The Tennessee Legislature passed a pair of bills intended to fight illegal immigration in the state.
The bill will require the Tennessee District Attorneys General Conference to collect and compile the data on the costs related to illegal immigrants in the state who are charged or convicted of a criminal offense. The report will be sent to the governor and both the House and Senate speaker.
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Selling alcohol at bars starting at 8 a.m. on Sundays, the same as other days of the week, is under consideration in the Tennessee Legislature and being pushed by the NFL Titans.
The bill would require a city that has approved liquor-by-the-drink sales by referendum to pass an ordinance to allow alcohol sales earlier than the current 10 a.m. on Sundays.
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Tennessee State Representative Jason Zachary (R-Knoxville) said that Tennessee will not comply with any effort by the federal government to reinstate COVID-19 mask mandates.
According to Zachary, Tennessee has safeguards in place to prevent the government from imposing another mask mandate in the state.
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While Tennessee residents say they believe overall things are going well in the state, they also say they are worse off than a year before in a recent poll.
A Beacon Center poll of 1,120 residents across the political spectrum said that 55% were satisfied with how things are going in the state while 38% are not satisfied.
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The Tennessee Legislature continued to change the way its airports are funded through legislation passed in the final days of session.
A bill to lower the state’s corporate aviation fuel tax cap to $1 million per company passed along with a bill to reconstitute the Metropolitan Nashville Airport Authority and several budget appropriations to individual airports and the state’s airports as a whole.
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Tuesday morning on The Tennessee Star Report, host Michael Patrick Leahy welcomed State Senate Majority Leader Jack Johnson (R-Franklin) in studio to discuss recent legislation that has passed quickly in the Tennessee Legislature.
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A left-wing news outlet labeled the expulsion of two Tennessee state lawmakers as an act of partisanship.
“Breaking news: In a historic act of partisan retaliation, the Republican-led Tennessee House voted Thursday to expel two Democratic lawmakers who halted proceedings last week to join protesters demanding gun-control legislation after a mass killing,” said The Washington Post on Twitter, linking to a news story the outlet wrote on the subject.
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Wednesday morning on the Tennessee Star Report, host Michael Patrick Leahy welcomed the original all-star panelist Crom Carmichael to the studio for another edition of Crom’s Crommentary.
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A bill that would allow those 18 years old and older to concealed carry and obtain a permit in Tennessee now has different versions moving through the Senate and House.
House Bill 1005 lowers the age of permits to 18 and changes the term handgun to firearm in Tennessee code. The bill, sponsored by Rep. Chris Todd, R-Madison County, is aimed at matching a court agreement between the Firearms Policy Coalition and Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti following FPC’s lawsuit against Tennessee’s current law, which restricts through between ages 18 and 21 from receiving permits.
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Tuesday morning on The Tennessee Star Report, host Leahy welcomed all-star panelist Clint Brewer in studio to further comment on The Wall Street Journal’s editorial board.
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A bill filed in the Tennessee State House criminalizing the online posting of false business reviews has received a sponsor in the state Senate.
Senator Joey Hensley (R-Hohenwald-SD-28) filed the companion bill to HB1664, SB1832, on January 20, 2022.
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A Tennessee legislator filed a bill which would criminalize the posting of false reviews about businesses on the internet.
If passed, the House Bill 1664 would classify those actions as Class B misdemeanors under the Tennessee Code. The maximum penalties for a Class B misdemeanor conviction in Tennessee are fines of up to $500, as much as 6 months in jail, or both.
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The red state/blue state dichotomy is not simple.
Nowhere is that more apparent than Tennessee where—despite having one of the most conservative electorates in the country—the leadership has been passive at best in responding to the wishes of their supporters during these days of great crisis.
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The Tennessee Legislature finished its special session on Ford’s $5.6 billion electric truck project Wednesday by approving $884 million in spending and creating a Megasite Authority of West Tennessee board to oversee operations.
“This is the largest single economic investment in rural Tennessee’s history,” Gov. Bill Lee said. “… It is, most importantly, a win for western Tennessee’s workforce.”
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Tuesday morning on the Tennessee Star Report, host Michael Patrick Leahy welcomed Executive Director and Founder of Tennessee Firearms Association, John Harris in studio to offer support and training to those who would like to run for public office.
