Committee nixes voting by mail for newly registered Tennesseans who are disabled, elderly or in the military
Conservatives on the House Local Committee killed a measure that would allow Tennesseans who qualify to vote by mail to do so immediately after receiving a voter registration card. There are 14 qualifications in Tennessee for a voter to be eligible for absentee voting by mail, such as: voter is over 60 years old; voter…
Read MoreCasada’s Next Power Grab
Bill gives speaker staffing, salary power over state’s “independent” financial analysts Speaker Glen Casada wants control of the staff responsible for providing an “independent” fiscal analysis of legislation and state finances. The Fiscal Review Committee, created in 1967 to oversee the fiscal operations of the state, was established to provide “independent information concerning the…
Read MoreBill to allow adoption agencies to discriminate against LGBTQ Tennesseans passes House
A proposal to allow agencies to deny service to LGBTQ Tennesseans seeking to adopt a child passed the House of Representatives 67-22. If enacted, House Bill 836 would permit private child-placing agencies to deny any person seeking to foster or adopt a child if the placement would “violate the agency’s written religious or moral convictions.”…
Read MoreSenate, House approve bill to prevent local regulation of single-use plastic, containers
The Tennessee General Assembly has made an art of pre-emption. This week, Gov. Bill Lee signed legislation that passed both chambers to prevent cities and counties from regulating single-use plastic and containers. Under this new law, cities and counties will not be able to pass any ordinances to regulate single-use plastic bags, containers or items…
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