8:30 a.m. or 2 p.m. - Senate Regular Calendar - Watch - SB 0229 by Briggs
- Senate Bill 229 changes various campaign finance rules, including contribution limits for political parties and party caucuses. Currently, political parties and caucuses can contribute $250,000 to statewide candidates; $40,000 to state senate candidates; and $20,000 for state house or local office.
- All other political action committees would still be subject to contribution limits: $7,500 for candidates seeking statewide, state senate or state house; and $5,000 for any other state or local office.
- Another curious provision in the bill would explicitly allow candidates to use campaign funds to pay for legal challenges against the candidacy of their opponents.
Legislative micromanaging: Bill gives state lawmakers power to reject federal aid
8:30 a.m. or 2 p.m. - Senate Regular Calendar - Watch - SB 1366 by Watson
- Senate bill 1366 establishes the Joint Ways and Means Committee which will have the power to reject federal aid and requests for federal assistance by state departments or agencies
- There are some exceptions in the bill, but the measure takes legislative micromanaging to a new level.
G.O.P. enables state takeover of Memphis-Shelby County Schools
8:30 a.m. or 2 p.m. - Senate Regular Calendar - Watch - SB0714 by Taylor
- This Republican-backed legislation would strip power from the locally elected Memphis-Shelby County Schools board and create a state-appointed shadow panel to oversee the district.
- The state of Tennessee has a piss-poor record of managing school districts. The Achievement School District was marketed as a needed intervention to turnaround under-resourced schools, but the results never materialized.
- Here’s a novel idea! Instead of taking over local schools, Republicans in the legislature could invest in public school students. Under Republican control, Tennessee ranks 45th in the nation for per student spending – behind all eight of our neighboring states.
G.O.P. grandstands against ‘DEI hires’ but allows nepotism, political hires
8:30 a.m. or 2 p.m. - Senate Regular Calendar - Watch - SB 1083 *Johnson, Hensley
- Senate Bill 1083—legislation with echoes of our nation’s dark past of discrimination in government employment—would enact the "Dismantle DEI Act" which prohibits state agencies, local governments and colleges from basing hiring decisions on metrics that consider an applicant's race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, or disability.
- The Republican sponsor says government hiring should only be based on “merit,” but his legislation still allows government officials to hire friends, family members and political campaign supporters.
- Republicans have proven they fundamentally do not understand the purpose of “diversity, equity and inclusions” initiatives, which are meant to ensure that everyone in the organization feels respected and valued.
- Instead of canceling DEI initiatives and playing into FOX News stereotypes, the Republican Party should be focused on real problems, like Tennessee’s road funding crisis, spiraling healthcare costs or sky-high inflation.
- Extra Useless: The next bill on the calendar follows the same failed thinking – SB 1084 *Johnson, called the "Dismantling DEI Departments Act."
Three tax breaks: Banks, internet providers, wineries
- None of these G.O.P. bills help everyday working families.
- SB 0784 by Walley expands a tax break for financial institutions that offer qualified low-rate loans. Cost: $1.5 million annually.
- SB 0925 by Jackson repeals the termination date on a sales tax break benefitting broadband internet providers. Cost: $35 million annually.
- SB 1072 by Johnson exempts wine sold at wineries from the 15% liquor-by-the-drink tax. Cost: $750,000 annually.
8:30 a.m. & 2 p.m. - Senate Regular Calendar
1. *SB1296 by Johnson. (HB1314 by Lamberth.)
Criminal Offenses - Amends TCA Title 39, Chapter 13, Part 8 and Title 39, Chapter 17, Part 3. As introduced, creates the criminal offense of threatening to commit an act of mass violence; creates the criminal offense of posting on a publicly accessible website the telephone number or home address of an individual with the intent to cause harm or a threat of harm to the individual or a member of the individual's family or household.
New enhancement of the mass threats law; new criminal offense for doxxing a person’s personal information with the intent to cause harm.
2. *SB1336 by Taylor. (HB1383 by Harris.)
Local Education Agencies - Amends TCA Title 2; Title 5; Title 7; Title 8 and Title 49. As introduced, requires elections for county boards of education to be held at the same time and on the same election cycle as elections for members of the local legislative body for the county; requires members of county boards of education to have the same staggered terms as members of the local legislative body for the county; requires members of a county board of education to have the same term limits as members of the local legislative body for the county.
Watch. State interference with local school board elections.