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If Gov. Bill Lee calls for a special session of the Tennessee Legislature, it will cost state taxpayers more than $30,000 per day.
Each day the House and Senate meet costs $30,750 in per diem for lawmakers, while each round trip for all lawmakers costs taxpayers $15,474 in mileage, according to Connie Ridley, the director of Tennessee’s Office of Legislative Administration.
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Wednesday morning on the Tennessee Star Report, guest host Ben Cunningham welcomed Grant Henry in studio to discuss the excellence of the Tennessee legislature and the importance for citizens to become involved.
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Tennesseans may have the option to weigh in on the legalization or decriminalization of marijuana: medical, recreational, or both. State Representative Bruce Griffey (R-Paris) introduced bill HB 1634 on Wednesday to include a voter opinion poll on the subject within the November 2022 ballot.
The poll would ask voters if Tennessee should legalize medical marijuana, decriminalize possession of less than one ounce of marijuana, and legalize and regulate commercial sales of recreational marijuana.
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The Tennessee Legislature is looking into giving local education districts more leeway to open or shut schools during public emergencies — or the governor the power to send students back to campus.
On Monday, Tennessee State Senator Brian Kelsey (R-Germantown) presented Senate Bill 103 to the full Senate. The bill passed the Senate as amended, 27-5.
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Tennessee Lieutenant Governor Randy McNally (R-Oak Ridge) on Tuesday was re-elected for his third term as Speaker of the Senate, while State Representative Cameron Sexton (R-Crossville) returned as House Speaker.
The Tennessee House Republican Caucus tweeted, “The 112th General Assembly convened today in Nashville! Congratulations to our re-elected Speaker of the House Cameron Sexton, newly elected Speaker Pro Tem Pat Marsh, and all our members as they were sworn into office. @CSexton25 @marsh4tn”.
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One Democratic leader in the Tennessee House is questioning the need for a special session to address education topics.
State Representative Vincent Dixie (D-Nashville), chairman of the Democratic House Caucus, is skeptical, Fox 17 News reported.
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Thursday morning on the Tennessee Star Report, host Michael Patrick Leahy welcomed Tennessee state Senate Majority Leader Jack Johnson to the studio to discuss his role in government and the enthusiasm for Trump.
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Gov. Bill Lee believes the Tennessee Legislature should not limit the existing executive emergency powers of the governor, Lee’s staff told a committee reviewing executive emergency powers.
The ad hoc study committee, co-chaired by Sen. Ferrell Haile, R-Gallatin, and Rep. Jason Zachary, R-Knoxville, met for a second time Thursday to hear testimony from Tennessee Attorney General Herbert Slatery, members of the governor’s executive staff and others.
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Major pro-life legislation was approved by the Tennessee Legislature in Friday’s early morning hours just before legislators wrapped up their year.
Passage — and the end of the session — came as a surprise because Senate leaders had said they would not take the abortion measure up in this condensed year, according to a story by The Tennessee Journal: On the Hill. The publication also reported the Senate did this to persuade the House to back off of making changes to the budget proposal the Senate had approved.
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A resolution that would enshrine right-to-work protections in the Tennessee Constitution has passed the state House after already clearing the Senate.
“Since 1947, Tennessee has valued the right to work because we understand that it is truly a right,” Rep. Robin Smith, R-Hixson, said on the House floor Wednesday evening before the resolution passed, 67-23.
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Tennessee House Speaker Herbert Slatery has issued an opinion about State Rep. David Byrd (R-Waynesboro) and whether state law allows for any attempts to expel him from the Tennessee General Assembly.
