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).

 

"All societies of men must be governed in some way or other. The less they have of stringent State Government, the more they must have of individual self-government... Men, in a word, must necessarily be controlled either by a power within them, or a power without them; either by the word of God, or by the strong arm of man; either by the Bible or by the bayonet.” Robert Winthrop, U.S. Speaker of the House, 1847-49

FOR YOUR PRAYER LIST:
Please continue to pray for Rep. David Byrd.  He has been working diligently to get his strength back...going to therapy trying to walk on his own again. Bouts with jaundice required his Bile Duct to be cleared out, meaning a hospital stay. Hopefully he’ll be taken back to the Rehab facility and he’ll start feeling better in a few days so he can restart his rehab sessions. Rep. Mike Carter is continuing his chemotherapy for pancreatic cancer. I got to talk to his sweet wife, Joan, this week and she said that most of the time the treatments are tolerated well. Bless his heart, Sen. Paul Bailey, with his broken wrists, was back at Cordell Hull this week taking care of business.  In addition to these legislators who definitely need special prayers, please  pray for all the legislators. The session is in full swing now and these lawmakers will be making decisions that will impact every citizen of our state.  Please pray for wisdom, courage, strength, etc., for every vote.




LEFT: JUST FOR FUN:                          
My button continues to
to get a lot of attention.
Now other lobbyists 
say that they need buttons
that state: "I'm with Bobbie!"
                   


RIGHT: Point of personal privilege.  Tomorrow is our 62nd Anniversary. I can hardly believe it!!





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:

 THREE CONSIDERATIONS:
1. In today’s political climate, with the way this election cycle played out, with Sen, Chuck Schumer and Cong. Nancy Pelosi in charge of the US Senate and the US House and the main stream media being their allies, do we really think it is a good idea for Congress to ‘call’ for a Constitutional Convention and think they can be controlled beyond what they want to see happen???
2.  Problems with calling an Article V Constitutional Convention
3. Problems with Term Limits - we have Term Limits - they are called elections, every two, four and six years.

Eagle Forum has long opposed taking this risky action in spite of the assurances that everything would be all right - that is speculation since we have never had one since the convention to amend the Articles of Confederation. This is a very important subject with significant consequences.  Please look at the articles linked below to learn the details. 

States Likely Could Not Control Constitutional Convention on Balanced Budget Amendment or Other Issues

Don’t Be Fooled by Article V Conventions

TWENTY QUESTIONS ABOUT A CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION

The Problems with ARTIFICIAL Term Limits

Five reasons to oppose congressional term limits

STATUS:  HJR0008 is scheduled in the House Public Service and Employees Subcommittee on Wednesday, March 3rd.

ACTION: Please read the information linked above and then contact the committee members and urge them to VOTE NO on HJR008. Rep. Esther Helton rep.esther.helton@capitol.tn.gov , Rep. Rebecca Alexander rep.rebecca.alexander@capitol.tn.gov, Rep. Darren Jernigan rep.darren.jernigan@capitol.tn.gov , Rep. Curtis Johnson rep.curtis.johnson@capitol.tn.gov, Rep. Kelly Keisling rep.kelly.keisling@capitol.tn.gov, Rep. Pat Marsh rep.pat.marsh@capitol.tn.gov, Rep. John Mark Windle rep.john.windle@capitol.tn.gov.


 

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

You will want to read this entire article:
Knoxville's Rep. Eddie Mannis pushes back against transgender youth sports bill .

STATUS:  SB 228 was voted out of the Senate Judiciary Committee 8-1: Bell, Crowe, Haile, Hensley, Kelsey, Lundberg, Powers, White; Senators voting no were: Akbari, and is on the Senate Floor Monday evening.
HB0003 was voted out of Education Administration on Wednesday on a voice vote and was referred to House Calendar and Rules.
ACTION:  Please find your Senator HERE, and urge him or her to support SB228! 




PROTECTING CHILDREN FROM MUTILATING SURGERY:
SB 0657 by *Bowling - HB 0578 by *Ragan , WEAVER
Children - As introduced, prohibits the provision of sexual identity change therapy to prepubescent minors; prohibits the provision of sexual identity change therapy to minors who have entered puberty unless a parent or guardian has written recommendations for the therapy from at least three physicians; punishes violations as child abuse; designates violations by healthcare professionals as professional misconduct.

