During its last week of session, the Tennessee General Assembly overwhelmingly approved legislation targeting organized street racing.
State Representative John Gillespie (R-Memphis-HD97) and State Senator John Stevens (R-Huntingdon-SD24) sponsored the legislation, which was originally approved in by the State Senate in late February.
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The Tennessee General Assembly overwhelmingly approved legislation banning local education associations or public charter schools from doing business with entities that perform abortions.
The state Senate passed the bill, 27-5, on April 11. The state House approved the legislation on March 7, 70-21. In total, 97 members of the Tennessee General Assembly voted in favor and 26 voted against.
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“I’ll Leave My Heart in Tennessee” is now an official state song.
Governor Lee signed the legislation officially designating “I’ll Leave My Heart in Tennessee” an official state song on March 1. The legislation was carried by State Sen. Paul Bailey (R-Sparta) and State Rep. John Windle (D-Livingston). The votes in the House and Senate were unanimous with the exception of one House member voting present.
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Governor Bill Lee has placed his signature on House Joint Resolution 0856, a resolution recognizing the Mission America Foundation for the work they do to combat child and human trafficking.
The Mission America Foundation “is dedicated to eradicating Child and Human Trafficking. We utilize prior military personnel to investigate trafficking leads and providing intelligence to law enforcement agencies. We provide ‘Situationally Aware Fundamentally Empowered’ (S.A.F.E), self defense training to young boys and girls. Our focus is increasing trafficking awareness, through speaking engagements to bring awareness to the domestic trafficking problems that plague this great nation.”
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Metro Nashville Council approved a late filed resolution asking the Tennessee General Assembly to block a bill aimed at keeping LEAs and charter schools from distributing textbooks or other materials to children that include the promotion of the LGBT lifestyle at its March 15 meeting.
The resolution was sponsored by councilmembers Brett Withers, Nancy VanReece, Russ Bradford and Emily Benedict and urged “the Tennessee General Assembly to reject HB0800/SB1216 seeking to prohibit LEAs from utilizing textbooks or instructional materials addressing LGBT issues or lifestyles.”
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State Rep. David Wright, the House sponsor of the bill that establishes residency requirements for federal candidates, told The Tennessee Star that he plans to make the language in his version match Senator Frank Niceley’s Senate-passed version.
“All I’m trying to do is to get a bill to the floor in the House so I can motion to substitute and conform to the Senate version.” said Wright. “I would hope that I can get this to Calendar and Rules on Thursday morning for it to be on the floor next week.”
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The Tennessee State Senate unanimously approved legislation targeting organized street racing.
State Senator John Stevens’ (R-Huntingdon) SB1673 was approved by the Senate on February 28. It was engrossed on March 1. It now sits on the House desk for consideration.
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Senator Frank Niceley expects his version of the bill establishing residency requirements for candidates in Tennessee primaries, which was approved by the Senate 31-1, to carry the day in the state House.
Senator Niceley told The Tennessee Star, “I expect when the House legislation reaches the floor, they’ll vote to substitute and conform to the Senate bill. That way it’ll be quick and painless. If its a good bill, its a good bill now.”
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Democrat State Representative Mike Stewart (D-Nashville) voted against a resolution honoring an organization that fights human and child trafficking.
The Tennessee State House of Representatives passed HJR0856, “A RESOLUTION to recognize Mission America Foundation” on Thursday. The vote was 83-1. Stewart was the sole no vote.
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State Representative Dave Wright’s (R-Knoxville) version of the bill establishing three-year residency requirements for federal candidates was passed by a key subcommittee.
Before HB2764, the House version of Senator Frank Niceley’s legislation, was recommended for passage by the House Elections and Campaign Finance Subcommittee, it was amended on Wednesday. The amended version is significantly different than the Senate-passed version as it applies to all federal candidates in primaries and general elections, sets an effective date to one day after this year’s elections, and exempts candidates elected this year from that standard for future elections. The House version is now in conflict with the Senate-passed version.
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The Tennessee Senate has approved a bill creating creating three-year residency requirements for candidates seeking to run in primaries for U.S. Senate and U.S. House. The vote was 31-1.