3. SB1381 by Watson. (*HB0783 by Martin G.)
Housing - Amends TCA Title 5; Title 6; Title 7; Title 13 and Title 33. As introduced, authorizes local governments to regulate sober living homes for recovery from alcohol, drug, and substance abuse to the extent such regulation complies with the Fair Housing Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act, including prescribing a distance requirement for such homes from primary schools, preschools, and daycares, regulating the location and operation of such homes, and requiring that prospective residents receive a clinical referral for placement in a sober living home.
4. HJR0051 by Pody, Fritts
General Assembly, Statement of Intent or Position - Designates the period of July 1, 2025, through July 31, 2025, as a time of prayer and fasting in Tennessee and seeks God’s hand of mercy healing on Tennessee.
5. SB0144 by Walley. (HB0969 by Hawk.)
Public Funds and Financing - As amended, requires all sales and use tax revenue generated from the sale of new or used tires to be earmarked and allocated to the Highway Fund. Requires such allocation not to exceed $80,000,000 in FY25-26.
Watch. Diverts tax revenue from the General Fund to the Highway Fund. Pot for Potholes is a much better solution.
6. HJR0147 by Gardenhire, Watson
General Assembly, Statement of Intent or Position - Supports regulation or ban on the sale of Kratom in Tennessee.
7. SB0186 by Jackson. (HB0577 by Doggett.)
State Inmates - With amendment, expands the definition of “prisoner day” to include each day a state parolee is detained, held, or housed pending a probation revocation hearing. Requires the reimbursement provided to counties to include reimbursement for inmates awaiting probation revocation hearings. Establishes that subsidies paid to counties for housing state prisoners must be paid from the date of conviction.
Better compensates local governments for housing state prisoners. It’s a good idea even if there is no money right now to pay for it.
8. SB 0229 *Briggs (HB 0653 by *Hicks T)
Campaigns and Campaign Finance- As introduced, makes various changes to campaign finance requirements; requires certain officials in the executive branch to receive ethics training from the bureau of ethics and campaign finance; makes certain records of the bureau of ethics and campaign finance public; distributes 80 percent of the privilege tax collected from lobbyists to the bureau of ethics and campaign finance; makes other changes to the operation of the bureau of ethics and campaign finance.
“Unexpended contributions” -- This provision would explicitly allow campaign funds to be used to challenge the legitimacy of a potential opponent's candidacy.
Removes contribution limits for political parties and caucus PACs. Currently $250K for statewide candidates, $40K for state senate, $20K for state house/local office
Maintains candidate PAC contribution limits.
9. HJR0318 by Shaw
Memorials, Government Officials - Urges Governor and State Capitol Commission to name new entrance to Motlow Tunnel "Heritage Gateway Entrance" in honor of workers who helped build Tennessee State Capitol.
10. SB 0396 *Rose (HB 0132 by *Zachary, McCalmon, Barrett)
Governor- As introduced, limits the duration of a state of emergency declared by the governor to 30 days; authorizes the general assembly to terminate, extend, or renew a state of emergency by joint resolution; establishes an ad hoc legislative council to extend a state of emergency during the interim between legislative sessions. - Amends TCA Section 58-2-107.
11. SB 0445 *Gardenhire (HB 0486 by *Farmer)
Public Defenders- With amendment, adds five (5) additional assistant district public defender positions.
12. SB0450 by Massey. (HB0641 by Carringer.)
Public Funds and Financing - Amends TCA Title 9; Title 12; Title 37; Title 39 and Title 49. As introduced, requires an increase in funding for positions or office expenses for the department of children's services in child protective services to be accompanied by an increase in funding of 75 percent of the increase in funding to the contracts of the child advocacy center in each judicial district; requires the department of children's services to increase the base amount of each child advocacy center contract.
13. SB0517 by Akbari. (*HB0485 by Hardaway.)
Education - Amends TCA Title 49. As introduced, authorizes local education agencies and public charter schools to provide up to four days of the required 180 days of classroom instruction via hybrid learning in the event of dangerous or extreme weather conditions, or an emergency, as determined by the director of schools or the director of public charter schools.
14. SB 0530 *Stevens (HB 0479 by *Hicks G, Russell)
Military- As introduced, enacts the "Tennessee National Guard Servicemember's Medical Readiness Act." - Amends TCA Title 58, Chapter 1, Part 2.
15. SB 0646 *Crowe (HB 1278 by *Hill, Jones R)
Public Funds and Financing- As introduced, establishes the Hurricane Helene disaster recovery fund, from which the Tennessee emergency management agency shall provide county recovery grants and direct assistance recovery grants for certain counties and households impacted by flooding caused by Hurricane Helene. - Amends TCA Title 4; Title 5; Title 6; Title 7; Title 9 and Title 58.
