Legislature Convenes With Education, Abortion, Taxes on the Agenda

The Tennessee General Assembly opened business for 2024 on Tuesday in Nashville, marking the start of several months of meetings at which lawmakers are expected to debate legislation related to education, taxes and abortion, among other issues.

The state Senate resumed work Tuesday without its leader, Lt. Gov. Randy McNally (R-Oak Ridge), who is missing the first few weeks of session as he recovers from ankle surgery. Sen. Ferrell Haile (R-Gallatin), the speaker pro tempore, presided over Tuesday's brief floor session. Senators took time to praise Sen. Art Swann (R-Maryville), who on Tuesday announced his planned retirement.

In the House, some Democratic members questioned House rules during the mostly procedural first day on the floor. In a rules committee meeting on Monday, lawmakers adopted a rule laying out punishment for members ruled out of order by the speaker. Additionally, Tuesday saw limits on access to the House floor for some members of the media and half of the second-level gallery for most members of the public. At least one member of the public was ejected from the House on Tuesday.

Gov. Bill Lee's top priority in 2024 is expanding the voucher-like education savings accounts currently on offer to qualifying students in Davidson, Shelby and Hamilton counties to all students regardless of income or school district. The push, following the contentious 2019 debate over the limited ESA program, is expected to see intense debate in the legislature. School boards across the state, including in conservative districts, have publicly opposed the effort, dubbed by Lee the Education Freedom Scholarship Act.

On abortion, Democrats will continue a quest to weaken the Tennessee abortion ban instituted upon the reversal of Roe v. Wade. At least one Republican, Sen. Richard Briggs of Knoxville, could propose changes to the abortion ban, too.

The Republican-controlled legislature exhibited no appetite for gun control measures during a special session last year called by Lee, also a Republican, in response to the killing of three students and three staffers at the Covenant School in Nashville. Still, groups of parents and students have plans to attend the session and urge lawmakers to consider new restrictions on guns.

Another Lee priority, he said last week, is reforming the state's franchise tax on businesses. The Tennessee Journal reported that threatened legal action against the nearly century-old tax spurred the proposed changes.

This article was first published by our sister publication, the Nashville Post.