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!!

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FOR YOUR PRAYER LIST:
I can't think of a time that has needed more prayer than now. Monday may be the last day of the 2025 legislature; maybe Tuesday. Some VERY important decisions remain to be made, and these decisions need to be made prayerfully and respectfully for sure.

WHERE TO START?  SO MUCH happened !!

And I don't know how to tell this amazing story except to walk you through the day that we had and that was given to me!! 

Sen. Brent Taylor

Wednesday, Gwen and I arrived at the Capitol about 8:30 and visited with Sen. Taylor to see if everything was in order for the floor session that afternoon. Then we went to the House Gallery to watch the bills coming on the floor.  The Senate Floor session was scheduled to begin at 1:00pm, so I was pretty insistent about going over to that Gallery.  Well, Gwen tried to get me to stay in the House Gallery, and in fact, I got a text from Rep. Chris Todd, asking me to come back to the house with some excuse.  
What I didn't know was that Chris and a group of amazing friends had a surprise planned for me!!

HJR 0670 A RESOLUTION to honor Bobbie Patray for her many years of
service to Eagle Forum and leadership in the State of Tennessee.
by *Todd , Moody, Howell, Garrett, Crawford, Leatherwood, Hawk, Lamberth, Faison, Hicks G, Williams, Sherrell, Cochran, Gillespie, Doggett, Rudd, Vaughan, Gant, Darby, Hill, Jones R, Boyd, Russell, Martin B, Lynn, Littleton, McCalmon, Maberry, Kumar, Butler, Lafferty, Cepicky, Terry, Keisling, Farmer, Marsh, White, Travis, Zachary, Stevens, Haston, Helton-Haynes, Alexander, Vital, Hicks T, Stinnett, Bricken, Atchley, Eldridge, Hale, Moon, Davis, Hulsey, Bulso, Rudder, Carringer, Baum, Reneau, Barrett, Sparks, Fritts, Wright, Burkhart, Hurt, Slater, Raper, Powers, Scarbrough, Martin G, Sexton
HJR 670 passed 72-17-2; clearly I have some detractors.

 After the vote was taken, I received a standing ovation, STUNNED, AMAZED and SO GRATEFUL for a surprise that took my breath away. 

My good friend, Rep. Chris Todd with my other sneaky friends (from left) Suzanne Scott, Nicole Smith, Chris Todd, former legislator Terri Lynn Weaver, and Gwen Adams. My former lobbying partner, Joanne Bregman, who recently moved to MD, was very involved by email and text. Thanks to Chris' assistant, Robb Cagle, who helped to get the signatures collected on the resolution. 
The stories of planning, writing the resolution, getting there, hiding, so I would not see them, getting me back to the House gallery, the help of the Speaker, the work of getting all those co-sponsors signed on would probably make an interesting book some day.

I was SO HONORED to have the 50 years that I have been with Eagle Forum and the 38 years that I have been here recognized like this. I am BLESSED and SO GRATFUL!!

HJR670 is scheduled on the Senate Consent Calendar for Monday, then to the Governor for his signature. We will see if it says on Consent.  I have seen controversial bills on the calendar taken off and put on the regular calendar so they can be debated.  We shall see.

HUMAN TRAFFICKING TO INCLUDE SMUGGLING
SB 0392 by *Taylor, Johnson, White, Rose, Harshbarger, Lowe, Seal, Southerland, Hatcher, Bailey, Bowling, Hensley, Jackson, Stevens, Walley, Watson
HB 0322 by *Todd Lamberth, Leatherwood, Keisling, Doggett, Russell, Atchley, Gant, Hill, Carringer, Martin B, Hulsey, Sherrell, Reneau, Stinnett, Moon, McCalmon, Alexander, Powers, Reedy, Zachar
Criminal Offenses - As introduced, creates the offense of human smuggling; creates the offense of harboring or hiding, or assisting another in harboring or hiding, within this state an individual who the person knows or should have known has illegally entered or remained in the United States; authorizes the attorney general to take certain actions against a person or organization who commits or is about to commit a human trafficking offense or an aggravated human trafficking offense. - Amends TCA Title 39
As AMENDED, SB392 (please note the number of co-sponsors we had) was on the Senate floor on Wednesday afternoon. After some debate, which Sen. Taylor handled very well; it PASSED: 25-6. Praise the Lord!!! Clearly, the work with the Attorney General's office, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, the District Attorneys General Conference, and others, paid off despite the RIDICULOUS opposing testimony that was delivered. 
 

