Legislative Update, March 10, 2018

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).

 

"History fails to record a single precedent in which nations subject to moral decay have not passed into political and economic decline. There has been either a spiritual awakening to overcome the moral lapse, or a progressive deterioration leading to ultimate national disaster."  Douglas MacArthur

FOR YOUR PRAYER LIST:
Rep. Mary Littleton's surgery was postponed from last Friday to this past Tuesday. I am so happy to report that she came through it very well, Praise the Lord!!  This is the fourth surgery she has had since October 1st.  PLEASE pray that she does not get an infection this time and that her healing is speedy and totally uneventful!!


FUN FACTS: 
The House Full Committee Calendar is 40 pages; Subcommittee Calendar is 65 pages, Senate Calendar is 62 pages. In the 110th General Assembly, 2701 bills and 917 Joint Resolutions have been introduced in the House; 2732 bills and 728 Joint Resolutions introduced in the Senate.



JONATHAN'S CORNER:
This last week was another fun day with Mrs. Bobbie. We went around and watched committees for most of the day. Mrs. Bobbie talked about how cold the rooms were. We also went and talked with specific legislators about the marijuana bill and about the other bills that Mrs. Bobbie was trying to get passed and/or oppose. Overall it was another intriguing day at the Capitol. As always we spoke with the legislators and they shared their different points of views on things. Some people had points of views you wouldn't think they would have had but not all people are ideologically aligned. Politics is a melting pot.



LUKE'S CORNER:
This week at the internship we've been around getting more people for bills and talked more about the medical marijuana bill.  We had many interesting conversations on abortion and how terrible of a thing it is and how people's only excuse for it is women's rights they can't come up with anything else.  All they do is say abortion clinics give more than just abortions, they give Women's Health but that's false because Planned Parenthood itself said that they don't



LAURABETH'S CORNER:
Curious, strange, unusual, or bizarre -- There are a lot of words that could describe the day, but my personal choice would be the word 'discombobulated'. The morning started out simple enough; We spent time talking to a TEA representative and getting to see a few district attorneys, then bided our time by keeping an eye on a few committee meetings before we attended the Criminal Justice Committee. While we were anticipating to hear about medical marijuana, we found out that the bill had been taken off notice for the week(And promptly put back on notice for next week). But it seemed every time we got to a bill we wanted to hear, we ended up having to leave the room before we could hear it! It was incredibly odd, but still, it was fun to get the chance to talk to representatives and listen in on important topics! I'm hoping next week won't be quite as odd as it was Wednesday, but I won't complain! It's always a delight to see what's going on at our capitol!


ALERT: ANTI-SANCTUARY CITY BILL:
SB 2332 by *Green , Bell, Ketron, Roberts, Pody, Southerland, Bowling, Jackson, HB 2315 by *Reedy, Terry, Sexton J, Moody, Rogers, Hill M, Goins, Eldridge, Byrd, Matheny
Immigration - As introduced, prohibits state and local governmental entities and officials from adopting sanctuary policies; authorizes Tennessee residents and members of the general assembly to submit complaints to the attorney general; provides that violations subject entities to ineligibility of state moneys; requires law enforcement agencies to enter into memorandums of agreement with federal officials concerning enforcement of federal immigration laws

The Fiscal Burden of Illegal Immigration on Tennessee

The Fiscal Burden of Illegal Immigration on the United State Taxpayers

Border Patrol: California sanctuary laws obstruct public safety, law enforcement

FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE GO HERE: NO SANCTUARY CITIES

 

ALERT: NO MUNICIPAL IDs:
SB 2333 by *Green, Bell, HB 2312 by *Lamberth, Casada, Hill M, Holt
Public Officials - As introduced, prohibits the use of consular identification cards, and other similar documents not authorized by the general assembly for use for identification purposes, for determining a person's identity or residency by an official or employee of the state or any political subdivision of the state; prohibits local governments and law enforcement agencies from establishing the acceptability of any such cards or documents.

Chicago ID Card can be Used by Noncitizens to Register to Vote? 

FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE GO HERE: NO MUNICIPAL IDs

STATUS:  Both SB2332 and SB2333 are in Senate State and Local Government Committee on Tuesday

ACTION: Please click on the link above and the pictures of the committee members to either send an email or make a phone call and let the members of this committee know that you support both of these IMPORTANT bills. Your voices DO MAKE A DIFFERENCE, and we do expect serious opposition.



