Sine die.
That phrase — from the Latin for “without a day” — is used to mark the close of the state legislature’s business each year. The 113th Tennessee General Assembly adjourned sine die shortly after 5 p.m. on April 25. So what did Tennessee’s 33 senators and 99 representatives accomplish in the three-and-a-half months they spent this year on Capitol Hill?
Well, despite the fact that both chambers are controlled by Republican supermajorities, Republican Gov. Bill Lee didn’t manage to pass his plan for universal school vouchers. And despite calls from advocates and protesters to take up serious gun reform just one year after Nashville’s deadly Covenant School shooting, very little was considered on that front. (Though one bill allowing teachers to carry guns in Tennessee’s public schools did pass.)
At the beginning of the session, state House Speaker Cameron Sexton (R-Crossville) implemented a new policy limiting the public’s access to the legislative chambers’ upstairs galleries, requiring attendees to acquire “tickets” from lawmakers to access certain areas. At various points throughout the session, spectators were ordered to leave the chambers due to conduct deemed unruly by GOP leadership. And as the session wore on, the Republican supermajority also used its overwhelming procedural power to shoot down Democrat-backed legislation and gavel down objections to Republican-backed bills.
Many of those bills focused on culture-war issues, gobbling up headlines and mainstream attention — from Brentwood Republican Rep. Gino Bulso’s attempt to ban Pride flags from public schools (it didn’t pass) to a bill requiring law enforcement agencies to report individuals’ immigration status to federal authorities (it did pass). After much back-and-forth between the House and Senate over the details of Lee’s proposed franchise tax cut, the two bodies reached an agreement that will ultimately cost the state $1.95 billion. Also passed this session were a resolution amending the Tennessee Constitution to remove the right to bail for some offenders and a piece of legislation known as the “Back the Blue Act” that increases the penalty for assault against a law enforcement officer.
All of that is just a drop in the bucket — a sliver of what went down during this year’s proceedings. In this issue, we dip into much of the above and more, exploring how Tennessee’s elected lawmakers spent their time on Capitol Hill. Read on. —D. PATRICK RODGERS, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
From ‘Meet Baby Olivia’ to an attempt to ban Pride flags, here’s (some of) what passed and what failed among the GOP’s pet projects
The Republican supermajority voted to vacate the TSU board, arm teachers and further censor reading materials
Budget also addresses revenue shortfall while setting aside millions for vouchers
Tennessee’s nearly total abortion ban remains intact — and the DCS is now prohibited from requiring immunizations for foster parents
A procedural vote on the East Bank Development Authority turns into Republicans’ punching bag
