Legislative Update, March 7
To email legislators, look on the left side of the page, select Legislators then select House Members or Senate Members, or ‘Find My Legislator’.
Phone calls can go to the Legislative Switchboard: (615) 741-3011 or to the Toll Free number 1-800-449-8366+1+ last four digits of office phone number (available at the same location).
| "If we don't have a proper fundamental moral background, we will finally end up with a totalitarian government which does not believe in rights for anybody except for the State." President Harry Truman |
Rep. John DeBerry (D-Memphis) unexpectedly lost his father this week. Please keep this family in your prayers. Please pray for Connie Givens (Dir., Office of Coordinated School Health), wife of Commissioner of Agriculture Ken Givens, who is completing treatment for cancer. You will want to continue to pray for Speaker Pro Tem Lois DeBerry (D-Memphis). It was announced on the House floor on Wednesday that former Rep. Zane Whitson (R-Unicoi) had a stroke on Monday, another on Tuesday and passed away--another family that needs our prayers.
I spoke with Phyllis on Monday and, as you might imagine, she is not happy to be “out of circulation”. She has been moved to a re-hab center where she will undergo therapy for a couple of weeks when she anticipates returning to St. Louis. Please continue to pray for her complete and uneventful healing. Cards can be sent to: Phyllis Schlafly, Herrick Hospital, Room 5129, 201 Dwight Way, Berkley, CA 9704.
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URGENT: DAVID OGDEN NOMINATION
There is still time for you urge Senators Alexander and Corker to OPPOSE this terrible nomination for the Department of Justice.
ACTION ITEM: Go HERE to send your message to our senators.
This proposed amendment will be in Senate Judiciary at 1:00 p.m. on Wednesday. It is not expected to have any problem in the committee.
Speaking of ‘Life Issues’ the House Health and Human Resources Committee is holding a Public Hearing on legislation related to reproductive health in Room 16, on Wednesday at 3:00 p.m. This hearing was NOT something proposed by the pro-life community.
SUPPORTERS of this bill were all over the Plaza this week. Those who oppose this proposal MUST make their voices heard. Note: Supporters are asking why not pass a “law that will increase retail sales and state revenues?” Guess what, that means they expect the sale of alcohol to INCREASE. Common sense says whatever you legalize or expand, you get more of.
Porch encourages Tennesseans to oppose Senate Bill 120
ACTION ITEM: Please go HERE to send an email.
Voting aye were: Burchett, Ketron, Norris, Tracy, Faulk, Yager – 6.
Bill would make Tennessee voters show photo ID at polls
Last April a U.S. Supreme Court decision validated the right of states to require voters to produce photo ID. According to the National conference of State Legislatures, of the 24 states that have a voter-ID requirement, seven states specify a photograph be shown to prove identification, including neighboring states Georgia, Florida, and Louisiana. In no state is a voter who cannot produce identification turned away from the polls. All states have some recourse for voters without identification to cast a vote or provide for a provisional ballot.
Both these bills passed in the subcommittee and will be in the full Judiciary committee next week, but the large fiscal notes may impair their final passage.
Requires all state and local government programs that provide certain benefits not mandated by federal law to verify immigration status prior to awarding such benefits. Requires law enforcement officials to check the citizenship status of any individual charged with a felony or DUI and if verification of lawful status cannot be obtained, to forward that information to the United States Department of Homeland Security. Also included in this proposal is a requirement that each agency and political subdivision of the state is to verify the lawful presence in the U. S. each person 18 years of age and older who applies for state, local, or federal public benefits.
Voting aye were: Coleman, Dennis, Fincher, Kelsey, Lundberg -- 5.
Voting no were: Stewart -- 1. (He was concerned about the fiscal note.)
Enacts the Tennessee Taxpayer and Citizen Protection Act. Requires, in most circumstances, all identification documents issued by state and local government to be issued only to United States citizens, nationals, and legal permanent resident aliens. Denies eligibility for any postsecondary education benefit or resident tuition for any individual who is not lawfully present in the United States.
The potential for abuse of government power in cases of eminent domain has been a growing concern for citizens nationwide in recent years, particularly after the U.S. Supreme Court ruling, Kelo v. New London, which opened the floodgates. The 5-4 high court decision condoned the rights of local governments to take private property for public use in the name of economic development. Both these bills provide additional protection for property rights.
Voting aye were: Beavers, Black, Bunch, Faulk, Jackson, Marrero B, Overbey, Stanley – 8
Present and not voting were: Kyle -- 1
Voting aye were: Beavers, Black, Bunch, Faulk, Jackson, Marrero B, Overbey, Stanley – 8
Present and not voting were: Kyle -- 1
Bills Call for local votes on eminent domain
CONSTITUTIONALLY PREVENTING A STATE INCOME TAX:
Rep. Brian Kelsey (R-Germantown) has introduced a proposed amendment to the State Constitution to establish once and for all, the prohibition of a State Income Tax.
EXTENDING LEGISLATIVE TERMS DEFEATED:
Representatives voting aye were: Cobb T, Litz, Pruitt -- 3.
Representatives voting no were: Carr, Haynes, McCormick -- 3.
SO-CALLED ‘PAY EQUITY’ BILL:
Thankfully, this ‘lawyer’s dream’ bill was removed from the Commerce Committee Calendar and put in ‘general sub’, which usually means it will not be heard. Just to be clear, equal pay for EQUAL work is the law of the land both at the state and federal level. This bill is a way to promote ‘comparable worth’, something very different and something very subjective and would be the object of multiple lawsuits.
At least a couple of our legislators do.
Since the previous battle over this subject resulted in a lot of new anti-income tax candidates being elected to the General Assembly, we will see how far this things get. We WILL be ‘taking names’.