Recapping Tennessee's 2025 legislative session
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Tennessee's legislative session ended Tuesday night, with lawmakers sending a final wave of bills to the governor's desk.
Here's a recap of some top stories from the session.
🍎 Immigrant education bill stalled
One of the most talked-about pieces of legislation this year was a measure that would have allowed public school districts to refuse to teach undocumented immigrants.
- The bill was an explicit attempt to challenge a 1982 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that requires public schools to admit students regardless of their immigration status. The plan faced heavy opposition from immigrant rights advocates, educators and even some Republicans.
- The legislation faltered in the waning days of the session, as Republican support splintered and concerns emerged that it could jeopardize federal education funding.
Yes, but: Advocates at the Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition said the bill could easily be revived in 2026.
- "All of our organizing actually has to scale up over the summer to ensure that if this bill comes back next session we are ready to defeat it," TIRRC executive director Lisa Sherman Luna said.
The big picture: The bill was emblematic of the ways many Tennessee Republicans have embraced President Trump's hardline positions on immigration, diversity and other issues.
🗳️ Felon voting rights
Tennessee law currently requires felons who've lost their voting rights to get their gun rights back before they can restore their voting rights.
- A new bill lawmakers sent to Gov. Bill Lee this month would change that so that people could get their voting rights restored first.
- But they would still have to convince a judge to restore their voting rights.
⚖️ Innocence claims
The Tennessee Innocence Project praised another bill heading to Lee's desk that would provide a path for people who plead guilty to a crime to later bring new evidence of their innocence to court.
Between the lines: Some people who maintain their innocence choose to plead guilty for a deal or other reasons. Bill sponsor Sen. Todd Gardenhire (R-Chattanooga) said this would create an option for them if significant evidence emerges after their plea, per the Tennessean.
🩺 Fertility treatment protections
Lawmakers passed a bill protecting fertility treatments, like IVF, and contraception.
What we're watching: As the bill awaits Lee's signature, a group of 11 Republican House members are calling on him to veto it.
Flashback: Some of the biggest legislation of the year got approved during a fast-tracked special session in late January.
- That includes new laws expanding school vouchers and ramping up participation in Trump's immigration crackdown.
👀 What's next: Some lawmakers will remain in Nashville this week as former House Speaker Glen Casada and his top aide face trial in federal court. The trial began this week.
- Current and former lawmakers are expected to testify, per the AP.