Wednesday, 4/8/26

To paraphrase another writer: How does one commit spiritual suicide? By climbing to the top of one's ego and jumping off.

Sister Podcast: The Angelic Dissenters

Friends, Please search below for “HB1369 by Chism” to witness the micro- and macro-aggressions at play in the exchange between Chairperson White and Representative Chism in today’s House Education Committee.

While people of color, immigrant children, women, gay folks, and resource-limited persons are required to rise above and ride through the rampant discrimination they face when in committtee rooms and House/Senate Galleries, they are restrained under penalty of being thrown out of Legislative spaces rahter than being allowed to respond authentically to the ongoing displays of prejudice, resulting in daily re-traumatization.

In Wednesday’s Education Committee, Chairperson White made a belittling comment meant to cower Chism while simultaneously engaging the spectators and other legislators in a moment of levity at his expense. It is like having a million paper cuts thrust at you that eventually leave you bleeding and begging for reprieve. You generally don’t dare push back, or you will limit your ability to restrain at least some of the worst bills while trying to pass possibly one piece of legislation that will be of benefit to people in your community.

Yet, this is what Representative Glen tried to do (below) when, in the same Education Committee meeting, he entered a discussion with Mayberry about his bill requiring reporting about the application of DEI policies that are now illegal. Glen challenges Mayberry about promoting a less-qualified white woman for a position on the Clarksville school board over a highly qualified African-American man. Glen is told by White, “Don’t get angry,” in response to Mayberry’s surly responses, but White gives no similar warning to Mayberry.

This is the classic “fear of black man’s anger” that results in peole of color having to police their natural reaction to facing prejudice. The micro-management of reactions by people of color to clearly prejudicial statements and actions is what is appalling and so apparently racist, and yet, White doesn’t for one moment recognize his behaviour feeds such positions. Watch for yourself:

In the midst of emotionally charged moments, Glen and Chism are both pre-warned to maintain civility, as though their very being is the cause of the problematic interchange with the white passive aggressor. This performative masquerade will only cease when more people of high moral character, compassionate heart, and forward-thinking vision decide there is a better and more humane future for the people of our State if those in the dominant white culture wake up to the pain they are causing.

It begins by paying attention and speaking up whenever prejudice raises its ugly head. Follow the lead of Representative Justin Jones, who does not shy away from speaking truth to power, this time on behalf of the men, women, and children whom the President promised to bomb into oblivion yesterday. Time for the 25th Amendment, anyone?

We are about to have a chance to vote out a number of those currently serving in the Tennessee Legislature, where all of the HOUSE and half of the SENATE are up for re-election. First, we need to help people get registered and then help them get out to the polls. Let’s do what it takes to build a new scaffolding upon which to hang our democracy.

I am walking with you, eyes and heart open, witnessing every moment of peace, optimism, joy, and miracles happening around us, singing We SHALL OVERCOME!! '

Let the children lead us, and let us leave our egos behind, like the last leaves off last winter’s naked trees now being filled with Spring’s wardrobe.

Namaste. Namaste. Namaste. Michele

Special thanks to Brandon Puttbress, Senate Liason

THURSDAY, April 9, 2026

8:30 AM-JOINT CONVENTION- HOUSE CHAMBER

9:00 AM – SENATE FLOOR – CONSENT Calendar

PASSED -Environment 16. *SJR1043 by McNally- Oak Ridge, “Birthplace of the Nuclear Navy.”

(Deathplace of so many from cancer in the years to come)

PASSED 4/8. Placed on 4/9 SENATE Consent Calendar.

9:00 AM – SENATE FLOOR -Message Calendar

-Separation Church-State, 1. *HB0047 by Hale. (SB0303 by Pody.) Authorizes local boards of education and governing bodies of public charter schools to display the Ten Commandments, the Declaration of Independence, the United States Constitution, the Constitution of Tennessee, the Bill of Rights, a resolution honoring the history of a school in the LEA or the public charter school, or other historically significant documents in a prominent location in each school building.

Why- Bulso?! 2. SB0419 by Hensley. (*HB0005 by Bulso.) Increases the amount of compensation an injured plaintiff in a civil action may receive for noneconomic damages from $750,000 to $1.5 million; increases the amount of compensation an injured plaintiff in a civil action may receive for noneconomic damages, if the injury or loss is catastrophic in nature, from $1 million to $2 million.

-Unhoused 4. SB1788 by Reeves. (*HB1671 by Rudd.) Prohibits local governmental entities from relocating homeless individuals unless the relocation is coordinated with the receiving jurisdiction; authorizes the attorney general to seek civil penalties for violations; authorizes the receiving jurisdiction to seek damages and injunctive relief for violations.

