Legislative Update, March 27, 2021

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).

“If you will not fight for what is right when you can easily win without bloodshed…if you will not fight when victory is sure and not too costly…you may come to the moment when all odds are against you and your chances of survival precarious…there may even be a worse case…you may have to fight when there is no hope of victory because it is better to perish than live as slaves.” Winston Churchill

 

FOR YOUR PRAYER LIST:
The 'crazy' days intensify as committees either close or will close next week when hasty and difficult decisions can be made.  Let's pray that the lawmakers would seek God, His plans and His purposes for our state and nation and that they would have discernment and wisdom as they carry out their duties and responsibilities. You will want to continue to remember Rep. Mike Carter and is treatment for pancreatic cancer and rejoice at the encouraging news about Rep. David Byrd.  David is doing well and, if all goes as planned he will be going home March 30 and will continue his rehab on an out-patient basis.

 

PROTECTING WOMEN ATHLETES
SB 0228  by *Hensley  -- HB 0003 by *Cepicky, , GRIFFEY, GANT, WEAVER, MOODY, HASTON, LAMBERTH, RUDD, SMITH, RAGAN, ZACHARY, DOGGETT, ELDRIDGE, SEXTON J, REEDY, HOWELL, WILLIAMS, CASADA, TODD, CALFEE, BRICKEN, MOON, CRAWFORD, HULSEY, DARBY, HICKS T, GARRETT, HELTON, LYNN, HAWK, TRAVIS, WHITE, RUSSELL
Local Education Agencies - As introduced, requires that a student's gender for purposes of participation in a public middle school or high school interscholastic athletic activity or event be determined by the student's sex at the time of the student's birth, as indicated on the student's original birth certificate
STATUS: Good News -- On Monday evening HB0008 passed the House Floor 71-16-5. Voting NO were: Beck, Clemmons, Dixie, Freeman, Hakeem, Hardaway, Harris, Jernigan, Johnson G, Mannis, Miller, Mitchell, Potts, Powell, Stewart, Thompson; Not Voting were: Camper, Chism, Lamar, McKenzie, Shaw.
Gov. Bill Lee signs transgender athlete bill .

 

 

FORCED VACCINATION PROTECTION:
SB 0187 by *Bowling - HB 0013 by *Hulsey , GRIFFEY, CEPICKY, REEDY, WEAVER, SMITH, CALFEE, HALL, RUDD
Public Health - As introduced, prohibits state and local authorities from forcing, requiring, or coercing a person to receive an immunization or vaccination for COVID-19 against the person's will.
STATUS: SB187 is in Senate Health and Welfare Committee on Wednesday. 
ACTION:  Please contact these members and URGE them to vote YES on this important, freedom protecting legislation: Sen. Rusty Crowe sen.rusty.crowe@capitol.tn.gov , Sen. Ferrell Haile sen.ferrell.haile@capitol.tn.gov,  Sen. Shane Reeves sen.shane.reeves@capitol.tn.gov, Sen. Ed Jackson sen.ed.jackson@capitol.tn.gov , Sen. Becky Massey sen.becky.Massey@capitol.tn.gov, Sen. Art Swann sen.art.swann@capitol.tn.gov , Sen. Bo Watson sen.bo.watson@capitol.tn.gov.

 

 

PROTECTING AND PREPARING OUR YOUNG PEOPLE:
SB 1360 by *Bell , Hensley - HB 0487 by *Smith , CEPICKY, WHITE
Education - As introduced, extends, beginning with the 2021-2022 school year, the counties within which each LEA must implement a program of family life education from counties with a pregnancy rate of 19.5 pregnancies for every 1,000 females ages 15 to 17 to all counties; requires a curriculum on sex education or human sexuality that is implemented by an LEA as a part of a human growth and development program be in conformance with the curriculum guidelines established for family life programs.
WHY is this needed:
Organizations affiliated with Planned Parenthood are using Comprehensive Sex Education (CSE) are teaching in schools across the state. Optimal Sexual Health for youth is to receive education that prepares them with skills, knowledge and rational for making positive life choices, abstinence from sexual activity prior to marriage, for the outcomes provided in the future. Success in education, physical health, emotional and relational health as well as financial health.
STATUS:  SB1360 is scheduled in Senate Education on Wednesday; HB0487 is scheduled in Education Instruction on Wednesday.
ACTION:  Please contact these Senate committee members and ask them to vote YES on SB1360: Sen. Brian Kelsey sen.brian.kelsey@capitol.tn.gov , Sen. Jon  Lundberg sen.jon.lundberg@capitol.tn.gov , Sen. Ferrell Haile sen.ferrell.haile@capitol.tn.gov , Sen. Bill Powers sen.bill.powers@capitol.tn.gov. Please contact these House committee members and urge them to vote YES on HB0487:Rep. Kirk Haston rep.kirk.haston@capitol.tn.gov , Rep. Tim Hicks rep.tim.hicks@capitol.tn.gov, Rep. Todd Warner rep.todd.warner@capitol.tn.gov.

