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…

The pace picked up this week on Capitol Hill with lawmakers advancing several bills through committee and on the House floor. The House Finance, Ways and Means Committee continued its work advancing the priorities of Tennesseans for next year by completing its seventh week of budget hearings. The House Education Committee on Wednesday held a…

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.…

House members file 1,530 bills Following the completion of organizational tasks in both chambers, members of the General Assembly were hard at work this week advancing the priorities of Tennesseans. The primary goal of the General Assembly is the same each year: to provide the best possible service at the greatest efficiency and at the…