+Health/Mother-Child 7. *SB2414 by Watson. (HB2278 by Faison.) Requires, by February 1 of each year, the department of health to report to the chairs of the senate health and welfare committee and the committee in the house of representatives with jurisdiction over public health programs concerning the benefits and grants received due to an act of congress to provide for cooperation with the states in the protection of mothers and infants and promotion of a public health program.

9:00 AM -SENATE FLOOR Regular Calendar

+Firearm 1. *SB0034 by Campbell. (HB0599 by Freeman.) Creates a Class A misdemeanor for knowingly giving, selling, lending, delivering, or otherwise transferring a firearm to a person when the transferor knows or reasonably should know that the person receiving the firearm is prohibited from purchasing or possessing a firearm under state or federal law.

-LGBTQIA+ 3. *SB0676 by Taylor. (HB0754 by Faison.) Requires gender clinics accepting funds from this state to perform gender transition procedures to also perform detransition procedures; requires insurance entities providing coverage of gender transition procedures to also cover detransition procedures; requires certain gender clinics and insurance entities to report information regarding detransition procedures to the Department of Health.

-IMMIGRATION 4. *SB1467 by Taylor. (HB1484 by Gillespie.)
Criminal Offenses - Amends TCA Title 8, Chapter 7 and Title 39. As introduced, it enacts the “Memphis Safe Task Force Accountability Act.”

-Church/State Separation 6. SB1663 by Rose. (*HB1446 by Todd.) Enacts the “Recognizing Judea and Samaria Act.“

-Bodily Autonomy 7. SB1684 by Powers. (*HB1457 by Bulso.) Defines a “disabled driver” to also include a person who is in the second or third trimester of a pregnancy or who has a pregnancy certified to be high risk by the person’s physician for purposes of eligibility for a disabled driver placard.
Summary exists for SB1684

-Church-State Separation 9. SB1714 by Hensley. (*HB1491 by Bulso.) Enacts the “Protecting Religious Liberty and Expression in Public Schools Act.”
Summary exists for SB1714

+Firearm 11. *SB1747 by Bowling. (HB1757 by Rudder.) Creates an offense of recklessly discharging a firearm into the air, ground, a body of water, or an object in close proximity to the person if the firearm is discharged at a place of public gathering or at a public event where there are at least 25 people in attendance at the time of the discharge; punishes the offense as a Class A misdemeanor; specifies certain exceptions to the offense.

-Child 12. SB1751 by Haile. (*HB1692 by Reneau.) Authorizes a court to waive the home study required for adoption if the child has already resided in the adoptive parent’s home for six months and the adoption is in the best interest of the child.

-FIREARM 13. *SB1847 by Hensley. (HB1802 by Capley.) Lowers the standard for the use of deadly force to protect property.

-Church-State 14. SB1940 by Hensley. (*HB1784 by Bulso.) Designates January 22 of each year as “Sanctity of Life Day.”

?? 17. *SB1992 by Haile. (HB2079 by Littleton.) Creates the Class E felony offense of engaging in conduct intended to influence the outcome of an event while the person or another is a party to a contract with a prediction-market by which the person will benefit, directly or indirectly, from the occurrence of the outcome; defines “prediction-market” as a platform on which individuals trade contracts based on the outcome of unknown future events.

-State Over-reach 21. *SB2157 by Watson. (HB2366 by Hawk.) Prohibits a local government from impeding ingress or egress or blocking streets or other rights-of-ways to or within a tourism development zone except in cases of an emergency for purposes of allowing temporary access to first responders or for hosting large events.

-Worker-Trooper 24. *SB2177 by Yager. (HB2204 by Williams.) Requires TACIR to conduct a study of the salaries and other benefits paid to state and local law enforcement officers in this state.

-Protest 27. *SB2327 by Gardenhire. (HB2264 by Martin G.) Creates the Class B misdemeanor offense of interfering with a religious institution if a person acts to intentionally obstruct, disturb, or interfere with the activities of the religious institution by making an utterance, gesture, or display in a manner that is offensive to the sensibilities of an ordinary person, either within the place where the meeting is held or so near it as to disturb the order and solemnity of the activities; defines “religious institution” as a church, temple, synagogue, mosque, or other place of worship.

-Protest 28. SB2335 by Gardenhire. (*HB2065 by Todd.) Expands the offense of aggravated criminal trespass to include trespassing that results in the disruption of a religious assembly, which is a Class A misdemeanor.

+Justice 29. SB2531 by Hatcher. (*HB2111 by Boyd.) Creates the family advisory board within the Department of Corrections for the purposes of assisting the families of incarcerated individuals.

