Tennessee’s 113th Normal Meeting gaveled in final month, and can proceed on till lawmakers finalize the funds this spring. Technically, that’s the one requirement of the 2 legislative chambers specified by the state structure — that the meeting approve all public spending for the yr. However as per standard, there will likely be loads of different squabbling and laws alongside the way in which.
Right here within the early days of the session, Tennessee’s Republican supermajority has already made nationwide headlines for advancing laws to ban gender-affirming look after minors. They’ve additionally proposed renaming a portion of Rep. John Lewis Method right here in Nashville “President Donald Trump Boulevard,” and pitched chopping the variety of Metro councilmembers from 40 down to twenty. (The latter is seen by many as a punishment for the physique’s rejection of a proposed Republican Nationwide Conference right here in 2024.) Tennesseans can count on a lot extra of that type of factor as varied legislators search to achieve floor on nationwide culture-war points.
In his State of the State tackle on Monday night time, Gov. Invoice Lee touted his Tennessee Works Act and pledged to droop grocery taxes for a three-month stretch. He additionally warned in regards to the “affect of the Chinese language Communist Social gathering” and “the hazards of a drug disaster stemming from an open border.”
In the meantime within the background, laws pertaining to training, infrastructure, well being care, legal justice and the state’s Division of Youngsters’s Companies is up for consideration.
On this week’s concern, we dive into all the above. Learn on for particulars on what to anticipate on this yr’s ongoing legislative session. —D. PATRICK RODGERS, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Together with his proposed Transportation Modernization Act, the governor desires so as to add lanes to current highways by means of public-private partnerships
State Republicans are utilizing this legislative session to focus on the LGBTQ group
Greater than 350,000 Tennesseans are anticipated to lose TennCare protection, and makes an attempt at abortion protections are arising
Schooling-related laws this session will embody third-grade retention, ESAs and extra culture-war points
Proposed laws focuses on elevated punishment and tweaks to the state’s execution protocol
Republicans are making good on the threats to get their pound of flesh from Nashville
The division commissioner desires supplemental funding partially to extend mattress capability for youths with out houses