The Victims of Childhood Transgenderism Have Spoken Out - It's Time for Joe Biden To Listen .

‘Transition’ Treatment Harms Kids, Veteran Psychiatrist at UK Gender Clinic Says .

STATUS: HB578 is in House Criminal Justice Committee on Wednesday.
ACTION:  Would you please contact these members and politely ask them to vote for HB578.
Rep. G. A. Hardaway rep.ga.hardaway@capitol.tn.gov, Rep. Bill Beck rep.bill.beck@capitol.tn.gov



GIVING POWER TO THE VICTIM OF RAPE
SB 0274 by *Rose - HB 0326 by *Moody
Child Custody and Support - As introduced, removes custody, visitation, or inheritance rights for a parent who has been convicted of aggravated statutory rape, statutory rape by an authority figure, or lesser included offenses of rape, from which crime the child was conceived
STATUS:  On Tuesday, Sen. Rose presented SB274 in Senate Judiciary Committee.  After his informative presentation, the committee voted 9-0 (Bell, Gardenhire, Kyle, Lundberg, Roberts, Robinson, Rose, Stevens, White) to pass it out.
Now here's the part that is a wonderful surprise: For the first time in my 34 years, SB274 is ON THE CONSENT CALENDAR for Monday night's Senate Floor Session. That has NEVER happened to one of our bills. Now if someone doesn't bump it off, it will be voted on with the rest of the bills/resolutions on the Consent Calendar. 



LEGALIZING MARIJUANA:
SB 0854 by *Bowling - HB 0621 by *Rudder
Controlled Substances - As introduced, enacts the "Tennessee Medical Cannabis Act."
The first thing wrong with this proposal is that it is (admitted by the national proponents) a stepping stone to 'decriminalization' and then to 'legalization'.  Every state that has legalized marijuana, went through the 'medical marijuana' step. 

For the marijuana industry, medical legalization is the surest way to achieve full legalization.
• The former director of NORML, Richard Cowan said, “… once there’s medical access, if we continue to do what we have to do… then we’ll get full legalization.”
• Many licensed marijuana companies in medical states are also licensed to sell recreational marijuana in states where it is fully “legal,” giving these companies a hand in both markets.
• The commercial medical marijuana market races ahead of science available on its efficacy in treating a number of ailments.
• Pain is one of the most commonly reported qualifying conditions in “legal” states, in spite of evidence suggesting marijuana fails to mitigate pain (CDPHE, 2019; Tampa Bay Times, 2019; Politico, 2020).

STATUS:  SB854 is in Senate Government Operations on Wednesday.  This committee operates differently from other committees. It cannot kill a bill, but sends a bill out to the appropriate standing committee with one of three recommendations: Positive Recommendation, NEGATIVE Recommended or NO Recommendation.

ACTION: Please contact these committee members and politely urge the to give a NEGATIVE recommendation.
Sen. Kerry Roberts sen.kerry.roberts@capitol.tn.gov , Sen. Ed Jackson sen.ed.jackson@capitol.tn.gov, Sen. Mike Bell sen.mike.bell@capitol.tn.gov, Sen. Rusty Crowe sen.rusty.crowe@capitol.tn.gov , Sen. Sara Kyle sen.sara.kyle@capitol.tn.gov , Sen. Mark Pody sen.mark.pody@capitol.tn.gov, Sen. Paul Rose sen.paul.rose@capitol.tn.gov



With all the legislative restrictions this session, please know that you can, AND SHOULD, watch the committee meetings as well as the floor session.  You can see the Senate HERE;  and the House HERE. 






Federal judge blocks Tennessee abortion restrictions .

Tennessee is Removing Restrictions for Visiting Long-Term Care Facilities .

Senate GOP won't comment on cutting funding for teams kneeling .

Tennessee Senate Approves Bill to Allow School Districts, Governor to Reopen Classes .

Williamson County School Board Hires Firm to Fight Racism, Despite Warnings it Might Indoctrinate Students .

Shelby County Schools Pushes for Expanded Role of African-American History to Counter ‘Continuous and Systemic Murder’ by Police .

State Senate Advances Measure That Changes the Way Tennessee’s Attorney General Is Selected .