9:00 AM -House Floor Session (No Agenda)

11:00 AM -State Building Commission (No Agenda)

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 8, 2026

8:30 AM – SENATE Finance, Ways, Means

PASSED -Bullshit 2. *HJR1094 by Lamberth. Memorials, Congratulations - Governor Lee’s deployment of the National Guard to Memphis

4/8 Recommended for concurrence by the SENATE Finance, Ways, and Means Committee. Referred to the SENATE Calendar Committee.

8:30 AM – HOUSE FLOOR REGULAR Calendar

PASSED -?Drugs 1. HB1649 by Helton-Haynes. (*SB1656 by Gardenhire.) Enacts "Matthew Davenport's Law," which creates certain criminal offenses and testing requirements related to Kratom.

Johnson said that researchers have indicated that the natural form of Kratom is not toxic, but the synthetic form is, and wished that the latter was being banned, but not the former, especially given the number of emails and texts she has received from constituents asking that Kratom not be banned.

Behn shared the story of a Kratom bar in East Nashville where people living with chronic pain and PTSD have found community around a shared use of Kratom.

The bill PASSED the HOUSE, 78-9. (4/8 referred to the SENATE Calendar Committee)

PASSED +Child/Disability 2. *HB2188 by Littleton. (SB2362 by Massey.) Requires the department to enter into an interagency agreement with the department of disability and aging to leverage their expertise to provide services and oversight for children in state custody, or at risk of coming into state custody, who have intellectual or developmental disabilities and to implement recommendations from the department of disability and aging regarding service evaluations for children in or at risk of coming into state custody, placements for such children, oversight of placements for such children, training for department staff working with such children, and care coordination of such children.

PASSED, HOUSE 85-8. (3/16 Passed SENATE, 31-0)

PASSED -Child/Delinquency 4. HB2352 by Littleton. (*SB2219 by Haile.) Deems that only certain people may access delinquency or unruly proceeding petitions and orders, including a judge, magistrate, officer, or professional staff of a court with juvenile jurisdiction; district attorneys general and assistant district attorneys; and public defenders and assistant public defenders.

PASSED HOUSE 88-1-4, with only Pearson voting No. (3/23 Passed SENATE as amended, 29- 0)

PASSED +Justice 5. *HB0674 by Love. (SB1159 by Akbari.) Enacts the “Proximity Placement and Family Visitation Incentive Act.”

Love explained that his bill proposed a study on the reduction in the recidivism rate when folks who committed a crime have regular contact with the person who was harmed and their family.

CONFORM with SENATE BILL 1159. - PASSED 92-2, with Republicans Gillespie and Dosset voting against the bill. (4/8 PASSED Senate as amended, 33-0)

PASSED +Justice 7. HB2432 by McKenzie. (*SB1840 by Briggs.) Enacts “Quinton’s Law.” (NOTE: Amends the statute of limitations for wrongful death lawsuits)

Conformed with SB1840 and PASSED HOUSE, 58-30 with Republican cross-over. (3/9 PASSED Senate as amended, 32-0)

PASSED, +Mental Health,13. *HB1756 by Rudder. (SB1803 by Jackson.) Directs the commissioner to use existing resources to study recent innovations by neighboring states to address substance use disorder through new health insurance coverage and reimbursement methods, strategies, or models; requires the commissioner to compile the findings and any recommendations from the study into a report for transmission to the general assembly no later than December 31, 2026

Rudder explained his bill:

PASSED HOUSE by a unanimous VOTE, 91-0. (3/9 PASSED Senate as amended, 32-0)

ROLLED. -Health16. *HB0819 by Garrett. (SB1369 by Watson.) Removes acute care hospitals from the requirement of obtaining a certificate of need beginning 7/1/28.

Placed on 4/13 Regular HOUSE Calendar. (3/26 Passed Senate as amended, 27-3-3)

ROLLED. + Environment 17. *HB1827 by Hicks G. (SB2053 by Yager.) Requires a local legislative body to approve the location of any quarry or digital asset mining facility in a public meeting.

Placed on 4/16 Regular HOUSE Calendar. (4/6 Reset on 4/13 SENATE calendar.)

ROLLED 18. *HB2220 by Alexander. (SB2589 by Jackson.) TN Arts Commission: reconstitutes the commission.

4/8 Placed on 4/16 Regular HOUSE Calendar (3/5 Passed SENATE as amended, 30-0)

MESSAGE CALENDAR

-PASSED, HB803 Grills (SB0564 Pody) Increases, from 60 to 65, the number of days that a party to a hearing before the board of certification for water and wastewater operators regarding a revocation or an appeal of an order or assessment of a civil penalty by the commissioner of environment and conservation has to appeal the order or assessment.