 

 

PUTTING AUTHORITY IN THE RIGHT PLACES:
SB 0858 by *Bowling - HB 0575 by *Ragan
Public Health - As introduced, repeals private acts enacting county boards of health or departments of health; requires commissioner of health to report information regarding certain quarantines to the joint government operations committee, the health committee of the House of Representatives, and the health and welfare committee of the senate; limits the county health officer's quarantine power.
               You can go to THIS LINK, click on SUMMARY, to see the proposed details of this legislation. This is a bill that I suspect will be amended in one way or the other as it goes through the 'sausage making' process. We will try to keep you up to date. STATUS: HB575 was postponed and is in Health Subcommittee on Tuesday. SB858 is in Senate Commerce and Labor on Tuesday.
ACTION: Please contact these House members and politely urge them to support this legislation. Rep. Bob Freeman rep.bob.freeman@capitol.tn.gov , Rep. Mark Hall rep.mark.hall@capitol.tn.gov , Rep. Darren Jernigan rep.darren.jernigan@capitol.tn.gov , Rep. Sabi Kumar rep.sabi.kumar@capitol.tn.gov , Rep. Pat Marsh rep.pat.marsh@capitol.tn.gov , Rep. Paul Sherrell rep.paul.sherrell@capitol.tn.gov , Rep. Robin Smith rep.robin.smith@capitol.tn.gov , Rep. Bryan Terry rep.bryan.terry@capitol.tn.gov.

SB858 is in Senate Commerce and Labor on Tuesday. Please contact these members and urge them to support SB858: Sen. Paul Rose sen.paul.rose@capitol.tn.gov , Sen. Art Swann sen.art.swann@capitol.tn.gov , Sen. Jack Johnson sen.jack.johnson@capitol.tn.gov, Sen. Shane Reeves sen.shane.reeves@capitol.tn.gov , Sen. Steve Southerland sen.steve.southerland@capitol.tn.gov, Sen. Bo Watson sen.bo.watson@capitol.tn.gov,  Sen. Ken Yager sen.ken.yager@capitol.tn.gov

 

PROTECTING FATHER AND UNBORN BABY RIGHTS:
SB 0494 by *Pody - HB 1079 by *Sexton J
Abortion - As introduced, permits a person to petition a court for an injunction to prohibit a woman who is pregnant with the person's unborn child from obtaining an abortion; requires the petitioner to execute a voluntary acknowledgement of paternity that is not subject to being rescinded or challenged. 

AS USUAL, David Fowler writes an intellectual, challenging, and instructive piece on this legislation:

Upcoming State Legislation Will Separate the Sheep from the Goats
MAR 26, 2021 BY DAVID FOWLER
In politics, a war takes place every primary election cycle among Republican gubernatorial and legislative candidates over who is the real conservative. In the general election, a more subtle war occurs between those who claim to be Christians, or maybe a “better” Christian than the opponent, based on their policy differences. Upcoming legislation will separate the proverbial politically conservative and Christian “sheep” from their “goat” counterparts. 
That legislation, House Bill 1079, is before the House Children and Family Affairs subcommittee on Wednesday. It puts the following three questions to our state politicians, and by the time you read the last one, you will know why it will separate the real from the pretenders.
THE FIRST QUESTION THAT WILL SEPARATE THE SHEEP FROM THE GOATS
The first question is this:
Is there anything real and true about the nature of the relationship formed when a man and woman commit themselves to each other in marriage and does anything real and true arise as between them and as between each of them concerning those new human beings who result from their procreative acts?

 

 

 

ARTICLE V CONVENTION FOR TERM LIMITS:
HJR 0008 by *Todd ,  Eldridge, Mannis, Garrett, Zachary, Doggett, Calfee, Williams, Ogles, Bricken, Hurt 
Constitutional Conventions - Makes application to Congress for the purpose of calling an Article V convention to propose an amendment to the United States Constitution to set a limit on the number of terms to which a person may be elected as a member of the Congress of the United States.
                   Looking around at the world in which we are living today, this sounds like a great idea. But.....an Article V convention is completely  uncharted territory and there really are important things to know about:
"TWENTY QUESTIONS ABOUT A CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION" and "THE PROBLEMS WITH ARTIFICIAL TERM LIMITS". 
STATUS:  HJR0008 was postponed once again and placed on the floor calendar for April 8th. 
ACTION:  This is no time to slack off.  PLEASE continue to find your House member HERE and urge him or her to vote NO on HRJ008

 

 

LEGALIZING MARIJUANA:
SB 0854 by *Bowling - HB 0621 by *Rudder
Controlled Substances - As introduced, enacts the "Tennessee Medical Cannabis Act." 
5 reasons marijuana is not medicine .
New Study Finds More Marijuana Use, Higher Rates of Marijuana Addiction in States With Medical Marijuana Laws
SAM Statement on June 2015 Medical Marijuana Study Published in Lancet Psychiatry
STATUS:  This is always a difficult issue, but thankfully SB850 failed in Senate Judiciary 2-6 on Wednesday.  Senators voting aye were: Kyle, Roberts; Senators voting no were: Bell, Gardenhire, Lundberg, Rose, Stevens, White. 

 

 

 

 

 

Lieutenant Governor Entertains Possibility of Expanding Medicaid .

 

Education commissioner runs into possible conflict with $8M contract .
 

House to Vote on Bill Prohibiting Emergency Regulations, Closures on Churches, Religious Institutions .
 

Transcript of Tennessee Education Lottery Board Meeting Suggests Action 24/7 Suspension Made in Haste .
 

House Passes Bill Mandating Death or Life Imprisonment Without Parole for First Degree Murder of Law Enforcement, First Responders .
 

More Than 14,000 People Sign New Petition for Nashville Taxpayer Protection Act Referendum .