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:
Please continue to remember Rep. Kevin Raper who had a liver transplant. Another house member has had some tests made about potential heart problems. Please remember this need, and please continue to pray for the activities of the legislature.

' THE DAYS DWINDLE DOWN TO PRECIOUS FEW....'
No one reading this probably remembers this song, but it fits where we are today with the first session of the 114th General Assembly. Just so you will know, I read 192 pages of bill notices that are scheduled in committee for next week.  At the end of next week, 19 more committees are scheduled to CLOSE; some already have.  Prayer needed indeed!! 

Thirty-five! This week the TN Student Eagles will set a new record for the largest number of our students at the capitol in one day! Yes, 35 Student Eagles will arrive at the Cordell Hull Building this week to shadow a legislator for the day. Before they arrive, they must read that legislator's bills, study the committees on which he serves, and research any lobbyists they will meet in the office. We are so grateful to the many legislators who support this program, whether it is by having a student shadow, or helping to fund the program through our non-profit education foundation. Our legislators know first-hand how important it is to 'train up' our future leaders. Student Eagle Leader, Frances Arthur

I was shocked when two women stepped forward to testify against our bill that is intended to fight human smuggling related to trafficking.   They claimed it would hurt families, churches and NGO’s that help illegal immigrants.   ONLY if children and adults are being trafficked there - but that part escaped them.  I was dumbfounded, then realized they were just there to argue, with no knowledge of the amendment that makes the bill, reviewed by the Attorney General, TBI and statewide DA’s. The bill passed the subcommittee 7-2, but they still got a television interview in the hall afterward, having twisted the truth to say their efforts (which in essence defended the trafficking of children and adults for sexual exploitation) was the Christian thing to do?  What?  Gwen Adams, Ex. Dir, TEF
 

HUMAN TRAFFICKING TO INCLUDE SMUGGLING
SB 0392 by *Taylor, Johnson, White, Rose, Harshbarger, Lowe, Seal
HB 0322 by *Todd, Lamberth, Leatherwood, Keisling, Doggett, Russell, Atchley, Gant, Hill, Carringer, Martin B, Hulsey, Sherrell, Reneau, Stinnett, Moon, McCalmon
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
STATUS: As you can see, we now have six Senators signed up as co-sponsors and 16 House members.  We have had a great response from legislators as we have talked to them about what we are trying to achieve with the AMENDMENT that now 'makes the bill.'  As Gwen reported, it was very clear that the women testifying against our bill had not read the amendment, and had NO idea what it really did, but they clearly didn't care. They were on a mission to distribute as much misinformation as they could in the time allotted. As you know, I have been at the General Assembly for 38 years and this was, by far, deliberately the most misleading presentation I have ever seen.
Thankfully, as Gwen reported, HB322, as amended, passed 7-2
Reps voting aye were: Atchley, Doggett, Farmer, Lamberth, Littleton, Russell, Scarbrough -- 7.
Reps voting no were: Powell, Salinas -- 2.
ACTION: HB322 - as amended - is scheduled in House Judiciary on Wednesday. Would you please click on the committee link, then click on the pictures of Reps. Davis and Eldridge and ask them to vote YES on HB322, and then you might want to click on the pictures of the other Republican members to THANK THEM for their support and their YES vote on this important bill.

ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT STUDENTS
SB 0836 by *Watson , Yager, Johnson, Stevens
HB 0793 by *Lamberth , Garrett, Capley, Butler, Todd, Martin G, Rudd, Zachary, Reeves, Lafferty, Doggett, Fritts, Cepicky
Local Education Agencies - As introduced, authorizes LEAs and public charter schools to refuse to enroll students who are unlawfully present in the United States. - Amends TCA Title 4 and Title 49.
STATUS: 
SB836, as AMENDED, is in Senate Finance, Ways and Means Committee on Tuesday.
HB793, as AMENDED, is in House Education Committee on Wednesday.
ACTIONS: In each case, click on the committee name link, then on the member's picture where, on the left side of the page, you will find the members' phone numbers and their emails. You can use either to encourage them to support this bill. 