Clemmons asked why Hamilton County was the only jurisdiction allowed to withdraw from being covered by the bill, when there were over 20 others prevented from withdrawing. Grills said that was all he was able to negotiate for, and he’d “rather have a win.” (WHAT? REALLY?)

HOUSE CONCURRED with SENATE Amendment #10. Bill PASSED, 59-33. (4/6 PASSED Senate as amended, 20-13)

10:30 AM – HOUSE EDUCATION Committee

+Child/Mother Health, 2. HB1369 by Chism. (*SB1255 by Lamar.) Requires the department to make available and require blood lead level testing for students in certain schools and certain pregnant women; requires the department to provide to persons who have high blood lead levels or lead poisoning certain services to aid with such condition; requires juvenile detention facilities that are aware of a juvenile in custody with high blood lead levels or lead poisoning to provide certain services in collaboration with the department and local education agencies.

Chism offered the adoption of Amendment 1669 that rewrites the bill, which was accepted by the Committee, and he then offered a synopsis of the reconstituted bill.

Cepicky commented that he didn’t know why this bill was in the Education Committee because there is nothing about education in it, except including the word education, and he opined that he hoped the clerk would not keep sending such bills to the committee or they would be holding sessions until December.

NOTE: Then White made an odd comment, to which you can hear a number of people responding with laughter. “Of course, this is the only Committee you could have gotten it out of anyway.” What is that? Condescension? Another show of passive-aggressive, micro-aggressive, demeaning Southern swipes by a white man- NAMED WHITE? Pretty shitty! Check your historic skin-privilege, whitey! You may say, " Oh, that’s all in good fun,” but I ask, at whose expense and who’s having the fun?)

The bill PASSED the HOUSE Education committee,18-0. Moves to Calendar-Rules. (3/26 Passed Senate 32- 0)

-Church-State Separation 3. *HB1491 by Bulso. (SB1714 by Hensley.) Enacts the “Protecting Religious Liberty and Expression in Public Schools Act.”

Bulso offered an interpretation of his bill- it’s worth a listen, so I won’t interpret.

Haston stated he didn’t have any problem with the intent of the bill; however, he objected because of additional staffing needs in his jurisdiction if some students opted out while others participated in the before and after school prayer meetings.

Bulso responded by demonstrating the reading of a prayer, after which Haston said it was not the prayer that was an issue, but the timing and resulting staffing needs.

Cepicky said he would be welcoming of a high school elective course where students could study the religions of the world but was not supportive of the bill as written and instead made a motion to take this bill to Summer Study to explore other options.

There was an objection to this motion, so committee members were asked to vote on whether or not to send the bill to Summer Study. They voted 12-7 in favor of this motion, including 8 Republicans: Baum, Cepicky, Haston, Hurt, R. Jones, Raper, Slater, and White.

The bill was DEFERRED to HOUSE Summer Study in Education Committee. (On 4/7, the bill was placed on the 4/9 SENATERegular Calendar. )

-DEI 6. *HB1664 by Maberry. (SB1713 by Johnson.) Requires the executive head of each state department or agency, local government, and public institution of higher education to submit an annual attestation to the comptroller of the treasury that such entity has not implemented a discriminatory preference to increase diversity, equity, or inclusion.

Here is the exchange between Mayberty, Glen and White that I referred to in my opening Note. Listen again, folks- this is so clearly racist and demeaning, to tell an angry black man that he should remain civil in his resonse is beyond words. Also, this dynamic of 3 white men schooling a black man in what is and what is not a responsable response to discrimination is also beyond comprehension.

(NOTE: Please rush a copy of Molly Secours book, “White Privilege Pop Quiz: Reflecting on Whiteness,” to these guys so they can begin to examine their prejudice that is seeping out of their mouths and damaging everyone who has to listen to it!)

Because Mayberry’s bill requires reporting of any DEI policies, including in hiring practices, Johnson asked for a clearer understanding of Mayberry’s definition of DEI so people can follow the correct law if this bill is passed. She held out the question of whether hiring a veteran over someone else of equal qualifications would be a DEI hire? The only thing Mayberry would say in response to Johnson’s questions was that he was not willing to re-litigate the law passed last year, prohibiting the use of any DEI policies or programs in the State.

Johnson is scolded to keep herself in order, even though people all around her are out-of-order, and White is able to secure both a vote on the quesion to cut off debate and a vote on the motion, both of which are lost, the last one in a split 13-4-2

PASSED -LGBTQIA+ 7. HB1666 by Maberry. (*SB1665 by Rose.) Includes “honorifics” in the prohibition on requiring a student, teacher, state employee, or state contractor to use or provide a person’s preferred name or pronoun.’

