Flurry of activity as Tennessee lawmakers move closer to the end of the session
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As Tennessee's legislative session hurtles toward its conclusion this month, several high-profile bills are nearing their final hurdles.
Why it matters: This is when things heat up. A flurry of last-minute deals, changes and debates are all taking place as lawmakers move closer to the finish line for the year.
Immigration emerged as a dominant topic early on this year, with top Republicans collaborating with the White House to craft policies that complemented President Trump's immigration crackdown.
The latest: Multiple bills faced pivotal hurdles this week, including one that would require all Tennessee sheriffs to cooperate with federal immigration agents. When House Republicans cut off debate on the bill during a Tuesday committee meeting, enraged Democrats shouted and cursed in disapproval.
- Another measure that would have required public schools to track students' immigration status seemingly faltered, but House Republicans are looking to revive it by attaching it to the voucher expansion plan.
School vouchers, which allow students to use public money to pay private school tuition, have been one of Gov. Bill Lee's top priorities for years. This year, he called on lawmakers to double the number of students who could participate from 20,000 to 40,000.
Yes, but: The House version of the plan was amended this week to shave 5,000 off that total, setting a 35,000-student cap instead. Another piece of that amendment adds the requirement that public schools track student immigration status in order to maintain their funding levels.
- That version of the bill won approval from a key House panel on Wednesday. But it is at odds with the Senate version.
- The House and Senate will have to agree on a single version before the expansion can become law.
Abortion is already illegal in Tennessee, but lawmakers have repeatedly revisited the issue. This year, a bill that would have allowed women who sought abortions to be charged with murder, and potentially eligible for the death penalty, failed last month.
LGBTQ+ issues are another perennial focus at the Capitol. This year was no different, with bills targeting same-sex marriage and LGBTQ+ job protections, among other things.
Zoom in: Some of those high-profile efforts fizzled, including a measure that sought to ban Pride flags in government buildings.
- The Senate shelved the effort to allow residents and companies to refuse to acknowledge same-sex marriages. The push against job protections also died.
A bill that would create a public list of transgender medical patients' personal information continues to advance, and is headed to the Senate floor.