What’s happening in the waning hours of the 2025 state legislative session
As the current Tennessee General Assembly legislative session draws to a close, bills are facing do-or-die moments in committees.
Topic: Tennessee General Assembly
RSSThere are 273 article(s) tagged Tennessee General Assembly:
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April 2025
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Lawmakers look to sales-tax hike for ‘ungodly problem’
“Humanitarian crisis.” “Big liability.” “Ungodly problem.” These are some of the terms Tennessee lawmakers used to describe the Shelby County Jail as they passed a bill to help fund construction of a new one.
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Tenn. House advances its version of Memphis school takeover
The measure, narrowed to Memphis-Shelby County Schools, would strip elected school board members of their duties and assign oversight of the district to a board of state-appointed Shelby County residents.
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Voting-rights bill passes Tennessee Senate committee
SB0336, sponsored by state Sen. Raumesh Akbari, D-Memphis, would remove the requirements for persons convicted of certain felonies to have fully paid all court costs associated with their crime to be eligible to vote.
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March 2025
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Tempers flare between Pearson, Farmer during House committee hearing
A discussion about gun laws lead to Rep. Justin J. Pearson, confronting fellow Rep. Andrew Farmer during a House subcommittee Wednesday, March 26, temporarily suspending the session.
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School districts could deny enrollment to immigrant children if bill passes
The bill passed narrowly in an 11-7 vote, with three Republicans, including Memphis Republican Mark White voting against it alongside all four of the committee’s Democrats.
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MSCS takeover bill would give power to Shelby County leaders
Eads Republican state Sen. Brent Taylor brought the proposal, which targets Memphis by taking aim at Tennessee school districts with high concentrations of poverty.
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Sanford: Proposal puts state’s human rights enforcement in jeopardy
State lawmakers are looking to eliminate the Tennessee Human Rights Commission, which looks into about 180 complaints about discrimination every month.
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New West Tenn. juvenile detention facility plan passes first hurdle
A fiscal note attached to the bill estimates a cost of more than $283 million, a figure that doesn’t include land, staffing or maintenance costs.
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Unlawful photography bills get widespread support in General Assembly
Bills targeting the taking and distribution of unauthorized intimate photos and expanding rights for such victims were not only passed but received a standing ovation in the Tennessee General Assembly.
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Tennessee takes first step toward MSCS takeover
A Tennessee subcommittee passed Rep. Mark White’s school takeover proposal. White suggested his proposal would have a new, narrowed focus on Memphis, likely allaying concerns from other school districts who could have become targets.
Related story:
At MSCS, anti-takeover protestors condemn ‘attack on democracy’
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At MSCS, anti-takeover protestors condemn ‘attack on democracy’
A new state legislative proposal to take over Memphis-Shelby County Schools drew immediate opposition from some local community, church and elected leaders.
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Legislation would strip MSCS board members of most duties and powers
The proposal would transfer authority to a state-appointed board for at least four years.
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Tennessee lawmakers to hear MSCS takeover proposal next Tuesday
Memphis Republican Rep. Mark White, the bill’s sponsor, has yet to file his proposal as a legislative amendment, meaning the concrete details aren’t yet available to review.
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Proposed state tax on vaping products moves forward
The proposal, aimed at removing juvenile access to vaping products and decreasing the industry’s reliance on China, would also pull many vapes off Tennessee shelves.
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Controversial immigrant education bill passes House committee
The bill gives local education agencies the ability to deny enrollment to students unlawfully present in the United States.
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State could scrap Achievement School District for new approach
The proposal calls for dissolving the ASD by the summer and implementing a new model by the next school year. In the most severe cases, it could mean the state-mandated closure of a chronically low-performing school.
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‘Let children learn’: Opponents of bill targeting immigrant students protest in Berclair
The proposed legislation would allow public school districts to charge thousands of dollars in tuition if students can’t prove they are U.S. citizens or are in the country legally.
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Tennessee lawmakers consider cutting sales tax on groceries
A couple of bills that would completely eliminate the 4% sales tax on groceries were introduced to the 114th General Assembly — and they have bipartisan support.
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Homeless camps could be cleared from state roads if bill becomes law
The bill requires TDOT to work with local communities to create a policy regarding the collection and disposal of personal property used for camping near or around state and interstate highways.
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Tennessee House approves bill restricting cellphones in schools
A bill requiring Tennessee school districts to adopt a policy prohibiting students from using cellphones and other “wireless communication devices” during instruction time passed in the state House of Representatives Monday.
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Bills could eliminate hemp industry in Tennessee entirely
Two bills seeking to restrict the sale and manufacture of hemp-derived cannabinoids in Tennessee passed through the state House of Representatives Criminal Justice subcommittee last week.
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February 2025
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‘A unified voice’: Memphis Chamber group makes itself heard in Nashville
Eighty-six members of the Greater Memphis Chamber traveled to Nashville to meet with state legislators, officers and cabinet heads to advocate for issues relevant to the local business community.
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Memphis lawmakers propose bill to study need for third bridge to Arkansas
The bill comes as a separate bridge — America’s River Crossing — is slated to begin construction by the fall of 2026.
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Memphis-area legislators file bills to restructure juvenile courts, more
A large volume of court-reform bills filed by Shelby County legislators will appear in Tennessee House of Representatives and Senate committee hearings in coming weeks.
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