Maberry moves his amendment, 17428, which rewrites the bill and gave an explaiation.

Cepicky immediately called the question to shut off any discussion. This vote was 12-5. The final vote on the bill was 12-3-3, so the bill passed.

That was the end of the Education meeting. The bill moved to the Calendar & Rules Committee. (On 3/9, the bill PASSED the Senate, 26-6).

10:30 AM -HOUSE State & Local -FINAL CALENDAR’

-Immigration/Democracy 2. *HB1640 by Lamberth. (SB1881 by Johnson.) Designates records of the Office of Homeland Security related to critical infrastructure as confidential and exempts such records from public records requests.

Powell asked whether this bill was merely about infrastructure and not about withholding information from the public. Elddridge confirmed this was accurate.

Bill PASSED, 20-1 with only Salinas voting NO. (4/6 passed Senate as amended, 27-6)

-Over-reach 7. HB1176 by Williams. (*SB0997 by Bailey.) Specifies circumstances in which a referendum will not be required to effectuate annexation of territory; removes repealer provision for exceptions to the referendum requirement.

Placed on 4/14 HOUSE Finance, Ways, and Means Committee (4/6 Passed Senate, 29-4)

TAKEN OFF NOTICE -STATE Over-reach 10. *HB1657 by Capley. (SB1685 by Walley.) Removes the requirement that a structure rebuilt on a site must conform to the zoning regulations existing at the time of the new construction.

4/8 Taken Off Notice in State & Local. (3/30 Placed on 3/31 SENATE State and Local Government Committee.)

TAKEN OFF NOTICE -Democracy 11. HB2449 by Garrett. (*SB2319 by Pody.) Requires public libraries established by a county, city, or town to adopt a materials reconsideration policy that provides a process by which any legal resident of the county where the library is located may request that the library withdraw an item from the library’s collection or reclassify or move the item to a different area in the library.

Taken off notice in State & Local Gov (2/2 Referred to Senate Delayed Bills Committee)

+Confidentiality -HB1862- Shaundelle/ SB193 Yarbro -Rquires that certain personally identifying information of elected state and local public officials be maintained confidentially with limited exceptions

PASSED 14-7

4/8 Action deferred in State & Local Gov to First January Calendar (3/31 refer to Senate Calendar Com, 7-0

MOVED +Environment13. *HB1851 by Jones J. (SB2009 by Kyle.) Designates the bog turtle as an official state reptile.

4/8 Deferred in HOUSE to January 2027 (3/9 Passed Senate, 32-0)

TAKEN OFF NOTICE -STATE Over-reach-14. *HB1873 by Zachary. (SB2064 by Watson.) Requires a local governmental entity to hold a referendum to approve a property tax increase that exceeds specified thresholds. 4/8 Take off notice in House (3/25 Assigned to General Submof Senate State and Local Gov)

TAKEN OFF NOTICE -HATE15. *HB1480 by Bulso. (SB1943 by Hensley.) Designates September 10 of each year as “Charlie Kirk Day.”

TAKEN OFF NOTICE +Surveillance 17. HB2436 by McKenzie. (*SB1976 by Akbari.) Requires a law enforcement agency that uses body cameras to adopt a written policy for the use of the cameras by its law enforcement officers; establishes certain requirements for the policies.

4/8 Taken off Notice in House (3/25 Assigned to General Subcommittee of Senate Judiciary Committee)

TAKEN OFF NOTICE-VOTE 19. *HB0851 by Reneau. (SB1029 by Bowling.) Makes changes to the process for voting absentee under the federal Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act.

4/8 Taken off Notice / Failed in Senate State and Local Government Committee

+Democracy 20. *HB1890 by Hemmer. (SB2034 by Gardenhire.) Requires a state governmental entity to disclose records and information to a member of the general assembly to enable the member to determine whether the laws of this state are being complied with and to determine whether the laws of this state need to be changed in accordance with certain procedures.

4/8 Taken off notice ]in State & Local Government Committee (3/25 Failed in Senate State and Local Government Committee)

+Bodily Autonomy 21. HB1947 by Love. (*SB2014 by Lamar.) Enacts the “Tennessee Women’s Childbirth Alternatives, Resources, and Education Act.”

4/8 Taken off notice for cal. in State & Local Government Committe (3/18 Failed in Senate Health and Welfare Committee)

-WhistleBlower/Democracy26. HB1698 by Rudd. (*SB1721 by Harshbarger.) Authorizes the chair of a committee of the general assembly to require an executive branch employee to take an oath prior to testifying before the committee subject to the penalty of perjury; authorizes the chair of a committee or the executive director of fiscal review to require any documentation submitted by such employee for the purpose of evaluating the merits of a legislative measure or generating a fiscal note to submit an affidavit with such documentation attesting to the accuracy of the information subject to the penalty of perjury.

