As this year’s legislative session winds toward its close, proposed legislation on elections, gun reform and health care was debated by lawmakers this week.
Legislation heading for Senate floor following discussion of its financial impact
Protests continued to erupt over a bill that would allow local school boards to prohibit undocumented students from enrolling in public schools, or charge their families tuition — leading to the arrest of 80-year-old protester Lynne McFarland on Tuesday.
This week’s debate on the bill focused on the Republican argument that it will save Tennessee money. No evidence has been shown to prove this statement, and some Democrats this week said the legislation could add an extra administrative burden to schools.
Health Care
Earlier this week, a bill passed a House subcommittee that would name some instances in which an abortion could be legal in Tennessee to preserve the life of the mother. The legislation is headed for both the House and Senate floors. Rep. John Ray Clemmons (D-Nashville) claimed this “clarification” bill, as it has been called by sponsors, claims it is designed to absolve the state’s attorney general from a lawsuit. It will be heard again by the Senate on Monday.
Opponents claim legislation is intended to absolve AG from physician-brought lawsuit
A bipartisan bill that would provide a path for families to be paid under TennCare to care for their relatives with disabilities is on its way to the governor’s desk. Brought by Sen. Raumesh Akbari (D-Memphis) and Rep. Michael Hale (R-Smithville), the bill aims to address a caregiver shortage for people in the state’s home- and community-based services programming for seniors and those with disabilities.
A bill passed the Senate this week that would grant legal immunity to pesticide company Bayer-Monsanto, preventing victims from suing over harms alleged to be caused by the company’s products.
Elections
Several bills related to voting, elections and campaign donations made their way through the state legislature this week.
SB 626/HB 457 would alter several aspects of Tennessee voting laws. The bill would require county election officials to purge voters who have not participated in two consecutive regular November elections or update their registration. The bill passed the Senate State and Local Government Committee this week and is set to be heard on the Senate floor soon.
Another Republican-backed bill related to purging voters would give election officials the power to purge inactive voter registrations three months before a statewide August election. This repeals a current state law prohibiting the purging of voter rolls fewer than 90 days before an election.
A piece of legislation that would require voters to register with a political party to vote in primary elections failed in the Senate State and Local Government Committee on April 1
SB 627/HB 581 would prohibit candidates from accepting more than 50 percent of campaign contributions through an online platform. Democrats say this targets fundraising platforms like ActBlue and WinRed and could impact candidates who rely on grassroots donors. The bill is set to be heard on the Senate floor in the coming weeks.
Gun Reform
The House Criminal Justice Subcommittee punted Democrats’ illegal transfer bill on Tuesday when it assigned the legislation to next year’s calendar. The law would make it a class-A misdemeanor to sell, give or otherwise transfer a firearm to someone who is known to be prohibited from owning one. Sen. Heidi Campbell (D-Nashville) sponsored the bill in the Senate, where debate on the bill was deferred this week in the Senate Judiciary Committee to April 8, and Rep. Bob Freeman sponsored the bill in the House. (Freeman is the owner of FW Publishing, which publishes the Nashville Scene, the Nashville Post, the Williamson Scene and Nfocus.)
Democrat-led gun control bills fail in committee as Pearson delivers impassioned plea related to his brother's death
A bill to legalize extreme risk protection orders — mandates issued by a court when an individual is deemed a danger to others or to themself — was pulled from the House Civil Justice Subcommittee by sponsor Rep. Justin J. Pearson (D-Memphis). Also known as red-flag orders, ERPOs are considered life-saving dispossession tools to prevent deaths by homicide and suicide. Pearson lost his brother to a self-inflicted gunshot wound in late 2024; Republicans unanimously oppose the bill.
The Senate Judiciary Committee is set to review a slate of firearm-related bills on April 8. These include bills on gun dispossession, increased legal penalties for gun misuse, handgun permit regulations and liability protections for weapon manufacturers. State Sens. London Lamar (D-Memphis) and Raumesh Akbari (D-Memphis) are both backing bills that would allow local municipalities to more tightly regulate guns in the counties that include Memphis, Nashville, Knoxville and Chattanooga.
