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!!

FOR YOUR PRAYER LIST:
My Tuesday intern, Joel Spiers and his mother, are recuperating from a pretty serious bout with pneumonia. Please pray for them. Rep. Michael Hale has been very ill but has made some progress. Please keep him in your prayers also.  It looks as if there is going to be some effort to adjourn the General Assembly by the end of next week. There is still MUCH to be accomplished, especially with some VERY controversial bills.  Prayer needed for sure. Some good news: Sen. Steve Southerland was back at the Capitol this week and doing very well.

NICK'S CORNER:
This week at the Tennessee State Legislature, I had the blessing to witness God's provision once again in regard to a bill that moved in a positive direction. I got to see multiple people's hard work and skill reap a harvest as God blessed their labor. I got to see what can happen when people stay the course and remain faithful in their pursuit. This wonderful excitement happened as I continued to see first-hand the process each bill must move through, especially as the legislative session comes closer to an end and bills are starting to be moved to the floor to be voted on.

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
STATUS: I am EXTREMELY disappointed to report that HJR005 passed the Senate floor 18-11. If we could only have picked up just two more votes, it would NOT have passed!! I am very grateful for the excellent opposing statements that were made by Sen. Yarbro, Sen. Gardenhire, and Sen.Taylor.

"EDUCATION FREEDOM SCHOLARSHIP ACT"
SB 0503 by *Johnson - Lamberth- HB 1183
by *Lamberth , WHITE, CEPICKY, MOODY, SLATER, GARRETT
Education - As introduced, extends from October to November, the time within which a public institution of higher education that receives funds from the distribution of credit cards to students or any percentage from the use of cards bearing the college or university name or logo must report the amount of such funds or percentage received as well as how the funds were expended during the previous fiscal year to the education committee of the senate and the education administration committee of the house of representatives. - Amends TCA Title 4; Title 8 and Title 49

STATUS(last week): SB503, AS AMENDED, was scheduled in Senate FW&M this week, but was postponed until April 9th.  HB1183, AS AMENDED, has been scheduled in House FW&M sub on April 10th.

UPDATE: Neither the Senate nor the House bill was actually heard in the respective committees this week. The Senate bill was moved to the Finance, Ways and Means Committee on Monday and the House bill is scheduled in the Finance, Ways, and Means Subcommittee on Tuesday.

Tennessee statewide school voucher plan stalls as legislature enters final weeks.

DO WE HAVE "A BILL" YET???  NO!!! There are only competing bills that are very far apart. EVERYTHING is on the line next week. There is still time for you to contact the members of those committees - see orange links above - to express your concerns, ask your questions, etc. 

RIGHTS FOR PARENTS?
SB 2749 by *Haile - HB 2936 by *Faison
Children - As introduced, enacts the “Families’ Rights and Responsibilities Act." - Amends TCA Title 33; Title 36; Title 37; Title 49; Title 63 and Title 68.
STATUS:  On March 28, AS AMENDED, SB2749 passed the Senate 24-5. After traveling through the House committees with NO RECORDED votes, it was placed on the House floor Calendar for Thursday.  Surprisingly, Rep. Faison simply stood up and said: "I move to hold that on the Desk."

UPDATE: It does not seem to me that this proposal is 'ready for prime time'!! There are some SIGNIFICANT questions that are still being asked. Some questions have been brought up by attorneys. All these concerns need attention before any floor vote is taken on HB2936.  

THESE ARE JUST A FEW OF THE CONCERNS:

(4) State law enacted after July 1, 2024, is subject to this chapter unless the law explicitly excludes such application by reference to this chapter.
                       Could this language open the door to future laws violating or usurping parental rights??

(3) "Decision-making authority" means the power granted by the state to a nonparent to make important decisions regarding a child....
                       Who might fit this description? Exactly under what conditions does the power of the state give decision-making authority to someone else?