4/8 Taken off notice State & Local Gov (3/25 failed (no second) in Senate State and Local Government Committee)

PASSED +Safety 28. *HB2210 by Powell. (SB2504 by Campbell.) Requires TEMA to make recommendations to the general assembly regarding preparedness, prevention, and mitigation measures designed to improve disaster response in addition to measures designed to eliminate emergencies or reduce their impact.

4/8 placed on 4/14 Finance, Ways, and Means Sub (3/25 refer to Senate Calendar Committee 7, 1 PNV)

Powell offered his Amendment 12893. He then. reminded everyone of the ice storm and the costs they assumed to be safe, they had to move to a hotel. His bill would remove the hotel-motel tax. The bill PASSESD.

No questions were asked and the bill passed 21-0

-State Over-reach 42. *HB0608 by Rudd. (SB1045 by Reeves.) Prohibits the state or a local or municipal government from requiring a builder or developer of real property to pay for the building or development of infrastructure that is nonessential to the development, maintenance, or growth of the builder’s development property.

4/8 Taken off notice for State & Local Government Committee (3/31 Deferred to Summer Study in Senate)

1:00 PM - Senate FW&M Appropriations Subcommittee- No Bills On Notice- Committee Will Meet Non-Bill Amendment Presentations

2:00 PM – SENATE Judiciary Committee

? 2. SB0443 by Taylor. (*HB0483 by Farmer.) Extends from 90 to 120 days the time that district attorneys general have to submit a written funding report to the office of executive director for district attorneys general conference after the end of each fiscal year.

(NOTE: Senator Brent Taylor, R-Shelby County, is abusing his legislative power by focusing his animus about Memphis DA Steve Mulroy on the question of prosecutorial discretion, meaning ongoing reportange and oversight of Big Brother Tennessee into every crook and cranny of our lives. Under the Tennessee Constitution, a district attorney’s power to prosecute crime comes from the people – not the legislature.)

·4/8 Placed on 4/9 CHOUSE Speaker’s ‘three-strike’ would explode state costs. (4/8 referred to 4/9 Calendar and Rules)

3. SB 2137 *White (HB 2504 by *Sexton, Doggett) Requires a defendant to be sentenced to imprisonment for life as a repeat violent offender under certain circumstances. “3-Stikes was a policy that began with Bill Clinton and was an utter failure yet it is being re ived in TN.

FAILED in 4/8 Senate Judiciary (Placed on 4/14 Finance, Ways, and Means)

-FIREARM 4. SB2405 by White. (*HB2157 by Lamberth.) Increases, from 10 calendar days to 10 business days, the time the POST commission has to notify a retired officer of its denial of the officer’s permit application to carry a firearm

Referred to Senate Finance, Ways, and Means 7-2 (4/8 Placed on 4/14 Finance, Ways, and Means Sub)

-IMMIGRATION 5. SB1952 by Rose. (*HB1707 by Scarbrough.) Requires a local government entity to comply with a court order regarding an unlawful sanctuary policy within 120 days of the issuance of the court’s order.

Vague bill could create legal trouble for judges who ‘obstruct’ ICE

Refer to Senate Calendar Committee 7-2 (4/2 Passed on First Consideration)

+DV 6. SB1717 by Hensley. (*HB1624 by Barrett.) Creates a criminal offense of knowingly violating a no contact order issued as part of a defendant’s sentence or conditions of probation or parole following conviction for certain criminal offenses in which the alleged victim of the offense is a domestic abuse victim; punishes a violation as a Class A misdemeanor.

4/8 refer to Senate Calendar Committee. (4/8 Placed on 4/9 Calendar & Rules Committee)

2:00 PM Government Operations Committee- NO CALENDAR

Immigration/Democracy 2. *HB1640 by Lamberth. (SB1881 by Johnson.) Designates records of the office of homeland security related to critical infrastructure as confidential and exempts such records from public records requests.

?Parents as terrorists

2 men blue suits video

Macy pictre – Fritts no- Lafferty, Reneau present not voting, Clemmons yes, McKenzie yes

2:30 PM – HOUSE Finance, Ways and Means Subcommittee

Behind the budget +Housing 1. HB2509 by Sexton. (*SB2410 by Powers.) Establishes the community workforce housing innovation pilot program to be administered by the Tennessee housing development agency; authorizes the agency to provide loans to an applicant for construction or rehabilitation of workforce housing in each of the three grand divisions; requires the housing to be affordable to natural persons or families whose total annual household income does not exceed 150 percent of area median income; prioritizes projects that set aside at least 80 percent of units for workforce housing.

