There are 196 article(s) tagged Tennessee General Assembly:
Lt. Gov. Randy McNally said, “I think the legislature has adequately addressed the issue of gun rights,” and the House Civil Justice Subcommittee was told the bill proposed by Rep. Chris Todd of Jackson would risk reciprocity with 21 other states.
“Like many of you, I believe in local control,” state Sen. Sara Kyle of Memphis said.
The bill was amended to apply only to Memphis. It will become law with Gov. Bill Lee’s signature.
The bill would have upgraded June 19 from a day of special observance to an official state holiday, giving state government workers the day off.
“This bill does not ban any book,” state Sen. Jack Johnson said about the controversial Age-Appropriate Materials Act of 2022.
Several organizations have said the maps are a textbook example of gerrymandering and will lead to diminished voting power for people of color.
The debate over whether to use tax dollars to send children to private schools has reared its head.
Robinson said the process was unfair since the Senate Ethics Committee comprises four white Republican men and one Black woman.
“This is a racist power grab for Republicans to try to cheat their way to more power,” said Charlane Oliver, cofounder and co-executive director of The Equity Alliance. “We will obstruct, we will disrupt any chance we get.”
The map will likely allow Republicans to win another seat in Congress.
State lawmakers have descended on Nashville for three months of committee hearings, debates and vote-wrangling over how to spend taxpayer dollars.
Residency requirements, reckless driving and Germantown’s namesake schools are among the issues lawmakers plan to address at the upcoming General Assembly session. School funding reform might have to wait until next year.
The proposed political map, which was unveiled Friday, Dec., 17, takes one seat away from Shelby County, while adding three to Middle Tennessee.
“Licensure of liars should not be allowed,” one Nashville physician told the state legislature’s Joint Government Operations Committee.
Germantown Municipal School District reverses course, returns to masking Tuesday.
Gov. Bill Lee Friday, Nov. 12, allowed widespread bans on COVID-related mandates to become law — some with his signature and some not.
‘What they’re proposing and passing this time will kill people. Now and in the future. Men, women, and children will needlessly die at the hands of the super majority of the Tennessee General Assembly.’
Shelby County Commissioners also reacted Monday to the pandemic legislation that came out of a special session of the Tennessee General Assembly.
Tennessee Republicans are firmly anti-mandate today. But in 2013, they supported a requirement that college students get vaccinated against meningitis.
The bill amending the Health Department’s power is headed to Gov. Bill Lee’s desk.
Partisan school board elections approved among COVID-19 bills
Legislators voted to allow, but not require, partisan school board elections. The legislature also reviewed a number of bills related COVID-19 measures.
Legislators approve bill limiting Health Department autonomy
Seeking to stop local governments and businesses from enacting COVID-related rules, the Tennessee General Assembly is convening Wednesday evening for another special session. Dozens of bills were introduced Tuesday afternoon and evening.
A common theme has emerged among the advocates testifying to Tennessee’s redistricting committees: don’t divide cities and dilute their voting power.
The public won’t be able to inspect the contracts until they’re finalized, prompting criticism among transparency advocates that the Megasite Authority will be able to spend millions of dollars with little oversight.
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Tennessee’s top legislative leaders on Tuesday announced they have enough support to call a special legislative session to address COVID-19 measures after Republican Gov. Bill Lee declined to do so.