously scheduled Planned Parenthood Day on the Hill, complete with a bus from Knoxville. Pro-life grassroots advocates showed up as well, so that the room appeared to be about equally split, based on outward displays, between those representing two sides of the issue. Despite 14 of the 19 House Health Committee members having signed on to the bill as co-sponsors prior to the meeting, making it fairly obvious the bill would pass, discussion on the bill lasted nearly three-quarters of an hour before a roll call vote was eventually taken. Discussions went back…

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