The good, bad of 2015 TN legislative session
Success is a matter of perspective. As the 2015 regular legislative session ended, Tennessee lawmakers and advocates across the political spectrum heralded the success or lamented the failure of an array of issues.
Here's a look at the good, bad and the ugly of the legislative session on 10 key issues:
ABORTION
Why it was a good session:
Lawmakers passed two bills that anti-abortion rights advocates support. One creates new regulations for inspections of clinics that perform at least 50 abortions. The second requires doctors to read an "informed consent" that goes over the potential dangers of the procedure before providing an abortion and creates a 48-hour waiting period between the time a woman seeks an abortion and when she can actually go through with the procedure.
Why it was a bad session:
Abortion rights advocates hate the measures, saying they are all thinly veiled attempts to prevent women from going through with legal medical procedures. A bill that may have required doctors to describe ultrasound images to a woman before an abortion failed, but that's likely to come back up at some point next year.
HEALTH CARE
Why it was a good session:
Conservative lawmakers and organizations heralded the death of Insure Tennessee, Gov. Bill Haslam's plan to provide hundreds of thousands of low-income Tennesseans with federally subsidized health care. They said the plan wasn't fiscally responsible, and the federal government couldn't be trusted to keep its word on sustained funding.
Why it was a bad session:
There were tears and yelling in a Senate committee room after lawmakers killed Insure Tennessee for the second time. The state estimates there are as many as 470,000 people who might've been eligible for the program. Advocates of the plan say they have few other options for finding ways to help this population pay for the health services they need.
GUNS
Why it was a good session:
The National Rifle Association and other gun advocacy groups touted the governor's decision to sign a controversial guns-in-parks bill. Lawmakers also passed bills that gave employees legal standing to sue if they're fired for the sole reason of having a gun in their car at work; legalized specific kinds of targets that explode when they're shot; created a new lifetime handgun permit; and created a new legal framework for people sent by a judge to a mental institution to have their ability to carry guns restored.
Why it was a bad session:
The Safe Tennessee Project, a relatively new gun-control advocacy group, said it was very disappointed the governor signed the guns-in-parks bill and accused lawmakers of catering to the whims of the NRA. But lawmakers did kill bills to let people carry guns without a permit; do away with background checks for gun sales to people with permits; and allow people with handgun permits to carry guns the same places as an off-duty law enforcement officer.
MARIJUANA
Why it was a good session:
After a multi-year push, lawmakers agreed to legalize cannabis oil for medicinal use in the case of seizures or epilepsy. Although the Democrats' perennial medical marijuana bill died, a GOP-led effort was heard in House and Senate committees and is slated for further study this summer.
Why it was a bad session:
Opponents are worried that the GOP-led bill could open the door to Tennessee fully legalizing medical marijuana or recreational marijuana. Those fears — and fears from medical marijuana advocates that the law had questionable requirements before someone could use medicinal marijuana — helped stall the Republican bill this year.
TEACHERS
Why it was a good session:
A year after Haslam and the administration had to rein in a promised raise, they were able to deliver $100 million in new spending for teacher pay this year. The administration also added millions to cover an 11th month of insurance for teachers, who only receive 10 of coverage paid by the state.
Why it was a bad session:
A new law provides some flexibility for certain teachers in how test scores are used in their employment evaluations. But it didn't address the law that includes scores for subjects not taught by teachers in fields like art, music or physical education to remain in those teacher's evaluations. Another bill also allows charter school operators to choose their own insurance program for teachers. There's a fear the charters will offer plans that are substantially inferior — but cheaper for the operator — to their teachers.
STUDENTS
Why it was a good session:
Tennessee passed what could be the first version of any voucher bill in state history. The bill allows parents to get more than $6,000 a year to help pay for private education for students with an Individual Education Plan. IEPs are typically reserved for students with disabilities. Opponents say the bill doesn't offer enough funding and doesn't create a good framework to offer services to students with IEPs.
Why it was a bad session:
The larger school voucher bill died again. Supporters say the bill helps students trapped in failing schools pay for a private school education. Opponents say vouchers don't necessarily help students and drain public funds from schools where they're needed the most. Lawmakers killed a bill on the final day of session that would have allowed certain undocumented immigrant students who live in Tennessee to pay in-state tuition rates at colleges and universities.
EDUCATION
Why it was a good session:
Haslam and lawmakers found consensus on what to do with the controversial Common Core education standards. They created a bill that establishes a new layer of review for standards. All high school students have to pass a civics test — similar to those given to immigrants applying for citizenship — before they can graduate thanks to a new bill that passed this year.
Why it was a bad session:
Democrats argued the governor's push on education, including new funding for teachers in the state budget, is not enough and comes too late. Advocates for the Tennessee Virtual Academy — a struggling online school that contracts with for-profit K-12 Inc. and is open to all students in the state — could not convince enough lawmakers to support legislation to keep the state from closing it.
RELIGION
Why it was a good session:
The Bible won't be the official state book of Tennessee this year. However, advocates for that bill also supported several religious matters that did pass. One says certain government entities can't subpoena clergy's sermons in civil and administrative cases.
Why it was a bad session:
Advocates for a bill making the Bible the state's official book were disappointed the proposal failed and are committed to bringing up the legislation again next year. The American Center for Outreach, which advocates for Muslims in Tennessee, says a different bill could unfairly target mosques if a member of the mosque commits a crime. Bill sponsor Sen. Bill Ketron, R-Murfreesboro, argues the bill allows people to sue all entities involved in the event of a terrorist attack.
STATE EMPLOYEES
Why it was a good session:
After an initial push to end the longevity pay benefit for all executive branch employees, Haslam and lawmakers changed the bill so that only future employees won't receive the benefit.
Why it was a bad session:
Future executive branch employees won't receive longevity pay, and there's no indication the governor won't push to end the benefit for current employees at some point in the future.
BOOZE
Why it was a good session:
Tennessee created a new "Tennessee moonshine" law that, in theory, makes it illegal for people to market their product as "Tennessee moonshine" unless its made in the state. A bill to end the law that allows passengers to drink in all vehicles died again in committee. A bill to allow drinking outside near the Music City Center in Nashville passed.
Why it was a bad session:
The bill to repeal the state's "Tennessee whiskey" law died. Opponents say the law is too restricting. Supporters say the bill helps protect the quality of whiskey made in the state. A bill that would allow wine to be sold in grocery stores this summer, instead of next summer as law currently states, died.
Reach Dave Boucher at 615-259-8892 and on Twitter @Dave_Boucher1.