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!!

LIVE VIDEO

FOR YOUR PRAYER LIST:
There is a LOT of 'germy stuff' going around that is making folks pretty sick for at least a few days.  It caught up with our Ex. Dir. Gwen Adams, this week when her temp went up to over 102. It took a few days for her to feel better. Maybe with March's arrival, we can really get into and enjoy SPRING. The legislature is already scheduling the LAST committee meetings. The goal for adjourning the middle of April is front and center, and we certainly need to pray for wisdom, understanding, patience, clarity, etc. 

VERY GOOD NEWS:

TENNESSEE MEDICAL CANNABIS ACT:
SB 0489 by *Bowling - HB 0872 by *Rudder
Health Care - As introduced, enacts the "Tennessee Medical Cannabis Act," which establishes a medical cannabis program to be administered by the Tennessee medical cannabis program commission. - Amends TCA Title 4; Title 38, Chapter 3; Title 39, Chapter 17; Title 43; Title 50; Title 53; Title 63; Title 67 and Title 68.

NOTE:  The most important thing to know about 'Medical Cannabis' is this:
"The process of "legalizing" pot in the U.S. really got started in the 1970s when the founder of NORML(National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws), Keith Stroup anounced the strategy of "first we will get it 'medicalized', then normalized and then legalized." NORML has been wildly successful.  EVERY state in which marijuana is now legal STARTED with 'medical' marijuana. The other thing to know is that this is a business that makes millions of dollars for the owners.  
STATUS:  When presented to the Senate Judiciary Committee, there was no 'second', which means that SB489 failed unanimously.  

NOTE:  We have three bills addressing this important issue.  To make your voice heard on any or all of these bills, you can click on those committees mentioned in the bill information, then the members' pictures and email any of the committee members. 

Women advocate for bill that would extend statute of limitations, increase penalties for unlawful photography.

VOYEURISM VICTIMS ACT
SB 0335 by *Yarbro , Massey, Campbell - HB 0602 by *Freeman , Hawk, Hakeem, Mitchell, Dixie, Behn, Hemmer, Powell, Gillespie, Cepicky
Criminal Offenses - As introduced, enacts the "Voyeurism Victims Act," which expands the offense of unlawful photography to include an unauthorized photograph that the defendant knew would include the unclothed intimate area of the victim or the victim engaged in sexual activity; authorizes the issuance of an order of protection for a person who has been subjected to, threatened with, or placed in fear of unlawful photography. - Amends TCA Title 28; Title 29; Title 36, Chapter 3, Part 6; Title 39 and Title 40, Chapter 2.
Click HERE and then click on SUMMARY for details.

STATUS:  As amended, SB335 is on the Senate Floor Regular Calendar for 3/3/2025. Click FLOOR link and you can contact all the members.
HB602 is on the  House Judiciary Committee calendar for 3/5/2025. Click on House link, then pictures, then send emails urging support. 
 

UNLAWFUL PHOTOGRAPHY:
SB 0685 by *White - HB 0099 by *Bulso
Criminal Offenses - 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. - Amends TCA Section 39-13-605 and Title 40, Chapter 39, Part 2.
Click HERE and then click on SUMMARY for details.
STATUS:  SB685 is on the Senate Judiciary Committee calendar for 3/4/2025. You can support this bill also by emailing committee members.
 

UNLAWFUL PHOTOGRAPHY:
SB 0482 by *Bowling - HB 0403 by *Crawford
Criminal Offenses - As introduced, expands the offense of unlawful photography to include a photograph that the defendant knew would include the victim engaged in sexual activity; increases the penalty for the offense of unlawful photography from a Class A misdemeanor or a Class E felony to a Class D felony in certain circumstances; authorizes the issuance of an order of protection for a person who has been subjected to, threatened with, or placed in fear of unlawful photography. - Amends TCA Title 39, Chapter 13 and Title 40.
Click HERE and then click on SUMMARY for details.
STATUS: HB403 is on the House Judiciary Committee for 3/5/2025. Click on House link, then members and email address to support this bill. 

