House Republicans pass historic criminal justice reform The Tennessee House of Representatives approved two major criminal justice reform bills this week in Nashville.  Both are proposals from Gov. Bill Lee’s legislative package and are part of his efforts to reform criminal justice in Tennessee. The bills reflect changes recommended by the Tennessee Criminal Justice Reinvestment…

Republicans welcome Sen. Lamar Alexander, Candace Owens Republicans on Monday welcomed former Governor and U.S. Senator Lamar Alexander along with conservative commentator Candace Owens to Tennessee State Capitol in Nashville. The General Assembly gathered in a joint session to present a resolution to Alexander, recognizing and honoring the senator for his lifetime of service to Tennessee. He also…

House Republicans make Covid relief tax deductible for business Tennessee businesses will be eligible to receive more pandemic assistance through a bill that will exempt relief funds from state taxes. Republican leaders on Monday night successfully guided unanimous passage of House Bill 776 which exempts Covid-19 relief payments received between March 1, 2020 and Dec. 31,…

Legislation strengthens state’s TANF program to assist families in achieving self-sufficiency and build a thriving Tennessee House Bill 142, legislation strengthening and improving the state’s Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program, advanced through the Government Operations Committee on Monday. The bill was recommended by a group appointed to study possible changes to the program, which…

House Republicans propose to protect consumer privacy Republican leaders this week announced a proposal that protects Tennesseans’ right to privacy and returns control of personal information back to consumers. The Tennessee Information Protection Act requires large technology companies to fully disclose to consumers what information is being collected about them through their online activities. When consumers interact…

Tennessee State Constitution transferred to a new home Tennessee’s founding documents were transported to the new Tennessee State Library and Archives (TSLA) with much fanfare and a parade in Nashville this week. Secretary of State  Tre Hargett led the procession escorted by the Tennessee Highway Patrol (THP), THP Honor Guard and Tennessee National Guard color guard…

Governor delivers State of the State address Gov. Bill Lee delivered his third State of the State address this week in a joint convention of the House and Senate at War Memorial Auditorium in Nashville. The governor’s speech focused on recent Republican accomplishments and shared legislative and budget priorities for the 2021 legislative session. Lee…