Tennessee General Assembly information, click HERE. For information on State Senators, including phone numbers and email addresses, click HERE; for House members, click HERE. For information on legislation, click HERE.
Don't forget that you can now watch the Senate committee meetings and floor sessions online by going HERE; House committee meetings and floor sessions online HERE.
Phone calls can go to the legislative Switchboard at 615-741-3011 or to the Toll Free number 1-800-449-8366+1 last four digits of office phone number (available online).
DON'T KNOW WHO YOUR SENATOR OR REPRESENTATIVE IS?
Just go HERE and you can find out!!
“Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn't pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same, or one day we will spend our sunset years telling our children and our children's children what it was once like in the United States where men were free.”
― Ronald Reagan |
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FOR YOUR PRAYER LIST:
Well to start with, 17 people have died in Tennessee during this past dreadful week that we have endured. Many more have been hurt in accidents - cars, snowboarding, etc. And it isn't over. Continue to remember Lt. Gov. Randy McNally as his surgical recuperation continues and pray that the lawmakers have a safe trip to the Capitol on Monday and get down to the business of the state..
Well, as you know, because of the Arctic invasion of Tennessee, Lt. Gov.and the House Speaker decided to close Cordell Hull and canceled all legislative meetings for this week. The General Assembly is scheduled to convene again on Monday, January 23rd.
[Enjoy the beautiful picture that my good friend, Steve Crump, made of the Capitol in the snow.]
We would really appreciate starting the 2024 Legislative Session with YOUR help. Our donors are the lifeblood of our organization and enable us to continue fighting for the conservative causes we believe in.
BECAUSE OF THE POSTPONEMENT, THIS IS STILL FIRST ON OUR CALENDAR:
SCHEDULED IN THE SENATE STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT COMMITTEE ON TUESDAY - WE OPPOSE THIS LEGISLATION.
US CONSTITUTION REQUIRING TERM LIMITS
HJR 0005 by *Todd , Sparks, Warner, Zachary, Bricken, Hawk, Lynn, Richey, Garrett, Powers, Capley, Carr, Vital
Constitutional Conventions - Makes application to Congress for the purpose of calling an Article V convention to propose an amendment to the United States Constitution to set a limit on the number of terms to which a person may be elected as a member of the Congress of the United States.
BACKGROUND: Last year HJR0005 passed the House floor 66-27-3.
WE UNDERSTAND THE DESIRE TO GET SOME OF THE PRESENT OCCUPANTS OUT OF D.C.(I would be happy to start the list!!), BUT WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND WHAT IT WOULD MEAN TO DO THAT THROUGH THE CONSTITUTION RATHER THAN THE BALLOT BOX.
PLEASE REVIEW THE INFORMATION PROVIDED BELOW:
The Problems with ARTIFICIAL Term Limits
1. We have 'term limits', they are called "elections", every two, four, and six years. Just because voters are derelict in their duty, does not mean we must change our process.
2. 'Artificial' term limits means giving the bureaucracy a LOT more power; in addition, institutional memory and experience is no longer available.
3. Voters are prohibited from voting for the person they believe to be the best choice for that office.
4. Term limits create multiple classes of 'lame ducks' and successive 'freshman' classes. We all know that in the last term any official serves, without re-election on the horizon, there is no longer the accountability that was once there.
5. This would prevent legislators from gaining the experience they need to become skilled lawmakers.
6. This would also interfere with experienced legislators gaining seniority to gain committee chairmanships and leadership positions.
7. Term Limits give Lobbyists more influence.
8. A term limits amendment is a feel-good palliative which distracts us from dealing with the real problem: People in Congress disregarding the Constitution.
Here's a look at congressional tenure, by the numbers:
The average years of service for Members of the 117th Congress, as of January 3, 2021, when the Congress convened, was 8.9 years for the House and 11.0 years for the Senate. In comparison, the average years of service for Members of the 116th Congress, as of January 3, 2019, when the Congress convened, was 8.6 years for the House and 10.1 years for the Senate
The way to effectively reform Congress lies in supporting and voting for candidates who uphold the belief in a stronger local government rather than a stronger national government. Term limits will not achieve the reform that is needed in our federal government because term limits will NOT RESTRAIN the power of our federal government.
Don’t Be Fooled by Article V Conventions.
Five reasons to oppose congressional term limits
A QUOTE FROM JAMELLE BOUIE:
"Term limits won’t deliver you to this promised land of functioning government. Term limits exacerbate all the worst features of American governance, while improving little about our candidates or elections. The quality of lawmaking goes down, the influence of lobbyists goes up, and public spiritedness erodes even further.