ROLLED ONE WEEK -State over-reach 3. *HB1497 by Cepicky. (SB1630 by Hensley.) Requires the legislative body of each municipality to change the date of municipal elections to coincide with the August primary or November general election; makes municipal elections partisan; standardizes the election timetable for referendums for the incorporation of a new municipality.

ROLLED ONE WEEK ?Gambling 4. *HB1885 by Cepicky. (SB2136 by Haile.) Designates illegal gambling and related activities as a violation of the Tennessee Consumer Protection Act; expands the authority of the sports wagering council to investigate illegal gambling and gaming activity; expands the investigative authority of the attorney general and reporter to investigate unlawful activity within the purview of the attorney general and reporter.

FULL FINANCE-Education 5. *HB2000 by Cepicky. (SB2318 by Hensley.) Allows private postsecondary institutions, including those that are religiously affiliated, to operate a public charter school; allows such institutions to apply to the local board of education or directly to the Tennessee public charter school commission to open a public charter school and to give an enrollment preference to children of the institution’s employees or members of its governing body in the same manner afforded to public institutions of higher education.

Parkinson no- all others yes

Behind Buget-Justice 12. HB1962 by Farmer. (*SB1982 by Taylor.) States that there is a rebuttable presumption that a defendant convicted of aggravated assault is not a favorable candidate for probation if the offense involved the use or display of a firearm during the commission of the offense.

BEHIND BUGET?Hunger 13. *HB0684 by Farmer. (SB0879 by Reeves.) Requires the department of human services to annually identify federal waivers it deems necessary to alleviate federal regulatory limitations that inhibit the department’s ability to timely review and approve applications and deliver benefits for the food assistance program and to submit, no later than October 31 of each year, as applicable, applications for such waivers; requires the department to annually submit a report describing any waiver applications submitted and the status of such applications, and including recommendations for statutory changes needed to facilitate efficient processing and delivery of such benefits.

Advise SNAP benefit eligibility

BEHIND BUDGET-Child/Poverty 15. HB2358 by Hawk. (*SB1921 by Massey.) Directs the department to annually transfer a portion of the TANF rainy-day fund to the child care and development fund in an amount sufficient to fund participation in the smart steps program for a family that meets certain listed criteria; requires the department to annually publish on the department’s website a report on certain listed expenditures and balances.

AMENDMENT

Zachary- Helen McNabb worried about loss

Behind budget -Justice 18. HB0447 by Hulsey. (*SB0261 by Pody.) Requires the department of correction, in consultation with the inmate disciplinary oversight board, to compose a report detailing the number of inmates who earned sentence reduction credits, and to submit the report to legislative committees.

AMNDMENT 017117-

Transfer money between agiences

Behind Budget +Povery/Family 21. HB2353 by Littleton. (*SB2198 by Watson.) Clarifies that the department of human services must provide applicants with a written notice of temporary assistance eligibility determinations.

Response to fraud in Minnesotta

???-Child /Disabled 23. HB2526 by Lamberth. (*SB1868 by Johnson.) Defines a child in need of heightened supervision; makes various other changes regarding the commitment, detention, and shelter care of children.

+DV 24. HB2023 by Martin B. (*SB2085 by Jackson.) Increases the victims assistance assessment from $45 to $125, with the first $15 allocated to the court clerk and the remainder directed to county-designated victim assistance programs.

Victim assistance- county choice

10-0 vote- on to full finance

HEEL -IMMIGRATION 26. *HB1710 by Powers. (SB1915 by Jackson.) Adds local governments to the entities that must verify that each applicant for public benefits is a United States citizen or lawfully present in the United States; authorizes the attorney general and reporter to investigate violations of requirements for verification of citizenship or presence for public benefits; requires certain reporting related to such verification for benefits.

Behind Budget-Protest 29. *HB2065 by Todd. (SB2335 by Gardenhire.) Expands the offense of aggravated criminal trespass to include trespassing that results in the disruption of a religious assembly, which is a Class A misdemeanor.

?Disability 32. HB2533 by Lamberth. (*SB2228 by Johnson.) terminates the dyslexia advisory council and directs the advisory council for the education of students with disabilities to advise the department of education on matters related to dyslexia; terminates the energy efficient schools council and creates an office of energy efficient schools within the department; expands student eligibility for an individualized education account; revises other various provisions of law related to education.

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ONE WEEK +Body cameras 35. *HB1718 by Atchley. (SB1820 by Hatcher.) Requires the department of correction to study the cost of equipping correctional officers and employees of prison contractors with body cameras who work at Trousdale Turner Correctional Facility and report its findings to the chairs of the appropriate standing committees of the legislature not later than July 1, 2026.