RIGHT TO DIE:
SB 0640 by *Campbell - HB 0598 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; Title 63 and Title 68
NOTE: This is a much-debated subject and may seem like a thoughtful, sympathic thing to do if someone is very ill.  (Both of my parents 'said long goodbyes' but it never occurred to us to do anything but take care, try to manage pain, love and let nature take its course.) 
With a 'right to die' option available, behind-the-scenes, families could 'encourage' the person to either apply for the 'right' or take advantage of the 'right' already obtained. Maybe the family is tired of care-taking or maybe there is a large inheritance at stake. What about the family member who is severely disabled?   Maybe they would be better off!!
For more information, click HERE and click on SUMMARY
Assisted suicide laws are creating a ‘duty-to-die’ medical culture
STATUS: HB598 is in the Population Health Subcommittee for 3/4/2025
ACTION:  PLEASE click HERE, then on every picture to find the email address and politely urge him or her to OPPOSE this bill. 

FAMILY RIGHT TO EDUCATION EMANCIPATION ACT:
SB 0494 by *Bowling , Hensley - HB 0552 by *Warner , Reneau, Barrett
Education - As introduced, enacts the "Family Right to Educational Emancipation (FREE) Act," which creates a new category of independent home schools that are not subject to the data collection, reporting, or assessment requirements applicable to existing independent home school programs and that exempts such home school students and parents from compulsory school attendance requirements; prohibits the department of safety from conditioning the issuance of a driver license or learner's permit on a school-aged applicant's attendance record or enrollment status. - Amends TCA Title 37; Title 49; Title 50 and Title 55

NOTE: This bill enacts the "Family Right to Educational Emancipation (FREE) Act," which creates a separate and distinct type of home school through which parents and legal guardians may elect to educate their child at home without having to comply with the requirements set by this state for other schools, including attendance and certain testing required of home schools.  If a parent or legal guardian elects to conduct such a home school, then neither the state nor a local government or agency may infringe on the rights of the parent or legal guardian to make decisions concerning their child's home school education, including, but not limited to, the curriculum, courses of study, and methods of instruction selected or used

STATUS: For more details, please click HERE, then on SUMMARY. 
ACTION: SB494 is on the Senate Education Committee calendar for 3/5/2025. PLEASE click on the committee title, then a click on a picture takes you right to a committee members' email. This is a very important proposal and this vote will certainly be an important measure of this important issue!!  Make YOUR voice heard!!

PREFERRED PRONOUNS vs WHAT GOD MADE YOU:
SB 1252 by *Rose - HB 1262 by *Reneau , Cepicky, Barrett, Reedy, Bulso, Jones R, Reeves, Hurt, Warner, Helton-Haynes, Vital, Martin G, Atchley, Fritts, Todd
Education - As introduced, makes various changes to the categories of individuals who are not required to use a preferred pronoun, and for whom a preferred pronoun can be disregarded, if the pronoun is inconsistent with the person's biological sex; makes various changes to the civil liability and adverse action protections as it relates to the use of, or the refusal to use, a pronoun or preferred pronoun. - Amends TCA Title 49
STATUS: Basically, HB1262 protects school children from having to use compelled speech forms. For more details, click HERE, and then click on SUMMARY.
ACTION: HB1262 is on the Education Administration Subcommittee for 3/4/2025, Please click HERE, then click on each picture and send an email SUPPORTING this important bill. 

CHECKING STATEWIDE VOTER REGISTRATIONS FOR NON-CITIZENS
SB 0348 by *Hensley - HB 0202 by *Keisling
Election Laws - As introduced, requires the state coordinator of elections to monthly compare the statewide voter registration database with relevant databases of state and federal agencies to ensure non-United States citizens are not registered to vote in this state; revises documents that may be provided to prove United States citizenship upon request by a county election commission; revises the process of appealing a determination that an individual is not qualified to vote based upon citizenship status. - Amends TCA Title 2.
For more information, clilck HERE, then read SUMMARY.
STATUS: Anything we can do to support and verify the voter databases is a positive move.
HB202 is scheduled in the House Elections & Campaign Finance Subcommittee for 3/4/2025
ACTION: Click on the committee name, then the members' pictures, and you can email the committee members urging them to support this bill. 

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