LEGALIZING ABORTIONS:
SB 1425 by *Briggs - HB 1241by *Helton-Haynes
Abortion - As introduced, defines the terms "serious risk of substantial and irreversible impairment of a major bodily function" and "lethal fetal anomaly"; specifies that a physician does not commit the offense of criminal abortion if, under certain circumstances, the physician performs or attempts to perform an abortion to address a lethal fetal anomaly or a premature delivery of an unborn child with a lethal fetal anomaly. - Amends TCA Title 4; Title 29; Title 33; Title 37; Title 39; Title 40; Title 53; Title 56; Title 62; Title 63; Title 68 and Title 71
STATUS: You can click HERE, then on SUMMARY for more details. It is felt that these changes unnecessarily weakened the bill that TN passed and then Roe v. Wade finally validated.
ACTION: SB1425 is in Senate Judiciary Committee on Monday.  Please click on committee link, then on the pictures to make a phone call or send an email urging the members to VOTE NO on SB1425. 

"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:  HB622 is in State & Local Government Committee on Wednesday
ACTION:  Reps.Butler, Crawford, Littleton, Moon and Wright voted YES in the subcommittee, Reps. Dixie and Mitchell voted NO. Click on the committee name, then on pictures of the remaining members and urge them to VOTE YES.

DRIVER LICENSES AND ILLEGAL ALIENS:
SB 1086 by *Johnson -  HB 0749 by *Reeves , Atchley, Butler, Capley, Keisling, Todd, Zachary, Lamberth
Driver Licenses - As introduced, creates the Class B misdemeanor offense of operating a motor vehicle in this state with an invalid driver license; designates out-of-state driver licenses issued exclusively to illegal aliens as invalid driver licenses in this state. - Amends TCA Title 55, Chapter 50.

This bill provides that if a driver license is of a class of driver licenses issued by another state exclusively to illegal aliens, then such driver license is invalid in this state and does not authorize the holder to operate a motor vehicle in this state.  For purposes of this bill, "driver license" includes a permit purporting to authorize the holder to operate a motor vehicle on public roadways.  The class of driver licenses described in the above provision includes driver licenses that are (i) issued exclusively to illegal aliens and (ii) contain a marking or designed in such a manner as to be easily distinguishable from driver licenses issued to residents of that state who are United States citizens or lawful permanent residents of the United States or have temporary legal presence and a specified period of authorized stay in the United States.
STATUS: SB1086 is in Senate Transportation and Safety on Wednesday.
HB749 is in the House Transportation Committee on Tuesday.
ACTION: Please click on the respective committees, then on the pictures in each and urge them to support this bill. 
 

PROHIBITION AGAINST TRANSMITTING FUNDS:
SB 0268 by *Hensley - HB 0145 by *Bulso
Immigration - As introduced, requires a financial institution to verify the immigration status of a person sending funds electronically outside of the United States and its territories; changes the definition of resident or citizen of this state to mean citizens of the United States and aliens lawfully present in this state; requires the parent, guardian, or legal custodian of a pupil who is not lawfully residing in this state, but who attends a public school in this state, to pay tuition. - Amends TCA Title 1; Title 4; Title 7; Title 45 and Title 49
PART OF WHAT THE BILL DOES:
     This bill prohibits a financial institution in this state from sending or transferring funds electronically to a person or account outside of the United States and its territories without verifying the immigration status of the person who intends to send or transfer the funds.  A financial institution must comply with this bill by requesting from the person requesting to send or transfer funds a validly issued form of government identification and maintaining a copy of such identification for two years.  The department of financial institutions may review these records at any time and request a mandatory report of these records annually.
Go HERE, and click on SUMMARY for more.
NOTE: This bill was postponed from last week. Please respond to the ACTION 
STATUS: SB268 is in Senate State and Local Government Committee the 25th. 
STATUS: HB145 is in the House Banking & Consumer Affairs Subcommittee on the 26th.
ACTION: Please click on the respective committee's link, then on the pictures and urge the members of these committees to vote for this important bill.

SEGREGATED FACILITIES FOR MINORS:
SB 0472 by *Bowling , Hensley, Stevens - HB 0064 by *Bulso , Barrett, Maberry, Todd
Education - As introduced, requires all residential educational programs in this state, regardless of type or duration, that allow minors to participate or to access residential facilities to segregate all restrooms, changing areas, and showers by immutable biological sex. - Amends TCA Title 49
STATUS: So glad to report that SB472-HB64, as AMENDED, has passed the Senate (25-4) and the House (74-8) and is on the way to the Speakers for their signature, then on to the Governor.
A 2025 'Bathroom Bill' that impacts summer camps and boarding schools passes both Tenn. chambers.

ARTICLES OF INTEREST:
 

Bill requiring English-only driver’s license testing in Tennessee fails in a legislative committee

Bill to strip power from Memphis-Shelby County Schools board moves ahead

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