After the vote, my good friend, Sen. Kerry Roberts had another surprise for me. He asked to be recognized 'out of order' where he introduced me and Gwen and said some very touching things about our work on this bill as well as my 'history' at the General Assembly through the years. Another breathtaking event and a real HONOR!! I am so grateful. 

The last few days of a session move fast, as the 'flo motion' is in use.  That means that a bill can be in more than one committee a day, not just in one committee a week. 

HB322 passed successfully through Finance, Ways and Means Subcommittee, Finance, Ways and Means Committee, and Calendar and Rules Committee on Thursday.  We are scheduled to be on the House Floor on Monday!! Chris will 'substitute and conform' to the Senate version, which means we will have the proper amendment in place. He will move passage of the bill and the debate will begin!!.
ACTION:  We expect some pretty heavy push back on the House Floor. 
PLEASE click HERE to find the House members you can contact (click on name, then on picture). That will give you the phone number and email address, and you can use this for your message:

HB322 goes after human traffickers who force largely minor females into “involuntary labor servitude, forced labor, trafficking for commercial sex acts, prostitution and human smuggling.” 
Border czar and former Obama administration US Immigration and Customs Enforcement Director Tom Homan reports that as many of 300,000 unaccompanied minors who came across the southern border are unaccounted for. Many of them became trafficking victims. 

Find more information here: Feds lost track of unaccompanied migrant children: DHS IG
 

Gwen Adams Ex.Dir. TEF

This week showed the importance of being present until the very end.
Two completely different organizations rose up in opposition to the bill this week. We acquiesced to the first one, as the change in language actually strengthened the bill.  
The second would have weakened it, so we stood firm. I explained the significance of not making further changes, and our sponsors agreed.  
That night, I researched government statistics and reports, which we provided to our sponsors the next morning, further equipping them. 
It then passed in the Senate, and through two more subcommittees in the House.  
The bill goes to the floor on Monday, and we’ll be there, sitting in the galley, cell phones ready. 
Ironically, when we sit there, we’re surrounded by activists holding up signs to oppose this legislation that empowers law enforcement in fighting human trafficking. 
You’re welcome to come join the fun!
 

"DISMANTLE DEI ACT":
SB 1083 by *Johnson - HB 0622 by *Maberry, Lamberth, Sexton, Faison, Reeves, McCalmon, Capley, Grills, Hill, Terry, Carringer, Davis, Sherrell, Littleton
Local Government, General - As introduced, enacts the "Dismantle DEI Act," which prohibits local governments and public institutions of higher education from basing hiring decisions on any metrics that consider an applicant's race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, or disability, or hiring a particular candidate in order to achieve any goals to increase diversity, equity, or inclusion in the workplace. - Amends TCA Title 5; Title 6; Title 7; Title 8 and Title 49.
STATUS: As amended, HB622 passed the House floor 73-24.
SB1032 is scheduled on the Senate floor on Monday.
ACTION: Please click HERE then the picture, and you will have access to the email address and phone number. Please ask the Senator to SUPPORT SB1038.

It is thought that DEI initiatives can lead to reverse discrimination, where qualified individuals from majority groups are overlooked or passed over in favor of those from underrepresented groups, potentially hindering merit-based advancement. Some also argue that DEI efforts can be perceived as a fad or detract from core business objectives like profitability and growth. Additionally, there are concerns that DEI training may not effectively address systemic biases and can even heighten biases or create a sense of unfairness.

Dismantle DEI' bill raises a ruckus in Tennessee House

Tennessee General Assembly pass budget following several cuts, amendments

TN lawmakers pass legislation to prohibit enforcement of mandates from UN, WHO, World Economic Forum

Tennessee bill to extend foster care benefits to adults 18 to 23 unanimously passes House, Senate

Tennessee lawmakers vote to ban most cannabis products, despite protest from local businesses

Matthew 27:59-61:
Joseph took the body, and wrapped it in a clean linen shroud, and laid it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn in the rock; and he rolled a great stone to the door of the tomb, and departed. Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were there, sitting opposite the sepulcher. 

STAY CONNECTED WITH BOBBIE