State Senator Frank Niceley (R-Church Hill) is the sponsor of the Senate version that was approved, SB2616.
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A lawsuit has been filed on behalf of Tennessee Democrats challenging the new state House and state Senate districts. A challenge to the new Congressional district lines has not yet been filed.
The lawsuit was filed in the Chancery Court of Tennessee for the 20th Judicial district. Akilah Moore, Telise Turner, and Gary Wygant are listed as the filing parties in the case. Governor Lee, Secretary of State Tre Hargett, and Tennessee Coordinator of Elections Mark Goins are being sued in their official capacities only.
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Representative Dave Wright, the Tennessee House sponsor of legislation that would establish three-year residency requirements for Congressional and Senate candidates running in Tennessee, motioned to roll his bill back for consideration by one week in the House Elections & Campaign Finance Subcommittee.
Wright said that he intends to amend the bill to have the three-year residency requirements, an effective date of one day after this year’s November general election, and an exemption for incumbents at the next scheduled subcommittee meeting.
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The NRA Institute for Legislative Action has weighed in on several firearms-related bills being considered by various Tennessee General Assembly committees and subcommittees this week.
The Tennessee Star has previously reported that the Tennessee Firearms Association has weighed in on firearms-related legislation. The Tennessee Firearms Association and the NRA agree on opposition to two bills in particular.
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The Tennessee State House is set to consider a a resolution honoring and commending the Mission America Foundation, a Tennessee-based 501c(3) organization dedicated to fighting human trafficking, for the work they do.
The Mission America Foundation works to empower military veterans to utilize their skill sets to help eradicate child and human trafficking.
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Senator Frank Niceley wants to keep the effective date the same for his legislation establishing residency requirements for candidates in U.S. House and U.S. Senate primaries. In its current form, SB2616 would effect this year’s elections.
The Tennessee Star previously reported that Tennessee State Representative David Wright (R-19) said he intends to amend the House version of SB2616 so that the effective date of the bill’s three-year residency requirement to qualify as a candidate for a congressional primary in the state from 2022 to 2024 because it would be “too confusing” to make it effective this year.
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Several firearms-related bills that are pending before the Tennessee General Assembly are scheduled to be taken up for committee and subcommittee consideration in the coming days. These bills deal with firearm permitting, self-defense and justifiable force, vouchers for firearms training classes, carry by off-duty law enforcement officers, gun violence as a public health problem, and storing firearms in vehicles.
Four of the bills have action pending in the state House and another has action pending in the state Senate.
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Pro-life legislation pending before Tennessee’s General Assembly that would prohibit Local Education Associations (LEA) or public charter schools from doing business with abortion providers continues through the legislative process in the state House, where it has been referred to the Senate Education Committee after passing on second consideration.
State Senator Joey Hensley (R-Hohenwald) originally filed SB2158 in state Senate. State Representative Debra Moody (R-Covington) has sponsored the state House companion version, HB2557 and it is continuing to make headway in the House.
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Tennessee State Rep. David Wright (R-19) told The Tennessee Star on Thursday he intends to amend the effective date of the House version of SB 2616 so that the effective date of the bill’s three year residency requirement to qualify as a candidate for a Congressional primary in the state from 2022 to 2024 because it would be “too confusing” to make it effective this year.
Representative Wright is the main sponsor of HB2764, the state House companion bill to Senator Frank Niceley’s Senate legislation establishing residency requirements for U.S. Senate and U.S. House candidates running in primaries.
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Legislation establishing a three-year residency requirement to qualify for the Tennessee primary ballot in U.S. House of Representatives elections passed a key Senate committee.
Tennessee State Senator Frank Niceley (R-TN-08) is the sponsor of SB2616, which states that candidates for U.S. House and U.S. Senate must meet the same residency requirements as Tennessee state representatives and state senators in order to run in a primary in Tennessee. That means a candidate has to have to have lived in the state for three years.
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Legislation targeting organized street racing continues to progress through the Tennessee General Assembly.
State Representative John Gillespie (R-Memphis-HD97) and State Senator John Stevens (R-Huntingdon-SD24) previously introduced companion bills targeting organized street racing, HB1661 and SB1673.
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Pro-life legislation pending before Tennessee’s General Assembly has received a sponsor in the State House.