Creates disaster recovery fund related to Hurricane Helene
16. SB0654 by Crowe. (HB0717 by Jones R.)
Disability and Aging, Dept. Of - Amends TCA Title 9; Title 33; Title 52; Title 67 and Title 68. As introduced, enacts the "Caring for Caregivers Act," which requires the department to create and administer a three-year family caregiver grant pilot program to provide grants to caregivers of family members diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease or related dementia to offset expenditures incurred by the caregivers.
17. SB0659 by Hensley. (*HB0594 by Doggett.)
Taxes, Sales - Amends TCA Section 67-6-102. As introduced, increases, from two to four, the number of temporary sales periods that a bona fide religious institution may participate in and be exempt from registering to collect sales tax on sales directly to consumers made during such temporary sales period.
18. SB 0682 *White (HB 0504 by *White, Slater, Haston)
Scholarships and Financial Aid- Expands the Tennessee Future Teacher Scholarship Act of 2023 (Act) to eligible students enrolled in an approved educator preparation program (EPP) as a post-baccalaureate student, if the student is seeking an initial educator license. Removes the requirement that eligible students must also be recipients of the Tennessee HOPE scholarship. Reduces, from at least four consecutive years to two consecutive years, the period for which a recipient must agree to teach in a targeted setting.
19. SB0685 by White. (*HB0099 by Bulso.)
Criminal Offenses - Amends TCA Section 39-13-605 and Title 40, Chapter 39, Part 2. As introduced, increases the penalties for certain violations of the offense of unlawful photography; requires the court, rather than allowing the court discretion, to order a person convicted of certain unlawful photography offenses to register as a sexual offender; makes various other changes to the offense of unlawful photography.
20. SB0720 by Hatcher. (HB0894 by Todd.)
Boards and Commissions - Amends TCA Title 4 and Title 69. As introduced, increases, from two to three, the number of full consecutive terms that an appointive member of the board of ground water management may serve.
21. SB 0760 *Yager (HB 0773 by *Powers)
Newspapers and Publications- As introduced, specifies that the website where legal notices must be posted must not require a fee or a subscription for a person to view the website. - Amends TCA Title 1, Chapter 3.
22. SB 0782 *Harshbarger, Hatcher (HB 0726 by *Hicks G)
Taxes, Real Property- With amendment, extends the deadline by which a property assessor must determine that property was destroyed or damaged by Hurricane Helene, from January 28, 2025 to April 15, 2025, in order for a property owner to qualify for relief provided by the state.
23. SB0784 by Walley. (*HB0691 by Baum.)
Taxes, Exemption and Credits - With amendment, changes the base for the community investment franchise and excise tax credit allowed to financial institutions from certain percentages of the unpaid principal balance of certain qualified loans to certain percentages of the month-end average unpaid principal balance of such loans.
Watch. Tax break for banks and financial institutions.
24. SB0925 by Jackson. (HB1181 by Hicks T.)
Taxes, Sales - Amends TCA Title 67, Chapter 6, Part 3. As introduced, removes the end date of June 30, 2025, from the exemption from sales and use tax for purchases and leases of equipment and infrastructure used to produce broadband communications services or provide internet access.
Watch. $35 million tax break annually for telecommunication companies
25. SB 0944 *Massey (HB 1089 by *Sexton, Hicks T)
Criminal Offenses- As introduced, requires the punishment for the offense of cruelty to animals to include at least 40 hours of community service work to be determined by the court, in addition to any other punishment authorized by law. - Amends TCA Title 33; Title 39 and Title 40.
26. SB 1072 *Johnson (HB 0160 by *McCalmon, Bricken)
Wine & Wineries- As introduced, exempts the sale of wine for consumption on the premises of a winery or farm wine producer, including the premises of a satellite facility, including tastings and sealed bottles sold at retail for consumption on the premises, from the liquor-by-the-drink tax on alcoholic beverages. - Amends TCA Section 57-3-207.
Tax break for people who drink at wineries.
27. SB 1075 *Johnson (HB 1093 by *Sexton, Farmer, Hardaway)
Safety, Dept. of- Adds “machine gun” conversion kits to the state’s existing ban on machine guns. Expands the offense of unlawful possession of a firearm to apply to persons who are prohibited from possessing a firearm to also include handgun ammunition. Stipulates there is no early release eligibility for a person convicted of an aggravated assault when using a firearm from within a motor vehicle.
Creates a state offense for machine gun conversion kits. The devices are already illegal under federal law.
28. SB 1082 *Johnson (HB 0578 by *Doggett, Powers, Lamberth)
Criminal Offenses- As introduced, adds certain criminal offenses to the list of dangerous felonies for purposes of the offense of possessing a firearm or antique firearm during commission or attempt to commit a dangerous felony.