 

NO IN-STATE TUITION FOR ILLEGALS:
SB 2263 by *Gardenhire, HB 2429 by *White M
Education, Higher - As introduced, exempts certain students from paying out-of-state tuition at state institutions of higher education
NOTE: This has been a long battle that so far, opponents have won, but we need to be as faithful and persistent at the proponents.
In-state college tuition for illegal aliens will give benefits to adult or nearly-adult individuals over the age of 18 (I was married at that age) whose parents are also illegal aliens. This is not a bill that just gives benefits to "youngsters". Taxpayers will pay the difference.
A 1996 Federal law mandates that if instate rates are given to illegals, those rates must also be given to all applicants of each state's colleges and universities from the other 49 states. Although the law is not actively enforced, giving in-state tuition to illegal aliens is a clear violation of federal law. It is fundamentally unfair to students from out-of-state who are U.S. citizens
Providing In-State Tuition for Illegal Aliens: A Violation of Federal Law

STATUS: SB2263 was scheduled in Senate Education Committee last Wednesday, but was moved to the last calendar.
HB2429 is scheduled on the Education Administration & Planning Subcommittee on Tuesday.
ACTION:  This can be stopped here and now if you respond.  Please let the members of this committee know that you OPPOSE this legislation. This bill will probably fail or pass by ONE VOTE.
 

MEDICAL MARIJUANA:
SB 1710 by *Dickerson, HB 1749 by Faison, Ramsey
Health Care - As introduced, enacts the "Medical Cannabis Act"; establishes medical cannabis commission for regulation of cannabis-related health care. - Amends TCA Title 4, Chapter 29; Title 39, Chapter 17, Part 4; Title 50; Title 53, Chapter 11; Title 67 and Title 68.
NOTE: This is against federal law. Representatives from the TBI, the Sheriff's Association, and the District Attorneys Conference testified AGAINST HB1749. EVERY state that went on to decriminalize and legalize marijuana broke through this barrier, so this vote CANNOT be cast in isolation. Without trying to sound heartless and bereft of compassion, hard cases make bad law, also, offering this as an option for the opioid epidemic is speculation at best. Whatever you legalize you get more of -- legal and illegal. In addition, this bill looks like a business plan to make some people very rich. The Commercialization of Marijuana
STATUS:  SB1710 has not been scheduled yet. HB1749 was on the Criminal Justice Committee Calendar this week, but was taken 'off notice'. (Interesting move! That motion is 'non-debatable', whereas, if the motion had been to 'roll' it, that might have been debated and voted on.) The bill was put back 'on notice' later in the day.  What does this mean?  It means that the committee vote count is in constant motion. What does THAT mean?  It means that your voice is VITAL and CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE.
ACTION:  Please contact member of the Criminal Justice Committee and URGE them to vote NO! This is another bill that will probably pass or fail on ONE VOTE.


THE OOPSIE BILL:
SB 2670 by *Bailey,  Jackson, Hensley, Dickerson, Kelsey, Swann; HB 1903 by *Doss,  Byrd, Fitzhugh, Faison, Matheny, Alexander, Holt, Sanderson, Calfee, Howell, Brooks K, Tillis, Marsh, Hill T, Hill M, VanHuss, Eldridge, Farmer, Windle, Hicks, Goins, Lollar, Littleton, McDaniel, Whitson, Shaw, Sexton C, Moody, Sexton J, Curcio, Weaver, Keisling, Halford, Rudd, Lynn, Crawford, White M, Kumar, Rogers, Carr , Hazlewood, Ramsey, Gravitt, Hulsey, Forgety, Casada, Butt, Wirgau, Johnson, Powers
Taxes - As introduced, requires that 5 percent of state funds in the municipal street aid fund be distributed equally to each municipality instead of all such funds being distributed based on population; reduces state sales tax revenue allocated to general fund; increases state-shared sales tax revenue allocated to municipalities.
NOTE:  It turns out that the so-called IMPROVE Act, AKA, Gas Tax bill, (SB1221-HB534) cost local governments a bundle.
The recurring decrease in local revenue pursuant to the state-shared allocation is estimated to be $5,761,240 ($25,925,017 - $20,163,777).
The decrease in Hall Income Tax revenue for the local government is estimated to be $18,800,640 in FY17-18 [$94,003,200 – ($272,000,000 / 5.00% x 4.00% x 34.56%)]; $37,601,280 in FY18-19 [$94,003,200 – ($272,000,000 / 5.00% x 3.00% x 34.56%)]; $56,401,920 in FY19-20 [$94,003,200 – ($272,000,000 / 5.00% x 2.00% x 34.56%)]; $75,202,560 in FY20-21 [$94,003,200 – ($272,000,000 / 5.00% x 1.00% x 34.56%)]; and $94,003,200 in FY21-22.
So SB2670-HB1903 is designed to address that loss.  Judging from the number of co-sponsors, it won't have any problem passing.

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