State Senator Joey Hensley (R-Hohenwald-SD28) originally filed SB2158, a bill prohibiting LEAs or public charter schools from doing business with abortion providers. Representative Debra Moody (R-Covington-HD81) filed HB2557, the state House companion version on February, 3, 2022.
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The Tennessee State Senate voted on Wednesday to remove Democrat Senator Katrina Robinson. The vote was 27-5 to expel her from office.
Senator Robinson was convicted of wire fraud charges. The Tennessee Star previously reported that Robinson was convicted by jurors of four of five counts of wire fraud and that federal officials accused her of using federal grant money awarded to a health care school, The Healthcare Institute (THI), which Robinson operates. She was accused of using $600,000 from the school to pay for her wedding, a political campaign event, and other personal expenses.
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A Tennessee legislator has filed a bill prohibiting LEAs or public charter schools from doing business with entities that perform abortions.
This is the latest Pro-Life bill to be proposed during the current Tennessee General Assembly Session.
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The General Assembly has officially transmitted the passed redistricting plans to Governor Lee for his signature.
Lt. Governor and the Speaker of the Senate Randy McNally signed the new Senate legislative district and congressional district bills on Wednesday, January 26. He signed the state house district bill on Thursday, January 27. State House Speaker Cameron Sexton signed all three bills on January 27. They were then transmitted to Governor Lee for action on the same day.
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Shortly after Tennessee Congressman Jim Cooper announced that he was not seeking re-election, his brother, Nashville Mayor John Cooper gave his reaction.
In a tweet, Mayor Cooper said, “This is a loss, both for Nashville and Washington. Jim is a leader with deep expertise and a great heart.”
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In their final vote on redistricting, the Tennessee State Senate has approved the state house legislative district maps by a vote of 23-6.
The new district map proposal for the State House was the remaining item on the Senate’s redistricting agenda. The new maps now head to Governor Lee’s desk for his signature.
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A Tennessee General Assembly bill targeting organized street racing continues through the legislative process.
It was previously reported that State Representative John Gillespie (R-Memphis-HD97) and State Senator John Stevens (R-Huntingdon-SD24) have teamed up to introduce identical bills, HB1661 and SB1673. There are now fourteen co-sponsors in the state House, including two Democrats.
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A Nashville State Representative and a Nashville State Senator have filed two bills which would lower Tennessee’s sales tax rate and outright exempt fresh, frozen, or canned fruits and vegetables from a sales tax.
Representative John Ray Clemmons (D-Nashville-HD55) filed HB1743 and HB1745 on January 13, 2022. State Senator Heidi Campbell (D-Nashville-SD20) signed on officially on January 25, 2022, sponsoring companion bills SB1898 and SB1899.
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The Tennessee Democratic Party sent a fundraising email out shortly after the Tennessee House passed the redistricting proposals.
The email came from the Digital Director for the Tennessee Democratic Party, Cassie Jackson, and makes a monetary request for the stated purpose of funding a lawsuit to fight the new redistricting maps.
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The Tennessee State House approved their congressional and legislative redistricting proposals on Monday evening. The vote was 70-27, 70-26, and 70-26 on the house legislative district, senate legislative district, and congressional redistricting plans, respectively.
As has been a longstanding tradition in the Tennessee General Assembly, the House deferred to the the Senate’s plan on the new senate legislative district boundaries and the Senate is doing the same on the state house legislative district boundaries. The Senate approved the congressional and house legislative district proposals on January 20 and will vote on the house district boundaries on Wednesday, January 26, 2022.
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Congressman Jim Cooper (D-TN-05) announced on Tuesday that he will not seek reelection.
This comes in the wake of the Tennessee General Assembly’s passage of the new redistricting maps, which split Nashville amongst three congressional districts. Under the old maps, the city of Nashville comprises the bulk of the 5th Congressional District.
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A Tennessee lawmaker has filed a bill that would allow certain Tennesseans to carry rifles or shotguns, not just handguns.
Representative Rusty Grills (R-Newbern-HD77) has filed a bill that “renames enhanced and concealed handgun carry permits as enhanced and concealed firearm carry permits and authorizes a permit holder to carry any firearms, rather than handguns, that the permit holder legally owns or possesses; expands the circumstances in which a permit holder may carry a firearm.”