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State Rep. Mike Carter (R-TN-29) of Ooltewah reportedly wrote to all House chairmen and vice chairmen in his bid to become the next Speaker, multiple media outlets report. Carter promises fair treatment to all members without retribution, according to the Chattanooga Times Free Press. A meeting of the Tennessee House Republican Caucus has been scheduled for Wednesday, July 24, to select a Republican nominee for Speaker of the House to replace Rep. Glen Casada (R-TN-63) of Franklin in the position, The Tennessee Star reported. The next day, Gov. Bill Lee called for a special session of the Legislature to be held on Friday, Aug. 23 at 10 a.m. to vote for the replacement. In his letter, Carter told the chairmen and vice chairs they would keep their positions, the Times Free Press said. Carter did not return a phone call from The Star regarding the letter. According to a story by the Tennessee Journal: On the Hill, Carter told the chairmen: My request to serve you as Speaker is not about me, it’ s about you. I promise to use the Speaker’s office to promote each of you as the “Elected Official” in your district. This will begin with…
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A newspaper claims that House Speaker Glen Casada’s former chief of staff once bragged to a reporter that he had bugged legislative committee meeting rooms and now a Democratic leader is calling for an investigation. Joel Ebert of The Tennessean reported last week that the ex-chief of staff, Cade Cothren, told a reporter earlier this year that he could view and listen to people in the rooms whenever he wanted. The story is available here. Last week, Cothren denied the comments as well as his ability to eavesdrop. Also, The Tennessean said that white noise machines, which hamper the ability to eavesdrop, were located in the ceilings of the hallways inside and outside of Casada’s office. The newspaper says several lawmakers had expressed concern someone might be recording their conversations in private meetings, but the publication did not name names other than Casada. Ebert, the statehouse reporter for The Tennessean, now says State Rep. Mike Stewart (D-TN-52), chairman of the Democratic House Caucus, has called for a federal investigation. On Wednesday, Ebert tweeted, “Here is a copy of the letter that @RepMikeStewart sent to the US Attorney’s office today, asking for a probe into the information I wrote about…
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Tennessee House Speaker Glen Casada is moving to handle the continued fallout over revelations that include allegedly inappropriate text messages involving him and former chief of staff Cade Cothren. Casada said he directed the Speaker’s office to cooperate with a District Attorney General’s Conference investigation of an email from activist Justin Jones. Even as the pressure is ramping up for his resignation, Rep. Casada (R-TN-63) issued an action plan on Friday: As we move into the weekend, I wanted to share a quick update on the immediate steps we are taking to follow up on the Action Plan released earlier this week to address recent issues and concerns. Today I submitted a letter to the Chairman of the House Ethics Committee requesting that they issue an advisory opinion concerning my actions taken relative to the resignation of my former Chief of Staff. I welcome feedback from this bipartisan committee. I have learned that a special prosecutor has been appointed by the District Attorney Generals’ Conference to begin investigating the email from Mr. Justin Jones that was forwarded by my former Chief of Staff to the local District Attorney. My desire is for this independent review to be completed as…
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A bill that strengthens Tennessee’s protections against female genital mutilation (FGM) is headed to Gov. Bill Lee for his signature after the Legislature approved the measure. The national EndFGMToday campaign issued a press release congratulating Tennessee lawmakers. The advocacy organization said the bill will provide additional protections for women and girls from FGM and punish the perpetrators. The bill will strengthen an already-existing law already on the books. “The mutilation of little girls’ genitals defies all standards of humanity and cries out as a hideous violation of human rights, according to the United Nations and World Health Organization,” said attorney and child welfare advocate Elizabeth Yore, who heads EndFGMToday. “The CDC estimates that 513,000 girls are at risk of female genital mutilation in the United States. Legislators in Tennessee realize this fact and are working to strengthen their laws even further to protect women and girls in their state. EndFGMToday urges Gov. Bill Lee to sign this critically important legislation as soon as possible.” State Rep. Terri Weaver (R-TN-40) was the sponsor of the House legislation, HB 1364. State Sen. Joey Hensley (R-TN-28) sponsored SB 1166 in the Senate. The tracking information is here. The bill passed unanimously in…
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by Jeff Hartline Today, while millions of Tennessee voters are busy at work taking care of their families and contributing to the vibrant economy of the Great State of Tennessee, their elected Representatives and Senators are huddled in various offices and in their respective Chambers doing the business of the State itself. This business involves listening to various entities and citizens and pursuing legislative remedies designed to make Tennessee a better, safer state. Bills are filed, co-sponsored, verified through legal departments, and started through the various sub-committees and committees for consideration prior to going to the Floor for a vote. These processes are intended to be transparent, as evidenced by the requirements to place legislation on the General Assembly website and track the process of various legislative initiatives, to the point of televising live the video proceedings of the committee process and debates on the Chamber Floor. For the most part, bills are filed with a clear statement of what the legislation is about, with a brief explanation of what the bill is designed to do. This is often referred to as the “caption” of the bill. The legal text of the bill then follows, usually in a linked…
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