Expands the definition of “dangerous felony” in regard to weapons offenses, to include 15 additional criminal offenses.
29. SB 1233 *Johnson (HB 1232 by *Lamberth)
Criminal Offenses- As introduced, specifies that the report of a warden or chief administrative officer employed by a penal institution of the commission of certain offenses that occurred within the penal institution to the district attorney general for the judicial district in which the penal institution is located and the district attorney general who prosecuted the offense for which the offender is incarcerated must be in writing. - Amends TCA Title 10, Chapter 7, Part 5; Title 36; Title 37; Title 38; Title 39; Title 40 and Title 53.
Creates a Class E felony for assault against a first responder; Creates a Fentanyl 30-day minimum; must arrest;
30. SB 1366 by Watson
Federal Aid - With amendment, establishes the Joint Ways and Means Committee which will have the power to approve or deny every application and acceptance of federal aid by a state department or agency with some exceptions.
31. SB0714 by Taylor. (*HB0662 by White.)
Education - As amended, requires the commissioner of education to notify various elected officials when a public school district qualifies for state intervention under the bill. Requires an unelected “advisory board” be appointed by state elected officials for a four-year term to conduct needs assessments and measure other metrics. Empowers the commissioner of education to recommend escalating interventions including the removal of the director of schools, removal of school board members or the conversion of public schools into charter schools. Gives the state board of education a check on appointments made by local governing bodies. Provides new avenues for the state to convert public schools to charters and to enroll in the private school voucher scam.
Watch. More Republican overreach into local government. This bill creates a shadow school board, appointed by state officials, to run a local school district.
32. *SB0963 by Hatcher. (HB1177 by Williams.)
Criminal Procedure - Amends TCA Title 33; Title 40 and Title 52. As introduced, removes the requirement that any misdemeanor charges against a person found incompetent to stand trial due to mental illness or developmental disability must be retired within 11 months, 29 days after the date of arrest.
Described as a “clean up” issue following the Jillian Ludwig Act.
33. SB1083 by Johnson. (*HB0622 by Maberry.)
Local Government, General - Amends TCA Title 5; Title 6; Title 7; Title 8 and Title 49. 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.
34. SB1084 by Johnson (*HB0923 by Maberry.)
Human Rights - Amends TCA Title 4; Title 5; Title 6; Title 7; Title 8 and Title 49, Chapter 7. As introduced, enacts the "Dismantling DEI Departments Act."
Message Calendar
1. SB0102 by Jackson, Roberts
Sunset laws - Extends the Tennessee technology development corporation until June 30, 2031.
2. SB 0246 *Gardenhire (HB 0410 by *White)
Education, Dept. of- As introduced, requires the department to convene a working group to study and develop best practices, strategies, and programming for English language learner (EL) educators in this state to utilize in educating EL students enrolled in a public school in this state in any of the grades kindergarten through 12. - Amends TCA Title 49.
House bill bans per diem payments for participants. Senate should refuse to recede.
3. *SB0438 by Reeves. (HB0667 by Terry.)
Environment and Conservation, Department of - With amendment, creates an advisory task force on solid waste to examine and review issues related to solid waste.
4. *SB0644 by Crowe. (HB0865 by Hicks T.)
Nurses, Nursing - Amends TCA Title 49 and Title 63. As introduced, requires the board of nursing to change certain minimum curricula standards for schools of nursing related to program course access and enrollment; requires the board of nursing to permit practical nursing program students to sit for the national council licensure exam upon completion of the program, as long as the exam's minimum age requirements are met.
5. SB1115 by Pody. (*HB1144 by Boyd.)
Correction, Dept. of - With amendment, requires the department of correction to reduce the population at a private prison facility by 10 percent if the death rate of inmates at the private prison facility is twice the death rate of an equivalent state-operated facility. It requires the department to continue the reduction in population until they are able to determine what conditions are causing the higher death rate and have corrected those issues..
Good bill. Holds CoreCivic accountable to keep inmates and guards safe. The House version may (unintentionally/intentionally) limit punishment to once a year.
6. SB1389 by Watson. (*HB0638 by Carringer.)
TennCare - Amends TCA Title 33; Title 56; Title 63; Title 68 and Title 71. As introduced, prohibits a healthcare provider who participates in the TennCare or CoverKids programs from refusing to provide healthcare services to an enrollee based solely upon the enrollee’s refusal to obtain a vaccine or immunization; prohibits the bureau from reimbursing a healthcare provider in violation of such prohibition; requires the director to adopt rules.
Watch. Penalties for primary care providers who deny entry to unvaccinated families. House version expands exemptions.