Governor Bill Lee Issues Proclamation Calling Special Session of Tennessee Legislature to Take Up Red Flag Bill

Governor Bill Lee has issued a proclamation calling for a special legislative session to take up gun-control measures, including a controversial “red flag” bill that many of his GOP allies in the Republican-controlled Tennessee General Assembly say is a non-starter.

The long-expected proclamation was apparently leaked to the liberal Tennessee Lookout late Thursday afternoon before it’s official release.

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$412 Million Tax Cut Headlines Tennessee Bills That Become Law Saturday

Many of the laws passed during the recent Tennessee Legislative session will go into place July 1, the beginning of the new fiscal year, including a $412 million tax cut.

That cut includes $272.8 million toward a three-month grocery tax holiday between Aug. 1 and Oct. 31 along with changing the state franchise and excise business taxes to single sales factor taxes like 32 other states.

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Sparks Fly in Contested Williamson County GOP State Senate Primary

Sparks have been flying between Senate Majority Leader Jack Johnson (R-Franklin) and challenger Gary Humble in the GOP nomination contest for Senate District 27, which is set to take place Thursday. 

Mail pieces have flooded mailboxes with attack messages against Humble, and social media attacks on Johnson have been posted by Humble and his nonprofit, Tennessee Stands.

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Tennessee Right to Life Endorses Senate Republican Leader Jack Johnson for Re-Election

Tennessee Right to Life endorsed State Senate Republican Leader Jack Johnson (R-Franklin) in his race for re-election on Tuesday.

The organization cited “Johnson’s demonstrated commitment to defending all of Tennessee’s vulnerable unborn children” and said the endorsement is “based on record of shared commitment and dedication to pro-life cause” in a statement.

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Democrats Play Politics with National Guard Soldiers’ Jobs by Blocking Representative Mark Green’s Amendment to National Defense Authorization Act

House Democrats blocked U.S. Representative Mark Green (R-TN-07)’s amendment late Tuesday to the National Defense Authorization Act which would have enabled guardsmen who refused the COVID-19 vaccine to stay employed.

Green’s amendment fought to protect National Guard and Reserve troops from being prohibited from paid training or education programs simply for their refusal to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. 

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Senate Republican Leader Jack Johnson Says General Assembly Prepared to Make Sure National Guard Soldiers Do Not Lose Their Jobs

FRANKLIN, Tennessee – In comments made during a press gaggle held on Sunday in conjunction with his 16th Annual Boots & Jeans: BBQ & Beans Event, State Senate Majority Leader Jack Johnson signaled that the Tennessee General Assembly is ready to take action in order to help the Tennessee National Guard soldiers who refused the COVID-19 vaccine and that he and his colleagues are “prepared to step up to the plate to make sure these brave men and women do not lose their jobs.”

Johnson’s comments came after U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn and U.S. Representative Mark Green (R-TN-06) gave an update on their federal legislation, which if enacted, would pull funding nationally from enforcement of the COVID-19 vaccine mandate on National Guard soldiers.

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Senator Jack Johnson’s ‘Boots and Jeans, BBQ and Beans’ Event to Feature Several Tennessee Leaders

Tennessee Senator Jack Johnson’s (R-Franklin) annual “Boots and Jeans, BBQ and Beans” fundraising event will feature several prominent leaders from across Tennessee.

According to Johnson’s website, a host of political leaders will attend the event: Governor Bill Lee, Lieutenant Governor Randy McNally, U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn, U.S. Senator Bill Hagerty, and Congressman Mark Green.

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Exclusive: Tennessee State Senate Majority Leader Jack Johnson Supports National Guard Members, Encourages Governor Lee to Help Them

Tennessee Senate Republican Leader Jack Johnson issued a strong statement in support of Tennessee National Guard members who are due to be fired on June 30 because of their refusal to receive a COVID-19 vaccine and encouraging Governor Lee to help these guardsmen.

In a statement issued exclusively to The Tennessee Star, Leader Johnson excoriated the Biden administration’s COVID-19 mandates and said, “It is a travesty that the Biden Administration is prepared to fire brave men and women who faithfully serve our state and nation in the TN National Guard because of their COVID-19 vaccine status.”