PLEASE CONTACT THE MEMBERS OF THIS COMMITTEE AND URGE THEM TO VOTE NO ON HJR005:
Sen. Richard Briggs sen.richard.briggs@capitol.tn.gov
Sen. Page Walley sen.page.walley@capitol.tn.gov
Sen. Mark Pody sen.mark.pody@capitol.tn.gov
Sen. Ed Jackson sen.ed.jackson@capitol.tn.gov
Sen. Sara Kyle sen.sara.kyle@capitol.tn.gov
Sen. Adam Lowe sen.adam.lowe@capitol.tn.gov
Sen. John Stevens sen.john.stevens@capitol.tn.gov
Sen. Ken Yager sen.ken.yager@capitol.tn.gov
Sen. Jeff Yarbro sen.jeff.yarbro@capitol.tn.gov
HUMAN TRAFFICKING VICTIM
SB 0181 by *Walley - HB 1384 by *Ragan
Criminal Offenses - As introduced, deletes the criminal offense of aggravated prostitution and permits a person to have a prior conviction for aggravated prostitution that was the result of the person's status as a human trafficking victim expunged if the person meets certain conditions
STATUS: SB181 is in Senate Judiciary Tuesday afternoon. HB1384 is in the *Criminal Justice Subcommittee (same committee for HB1663) on Tuesday.
ACTION: Please contact the Senate and House members below and urge them to support this bill:
Sen. Todd Gardenhire sen.todd.gardenhire@capitol.tn.gov
Sen. Sara Kyle sen.sara.kyle@capitol.tn.gov
Sen. London Lamar sen.london.lamar@capitol.tn.gov
Rep. John Gillespie rep.john.gillespie@capitol.tn.gov
Rep. GA Hardaway rep.ga.hardaway@capitol.tn.gov
Rep. Gloria Johnson rep.gloria.johnson@capitol.tn.gov
Rep. Joe Towns rep.joe.towns@capitol.tn.gov
PUNISHMENT FOR CHILD RAPE:
HB 1663 by *Lamberth Littleton, Faison, Capley, Sexton, Garrett, Doggett, McCalmon, Zachary, Grills, Sherrell, Bricken, Wright
Sentencing - As introduced, authorizes the death penalty as a punishment for rape of a child, aggravated rape of a child, or especially aggravated rape of a child. - Amends TCA Title 39; Title 40 and Chapter 1062 of the Public Acts of 2022.
STATUS: HB1663 is ALSO scheduled in the Criminal Justice Subcommittee on Tuesday.
ACTION: Please click on the committee link, then the picture where you will find the email link under the picture. This is certainly a bill that we want to support.
WE ARE JUST GETTING STARTED FOR THE 2024 SESSION.
The 'cut off' date for filing bills in the House is January 31; in the Senate it is February 1. We won't know until after that date what will actually start moving through the system. And, don't forget, all the bills that were filed in 2023 - unless passed or defeated - are still 'alive' and could be moved through the system this year.
We have already started our LIST OF INTEREST and that will be added to on a daily basis as all of us negotiate our way through this session.
Of course, the bill that has received the most attention, discussion, and controversy, is the anticipated EDUCATION FREEDOM SCHOLARSHIP ACT. We have heard, "it is going to do this, do that, stop this, start that", etc. However, the truth is, we really don't know what it is going to do as it has not yet been filed so that it can be read and really discussed and evaluated.
OTHER BILLS OF INTEREST SO FAR
SB 1696 by *Walley - HB 1724 by *Gant
Education - As introduced, expands the category of textbooks and instructional materials that are prohibited from use in a public school in this state from those created to align exclusively with the Common Core State Standards to those that are aligned to, associated with, or derived from the Common Core State Standards. - Amends TCA Title 49, Chapter 6.
SB 1643 by *Pody
Consumer Protection - As introduced, requires commercial entities that publish or distribute material on an internet website, more than one-third of which is sexual material harmful to minors, to verify that an individual attempting to access the material is 18 years of age or older; prohibits a commercial entity or a third party that performs the age verification from retaining any identifying information of the individual. - Amends TCA Title 37; Title 47, Chapter 18 and Title 68.
SB 1738 by *Rose
Adoption - As introduced, enacts the "Tennessee Foster and Adoptive Parent Protection Act," which prohibits the department of children's services from requiring an adoptive or foster parent to support a policy on sexual orientation or gender identity that conflicts with the parent's sincerely held religious or moral beliefs.
SB 1717 by *Hensley = HB 1730 by *Capley
Driver Licenses - As introduced, requires all written driver license examinations to be administered in English only; prohibits use of a translation dictionary, electronic device, or interpreter to assist with the examination. - Amends TCA Title 55, Chapter 50, Part 3.
HB 1710 by *Freeman
Right to Die - As introduced, creates a process whereby an adult suffering from a terminal disease may request medication for the purpose of ending the adult's life in a humane and dignified manner if certain requirements are met. - Amends TCA Title 32; Title 39; Title 56 and Title 68.
 DON'T FORGET |
You might want to read the Weekly Wrap
By Staff in Tennessee House Republicans
Gov. Lee Announces Appointments to Key Boards & Commissions.
Wonder what else we will see as we move into the 2024 election season??
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