Davidson County’s ten state representatives are back at the Capitol this week for the General Assembly session, joining it’s four state senators.
As previously reported, redistricting and education are pressing issues.
The State House of Representatives has 99 members, a Republican majority of 73-26. Davidson County’s State House delegation is comprised of representatives Bo Mitchell, Bill Beck, Mike Stewart, Jason Powell, Vincent Dixie, John Ray Clemmons, Bob Freeman, Harold M. Love Jr., Jason Potts, and Darren Jernigan.
Rep. Bo Mitchell (D-Nashville-HD50), is a member of the Health, Insurance, Naming and Designating committees and has several bills pending that deal with education, public contracts, and other issues. In 2021, Rep. Mitchell sponsored a bill, HB1559, that was designed to eliminate a school voucher program, the Tennessee Education Savings Account Pilot Program. That bill failed in subcommittee in March of 2021.
Rep. Bill Beck (D-Nashville-HD51), is a member of the Criminal Justice, Select Ethics, and State Government committees and previously sponsored bills that dealt with sales taxes, motor vehicles, alcoholic beverages, transportation, and healthcare. Rep. Beck also introduced a bill in 2021 that would have allowed a college photo ID to be used to for identity verification of an eligible voter.
Rep. Mike Stewart (D-Nashville-HD52), is a member of the Civil Justice, Government Operations, and Joint Judiciary and Government committees and previously introduced bills that dealt with elections, juvenile offenders, law enforcement, probation, criminal procedure, and education. Rep. Stewart sponsored HB1298, a bill that became law, which “clarifies that wireless communication includes text messages sent and received on smart devices for purposes of the Anti-Phishing Act.”
Rep. Jason Powell (D-Nashville-HD53), is a member of the Commerce, Select Ethics, and State Government committees and sponsored bills last year that dealt with elections, welfare, criminal procedure, unemployment, firearms, gambling, and students. Rep. Powell sponsored HB0809, a bill which became law, that “equires that captured plate data from automatic license plate reader systems be treated as confidential and not be open for inspection by members of the public; schedules provision to expire July 1, 2026.”
Rep. Vincent Dixie (D-Nashville-HD54), is a member of the Calendar and Rules, Criminal Justice, Education Instruction, Government Operations, and Joint Education, Health and Welfare committees and has pending bills on redistricting, education, and unemployment. Rep. Dixie recently filed HB0970, “AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 3-1-102, relative to senatorial districts.”
Rep. John Ray Clemmons (D-Nashville-HD55), is a member of the Civil Justice, Education Administration, and Health committees. He filed bills in 2021 that dealt with taxes, real property, bail, education, sex discrimination, elections, and highways. Rep. Clemmons had one bill become law in 2021, HB0212, which authorized Local Education Agencies to develop and implement a “Stop the Bleed” program.
Rep. Bob Freeman (D-Nashville-HD56), is a member of the Select Ethics, Finance, Ways, and Means, Health, Insurance committees, as well as the Select Committee on Rules. Last year he filed bills that deal with sentencing, local government, controlled substances, election laws, energy, and alcoholic beverages. Rep. Freeman recently filed HB1682, which “requires commission to provide notice to an applicant for an employee or server permit if the commission conducts a criminal record review of the applicant.”
Rep. Harold M. Love, Jr. (D-Nashville-HD58), is a member of the Education Administration and Local Government committees and in 2021, sponsored bills that dealt with education, welfare, water, bail, public funds and financing, and the courts. Rep. Love also sponsored HB0999, a bill enacted into law that “requires each state agency to submit, on or before February 1 of each year, a report to members of the finance, ways and means committees summarizing amounts of federal block grants and purposes for which funds were expended, including any unexpended or returned portions.”
Rep. Jason Potts (D-Nashville-HD59) is a member of the Agriculture and Natural Resources and Transportation committees. He has bills pending that deal with criminal offenses, education, the Alcoholic Beverage Commission, and more. Last year, Rep. Potts introduced a bill that would require local education agencies to provide voter registration information to students who are 18 years old on or before the date of an election. Action was deferred to February 2022.
Rep. Darren Jernigan (D-Old Hickory-HD60) is a member of the Civil Justice, Calendar and Rules, Health, Public Service, State Government, and Joint Fiscal Review committees. He has pending bills on safety, alcoholic beverages, higher education, law enforcement, and taxes. Rep. Jernigan recently filed HB1670, a bill which “As introduced, replaces the phrase “deaf and dumb” with “deaf or hard of hearing” wherever it may appear in Tennessee Code Annotated.”
The 2022 General Assembly Session has just begun and it remains to be seen what actions members of Davidson County’s delegation will take.
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Aaron Gulbransen is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network.
Background Photo “Tennessee State Capitol” by FaceMePLS. CC BY 2.0.
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Great…the fools are back in town!