(A) A parent of the minor has given blanket consent authorizing the person or entity to perform an activity listed in subsection
                       Parents can sign these forms casually without really knowing or understanding how encompassing this 'blanket' can be or might be or the 'rights' they are waiving. Perhaps a signed form like this could mean waiving the right to legal action if something goes wrong. There is a lot of difference between 'blanket consent' vs. 'informed consent'.

IN ADDITION: I don't recall any real discussion about Tennessee's MATURE MINOR DOCTRINE and the impact this bill would have on it or the impact this doctrine could have on this legislation if it became law.
ACTION: I think this needs a lot more study than it has received. PLEASE take the time to read this very important proposal - You and YOUR children are affected here.  You can find the House members HERE to ask questions, voice your opinion, etc.

GUN SAFETY TRAINING
SB 2923 by *Bailey - HB 2882 by *Todd
Education, Curriculum - As introduced, requires, beginning with the 2025-2026 school year, each local education agency and public charter school to provide students with age-appropriate and grade-appropriate instruction on firearm safety. - Amends TCA Title 49, Chapter 6.

UPDATE: SB2923 passed the Senate 24-3; HB2882 passed the House 79-12 and has been sent to the Governor for his signature.
                  Tennessee Lawmakers Pass Bill Requiring Gun Safety Lessons in Schools

CREDIT CARD FIREARM PURCHASE
SB 2223 by *Johnson, Haile, Bowling, Crowe, Hensley, Bailey, Jackson, Niceley, Pody, Rose, Southerland, Stevens, Taylor, Walley, Yager  
HB 2762 by *Grills , LAMBERTH, ZACHARY, TODD, BOYD, FRITTS, POWERS, DOGGETT, WILLIAMS, BARRETT, CAPLEY, COCHRAN, MARTIN B, MOODY, FAISON, VITAL, HURT, REEDY, RICHEY, MARTIN G, DAVIS, LYNN, LEATHERWOOD, HULSEY, BRICKEN, HALE, BULSO, HILL, BURKHART, WARNER, STEVENS, MCCALMON, SPARKS, SHERRELL, GANT, BUTLER, CEPICKY, HAWK, RAPER, MOON, HASTON, DARBY, TERRY, RUSSELL, LITTLETON, ALEXANDER, SLATER, WHITE, MARSH, WRIGHT, RUDDER, HELTON-HAYNES, CARRINGER
Credit and Debit Cards - As introduced, enacts the "Second Amendment Financial Privacy Act," which prohibits a financial institution from requiring the usage of a merchant code that distinguishes a firearms retailer from a general merchandise retailer or a sporting goods retailer and from disclosing a financial record collected in violation of the prohibition
UPDATE:  As AMENDED, SB2223 passed the Senate 27-3; HB2762 passed the House 75-17-2 and has been sent to the Governor for his signature. 
Credit card firearm purchase codes prevention heads to Tennessee governor.

LAW ENFORCEMENT, ETC., "SHALL" COOPERATE IN VARIOUS IMMIGRATION TASKS
SB 2576 by *Taylor - HB 2124 by *Grills
Immigration - As introduced, requires, rather than authorizes, law enforcement agencies to communicate with the appropriate federal official regarding the immigration status of any individual, including reporting knowledge that a particular alien is not lawfully present in the United States or otherwise cooperate with the appropriate federal official in the identification, apprehension, detention, or removal of aliens not lawfully present in the United States. - Amends TCA Title 7, Chapter 68

STATUS:  SB2576-HB2124, as AMENDED, has been sent to the Governor for his signature.
The passage of this bill has caused quite a stir. The Governor has 10 days to VETO, sign, or not sign the bill.  If he chooses not to sign the bill, it will still become law without his signature. But let's encourage him to sign it! We can call 615-741-2001 and leave a polite message asking him to sign this bill.     

Hundreds protest new immigration bill on Gov. Lee’s desk.

UPDATE: I am DELIGHTED to report that Governor Lee signed this important bill on April 11. 

Covenant Families File Ethics Complaint Against Gardenhire.

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