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Democrat Nashville lawmakers Rep. John Ray Clemmons (D-Nashville-HD55) and Sen. Brenda Gilmore (D-Nashville-SD19) filed a bill that would change the start times of high schools and middle schools, ostensibly giving students more time to sleep.
HB1836 and SB1818 were filed on Wednesday and amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 49-6-3004, by adding “Beginning with the 2023-2024 school year, each public high school shall begin classroom instruction no earlier than eight-thirty a.m. (8:30 a.m.). Beginning with the 2023-2024 school year, each public middle school shall begin classroom instruction no earlier than eight o’clock a.m. (8:00 a.m.).” These changes would go into effect for the 2023-2024 school year.
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The Tennessee Senate passed their congressional redistricting plan, which splits up Nashville amongst three congressional districts as well as the senate legislative redistricting plan. Both plans passed the Tennessee Senate by a vote of 26-5.
Amendments were added to both plans, SB0781 and SB0780, providing more detail on the district lines.
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The proposed new congressional redistricting plans have been voted out of their respective committees and are heading to the Senate and House floors.
Ultimate passage is considered likely.
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The congressional redistricting process continues to move forward through the Tennessee General Assembly.
The next stop in the state House is the State Government Committee and the next stop in the state Senate is the Senate Judiciary Committee. Both committees are set to meet Tuesday.
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Two Tennessee lawmakers are targeting organized street racing.
State Representative John Gillespie (R-Memphis-HD97) and State Senator John Stevens (R-Huntingdon-SD24) have teamed up to introduce identical bills, HB1661 and SB1673. These bills create a new offense in the state code, aggravated reckless driving.
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The Tennessee State House Select Committee on Redistricting met on Wednesday, releasing the new plan for Congressional redistricting. The plan includes the proposed new maps, which are listed on the committee website.
Tennessee’s current delegation to the U.S. House of Representatives has a partisan breakdown of seven Republicans and two Democrats. Democrat Congressman Jim Cooper’s 5th Congressional District and Democrat Congressman Steve Cohen’s 9th Congressional District currently center on Nashville and Memphis, respectively.
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The Tennessee General Assembly is now back in session, and redistricting and education among the most pressing issues the state’s “part time” lawmakers are set to address as they returned to the capital Tuesday.
According to the General Assembly website, “Session beings the second Tuesday in January at 12:00 Noon. There is no defined adjournment date. But, the General Assembly usually adjourns in mid April.”
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Friday morning on the Tennessee Star Report, host Michael Patrick Leahy welcomed Tennessee Speaker of the House Cameron Sexton to the newsmakers line to weigh in on OSHA vaccine mandate and its relation to the Omnibus Bill from last weeks special session in the General Assembly.
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An amended bill would effectively block Metro Nashville City Council’s ongoing efforts to impose stricter regulations on the construction industry. The legislation limited local government from enforcing oversight measures like obtaining employee data, enforcing safety and health standards beyond federal and state requirements, gaining entry to worksites, and obtaining the information of suppliers for labor or materials.
The Senate last passed an amended version of the bill, 27 to 6. The amendments widened the bill’s scope to include remote in addition to prime contractors, and to include bids, proposals, and agreements within what governments couldn’t enforce as oversight tactics.
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Final voting on a bill addressing government control over worship services during public emergencies, already heavily altered, will be delayed by one week for further potential changes. The bill’s sponsor, State Representative Rusty Grills (R-Newbern), indicated Monday that he would review the bill further to consider the concerns of Democratic State Representatives London Lamar (D-Memphis) and Harold Love, Jr. (D-Nashville). Lamar and Love raised concerns that governments couldn’t do enough to curb church activity during pandemics under the bill; Lamar argued that religious institutions would be fine if they were ordered to meet virtually.
The adopted amendment has already altered the bill entirely. The original provisions prohibited closures and limitations of churches or religious organizations, including their religious services or activities. In the amended version, the bill would only prohibit state and local governments and agencies from closing churches or religious organizations. It wouldn’t protect houses of worship from any governmental restrictions or limitations.
