House protects Tennessee workers’ right to private votes House Republicans on Thursday passed legislation ensuring Tennessee workers’ rights are protected by secret ballot in union-organizing elections. House Bill 1342, sponsored by House Speaker Cameron Sexton, R-Crossville, and State Rep. Kevin Vaughan, R-Collierville, prohibits an employer who accepts economic development incentives from Tennessee from disclosing an…

General Assembly confirms new Tennessee Supreme Court Justice Members of the General Assembly confirmed the appointment of Dwight E. Tarwater to the Tennessee Supreme Court in a joint session in the House chamber on Thursday. Tarwater, a Knoxville attorney, brings more than 40 years of legal background to the court, including decades of trial and…

General Assembly expands protections for overdose victims The General Assembly this week approved Republican legislation meant to further encourage individuals to seek medical treatment for an overdose.  House Bill 75 extends criminal immunity, at the discretion of law enforcement or the district attorney, to anyone experiencing a second or subsequent drug overdose and is seeking…

Republicans advance ban on taxpayer-funded transgender surgeries The House Insurance Subcommittee this week advanced Republican legislation to protect taxpayer money from being used for transgender surgeries in Tennessee. House Bill 1215 would prohibit a managed care organization (MCO) contracted with TennCare from covering any medical procedures performed for the purpose of changing a person’s sex.…