by Jon Styf
Tennessee’s law blocking the automatic withdrawal of professional organization dues for the state’s teachers has been blocked from going into effect Saturday.
A three-judge panel granted a temporary restraining order in the case and set a Zoom hearing for July 13.
The law was challenged by the Tennessee Educators Association saying a portion of the bill violates a single-subject requirement for bills, the details weren’t included in the bill’s caption and doesn’t disclose the bill repeals the Professional Educators Collaborative Conferencing Act, the state’s negotiation law.
The bill also includes a teacher minimum pay increase incrementally from the current $40,000 to $50,000 for the 2026-27 school year by bumping the minimum to $42,000 in the fall, $44,500 the next year and continuing to rise.
The bill was one of two blocked by courts this week after a federal judge blocked enforcement of Senate Bill 1, a law that would prevent minors from receiving medical procedures to identify with an identity different than the minor’ sex. Tennessee’s Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti plans to appeal the ruling.
“I’m extremely disappointed with this ruling on Senate Bill 1,” said Sen. Jack Johnson, R-Franklin. “I have complete faith that the legislation we passed is constitutional. I appreciate Attorney General Skrmetti’s commitment to vigorously appeal this decision – all the way to the Supreme Court if necessary.
“This is a critical part of our efforts to protect Tennessee children, and we are going to continue to fight to protect these kids from permanent, irreversible mutilation of their bodies.”
The lawsuit against that bill was brought by the American Civil Liberties Union, ACLU of Tennessee, Lambda Legal, and Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP.
“[The] ruling acknowledges the dangerous implications of this law and protects the freedom to access vital, life-saving healthcare for trans youth and their families while our challenge proceeds,” said Lucas Cameron-Vaughn, ACLU of Tennessee staff attorney. “This law is an intrusion upon the rights and lives of Tennessee families and threatens the futures of trans youth across the state.”
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Jon Styf is an award-winning editor and reporter of The Center Square who has worked in Illinois, Texas, Wisconsin, Florida and Michigan in local newsrooms over the past 20 years, working for Shaw Media, Hearst and several other companies.
Photo “Teacher and Student” by Tima Miroshnichenko.
Courts take children away from parents temporarily or even permanently all the time. It can be for drug abuse, physical abuse or abandonment. That courts aren’t taking children away from satanic parents who permanently mutilate children or attempt to is the surest sign that in America, nothing is sacred. Such atrocities do not occur in Russia or China.
It is ironic, Jack Johnson, that Senate Bill 1 stuck its nose squarely in the business of a parent and their minor child. What is it they say…. “We don’t co-parent with the government”…???
Surprise! Surprise!
Two Communist Org fighting to hold on to power.
One to force hardworking teachers to give up their income so Tenessee Education Assoc won’t go under. They have to have money to pay the Lobbyists & Donations to Democrats. So we taxpayers have to pay for frivolous lawsuits to prove they launder money. No thank you. The sooner they are gone, the better off our schools will be. Unions ( & they are a union) do not belong in government. They (like most Democrats) make a lot of promises to teachers as to why they should fork over their hard earned money. I think the State Atty General should request an independent audit of the Tennessee Education Assoc so everyone knows where all the teachers’ dues are spent.
I would be willing to bet 95% goes to salaries & donations to Dems. But I could be off. It’s just an educated guess. If the teachers get a raise, do the dues go up?
It’s so encouraging to finally hear that Rep Andy Ogles, along with President Donald Trump, they will be abolishing the Federal Department of Education.
There is no Constitutional mandate for the Federal govt to be involved in Education Period! When that’s done, the National Teachers Assoc will disappear as well. All good for the kids.
As for ACLU we all know they have turned evil. Why bc when they first started, they had a legitimate purpose during civil rights violations. But now that Racism only exists in Democrat run cities, they had to find another “purpose” to justify their existence.
Now they want parents to give up their minor children so they can sterilize them. I mean they’ve lost the Abortion battle, so how else can the commies slow the population growth. Yea! Let’s find vulnerable children & legally destroy their ability to bear children of their own. Then when they become adults & want to transition back to their real sex, those same “professionals can make thousands more dollars , & keep them as patients for life. What sleeze balls the are!!!
Totalitarians must keep their serfs ignorant & terrified.
Give them an inch, they want a mile.
Personally, I think our Legislature didn’t go far enough with the ban on Mutilating minor children.
The Therapists, Doctors, Hospitals & any others involved should face prosecution & jail time. A life for a life. Additionally, they should lose their medical licenses. The victims should also be able to sue them to oblivion, when they realize what a con job they did on parents, who reluctantly succumb to the fear tactics. It’s so inhumane, that sentencing should be a deterrent. Life w/o paroll & placed on the sex abuse list. They are evil & don’t belong in a civil society.
WHAT HAPPENED TO THE HIPPOCRATIC OATH?
We want Ethical People to provide Healthcare.
Get Rid of the Monsters.