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The Tennessee House passed the bill allowing permitless open or concealed carry, dubbed the “constitutional carry bill.” It will head to Governor Bill Lee’s desk, where it’s expected to be signed.
Under the bill, anyone 21 and older could lawfully carry without a permit, for both open and concealed carry. These provisions would only apply to handguns. A slew of House amendments proposed to the bill were withdrawn.
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The General Assembly is considering sweeping criminal justice reforms, namely concerning incarceration alternatives and probation. The proposed legislative changes, filed on the same day by State Representative William Lamberth (R-Portland) and State Senator Jack Johnson (R-Franklin), are lengthy.
In part, the bill would expand those who qualify for community-based incarceration alternatives addressing substance abuse or mental health rehabilitation. It would also provide new avenues for individuals who break probation to have their probation reinstated (2 years at most), receive incarceration alternatives, or be shielded from extensive sentencing. It also caps probation sentencing to 8 years for felony offenses.
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The Tennessee House passed a bill mandating death or life imprisonment without parole for the first degree murder of law enforcement and first responders. The bill would elevate the intentional targeting and murdering of first responders to an act of terrorism. It passed without opposition, 88 to 0.
Two amendments moved to strengthen the language of the bill. One amendment noted that defendants who receive life sentence can’t be eligible for parole consideration until they’ve served 51 years. The other amendment added to the definitions of terrorism to offer further protections to law enforcement and first responders. Both amendments were adopted.
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Parents must report children in their charge missing within 24 hours, according to legislation being considered by the General Assembly. The newly-proposed bill, “Evelyn Boswell’s Law,” was compelled by the local murder case of Evelyn Boswell. The 15-month-old girl was never reported missing by her mother.
The case gained national attention in mid-February last year, days after Boswell’s grandfather first reported her missing, which led to a massive search for Boswell. The last confirmed sighting of Boswell had been in December, nearly two months earlier. In early March, just weeks after reporting her missing, Boswell’s grandfather discovered her remains on a family property in Blountville, Tennessee.
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Those who murder or attempt to murder law enforcement or first responders may be sentenced to death or life without parole, respectively. The Tennessee House will vote on two bills outlining these proposed sentencing changes next Thursday. Specifically, these bills would apply to police, correctional officers, department of correction employees, probation and parole officers, emergency medical or rescue workers, EMTs, paramedics, and firefighters.
HB0511 handles murder charges, whereas HB0512 handles attempted murder charges. The former bill would give the jury two options for those who murder law enforcement or first responders: death, or life without parole. The latter bill would add onto the current sentencing options for attempted murder to allow life without parole as a punishment. It would also prohibit relief eligibility for those who received life without parole for aggravated rape, murder, or attempted murder of a child. Current law only limits relief eligibility for aggravated raped or murder of a child – this proposal would expand that to attempted murder.
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State Representative Scott Cepicky (R-Culleoka) requested Thursday that the final vote on the bill be delayed to next Monday’s calendar. Cepicky cited that numerous representatives wanted to vote on the bill but couldn’t on Thursday. This bill would require youths to participate in sports according to their biological sex at birth.
The general assembly has moved along steadily on this legislation: the Senate passed the bill on the first of this month easily along party lines. The only members to vote against the bill were Democratic State Senators Raumesh Akbari (D-Memphis), Heidi Campbell (D-Nashville), Brenda Gilmore (D-Nashville), Sara Kyle (D-Memphis), Katrina Robinson (D-Memphis), and Jeff Yarbro (D-Nashville).
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Tennessee legislators are moving to ban prepubescent gender transitions, and limit postpubescent minors’ eligibility for gender transitions. The Tennessee House Criminal Justice Subcommittee voted to recommend the bill for passage on Wednesday. State Representative John Ragan (R-Oak Ridge) introduced the bill.
In addition to prohibiting all gender transitions for prepubescent minors, the bill would allow gender transitions for postpubescent minors only with the consent of their parents and recommendation of three doctors, the third doctor being a child psychiatrist. Exceptions for gender transition treatments would be made for those with any confirmed diagnosis of abnormal genitalia, genetic anomalies, physical disease with life-threatening consequences in the absence of intervention, and an accident irreparably mutilating genitalia.
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