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Tennessee Looks to Reinstate SNAP Benefit Work Requirement

A Tennessee bill to reinstate a 20-hour-a-week work requirement for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is headed to the Senate.

Senate Bill 2071 would require able-bodied individuals between age 18 and 49 and without children to work, train or volunteer for 20 hours each week to receive benefits. The bill would be effective once it is signed into law. Work-requirement laws were waived during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to sponsoring Sen. Jack Johnson, R-Franklin.

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Federal Injunction Against Tennessee’s COVID-19 Mask Law Makes No Specific Claims About Americans with Disabilities Act

A federal judge halted a new Tennessee law that prohibits COVID-19 mask mandates in schools on the basis that it violates the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), but the language of the law shows otherwise.

That judge, Waverly Crenshaw, presides over the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee.

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Tennessee Firearms Association Warns One State Senate Bill Does Not Comply with Second Amendment

Members of the Nashville-based Tennessee Firearms Association on Wednesday said members of the Tennessee General Assembly are considering three permit-less carry bills, but one of them does not fully comply with the Second Amendment. TFA Executive Director John Harris told followers by email that the bill to which he refers, Senate Bill 765, is scheduled to make its way to the Tennessee State Senate floor Thursday. The Tennessee General Assembly’s website identifies the sponsor as State Sen. Jack Johnson (R-Franklin).

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Tennessee Group Calls New COVID-19 Education Bill ‘Huge Waste in Spending’

Members of the Williamson County-based Tennessee Stands said this week that a new education bill in the Tennessee General Assembly will waste a lot of money and the state does not need it. State Sen. Jack Johnson (R-Franklin) is sponsoring the bill, the Tennessee Learning Loss Remediation and Student Acceleration Act. The COVID-19 pandemic, and its effects on public schools, prompted the legislation.

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Tennessee’s Top Republicans Request Two Things: Vote Tuesday and Recruit Your Friends To Do The Same

Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee, U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), U.S. Rep. Mark Green (R-TN-07), and U.S Senate Republican candidate Bill Hagerty urged their supporters to vote Tuesday and to also re-elect U.S. President Donald Trump.

They did so Sunday at Franklin’s Liberty Hall inside The Factory, where State Sen. Jack Johnson (R-Franklin) hosted his annual Boots & Jeans, BBQ & Beans event.

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Tennessee State Senate Majority Leader Jack Johnson Joins Leahy and Roberts to Discuss the Governor’s Approach on the Heartbeat Bill

Tuesday morning on The Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy – broadcast on Nashville’s Talk Radio 98.3 and 1510 WLAC weekdays from 5:00 a.m. to 8:00 a.m. – Leahy was joined in the studio by State Senator Kerry Roberts and on the newsmaker line by Tennessee State Senate Majority Leader Jack Johnson.

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Newly Elected Tennessee State Senate Majority Leader Jack Johnson Talks with The Tennessee Star Report

On Tuesday’s Tennessee Star Report with Steve Gill and Michael Patrick Leahy and special guest co-host, Harriet Wallace of Fox 17 – broadcast on Nashville’s Talk Radio 98.3 and 1510 WLAC weekdays from 5:00 am to 8:00 am –spoke to newly elected official Senate Majority Leader, Jack Johnson of Williamson County regarding his new position, the continuous Williamson county winning streak and what will be on the General Assembly’s table with a new “crop” of incoming state officials. Gill: Jack, it’s like all about Williamson County lately. Johnson: Great to be with you guys. You know I think it’s more coincidence than anything else. A lot of people have made note of that.  And it is exciting for Williamson county because we think have some good people and so humbling and it’s such an honor to win the respect of your peers and be elected to these caucus leadership positions.  So I’m excited, we’ve got a great new Governor whose coming in and were going to have a great speaker of the house.  I think we’ve got a really good team to take Tennessee forward. Gill: Well and people forget you’ve got the Lieutenant Governor from East Tennessee, the previous…

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