BEHIND BUDGET -Child/Disabled 36. HB2317 by Barrett. (*SB2566 by Bowling.) Enacts the “Tennessee Anti-Grooming Act,” which creates the criminal offense of grooming a minor or mentally compromised individual.

BEHIND THE BUDGET-IMMIGRATION 37. *HB1711 by Davis. (SB2108 by White.) Requires reporting by law enforcement agencies and local governmental entities and officials regarding persons not lawfully present in the United States; requires the department of finance and administration to report the annual cost incurred by this state for public schools, including public higher education institutions, prisons, hospitals, and social services agencies to provide benefits and services to persons not lawfully present in the United States.

AMENDMENT- 017432- Reporting. Commission finance and process where collctin of data on this not

BEHIND BUDGET+Safety/Bodily Autonomy 38. HB2301 by Freeman. (*SB2372 by Rose.) Expands the offense of adulteration of food, liquids, or pharmaceuticals to include adulteration for the purpose of making the user of the food, liquid, or pharmaceutical involuntarily intoxicated; classifies the offense as a Class D felony; requires a licensee that sells or offers samples of an intoxicating alcoholic beverage for consumption on the licensed premises to maintain drink drug testing devices for customers for the purpose of rapidly testing a beverage suspected of being spiked or laced with a controlled substance or drug.

-IMMIGRATION 39. HB2219 by Garrett. (*SB2223 by Johnson.) Requires a local government entity to comply with a court order regarding an unlawful sanctuary policy within 120 days of the issuance of the court’s order.

Parkinson

+Justice 45. HB2606 by Salinas. (*SB2649 by Roberts.) Requires the TBI to establish a cold case division, to be divided into three geographic regions, each staffed by a regional director and no fewer than five cold case detectives; requires each local law enforcement agency to submit unsolved missing person or homicide cases to the cold case division following the passage of 10 years without resolution.

-CVS/Monopoly 48. HB1959 by Scarbrough. (*SB2040 by Harshbarger.) Enacts the “Freedom, Access, and Integrity in Registered Pharmacy (FAIR Rx) Act.”

-Bodily Autonomy/Unconstitutional 62. *HB0473 by Crawford. (SB0841 by Walley.) Requires a person arrested for a felony offense to have a biological specimen taken by the arresting authority for the purpose of DNA analysis to determine identification characteristics specific to the person.

+Woman/child 68. HB1534 by Shaw. (*SB1565 by Lamar.)
Health, Dept. of - Amends TCA Title 49 and Title 68. As introduced, authorizes the commissioner to utilize Title V funds, to the extent permitted by federal law, to establish a program to provide funds to women whose pregnancies have ended in stillbirth for the purposes of offsetting burial or disposition costs of the stillborn child’s remains and educational scholarships for such women; authorizes the commissioner to seek any necessary federal waiver or authorization to create such program.

+Disability/Incarceration72. *HB1816 by Williams. (SB2533 by Haile.) Enacts “The Isbill Act,” which requires the POST commission and Tennessee corrections institute to adopt guidelines and materials instructing law enforcement officers and correctional personnel on the criteria for emergency and nonemergency involuntary admissions to inpatient treatment and requires law enforcement officers and correctional personnel to undergo annual training on those guidelines and materials.
The Abstract summarizes HB1816 as introduced.

+Mental Health 74. HB2081 by Littleton. (*SB1937 by Jackson.) Adds the commissioner of mental health and substance abuse services as a member of the Tennessee second look commission; makes various other changes relating to child abuse and child sexual abuse.

+Child/Foster 79. HB1235 by Love. (*SB0312 by Yarbro.) Requires the department to conserve any federal funds a child in the department’s care is eligible for or may receive for the child’s reasonable, foreseeable future needs or use for special needs services not currently being provided by the department.

(4/8 Placed on 4/14HOUSE Finance, Ways, and Means Subcommitteer) (4/17/25 Placed on 4/21/26 Senate Finance, Ways, and Means Committee)

-Firearm 83. *HB2157 by Lamberth. (SB2405 by White.) Increases, from 10 calendar days to 10 business days, the time the POST commission has to notify a retired officer of its denial of the officer’s permit application to carry a firearm.

4/8 Placed on 4/14 Finance, Ways, and Means Sub (4/8 refer to 4/14 Senate Finance, Ways, and Means 7-2)

2:30 PM – HOUSE Children & Family Affairs Sub

+Child 1. *HB2206 by Sherrell. (SB2459 by Bailey.)

Requires the department to disseminate its annual report on zero to three courts and safe baby courts to the commission on children and youth.

4/8 Placed on 4/9 Calendar & Rules Committee (3/19 Passed Senate as amended, 27-5-1)