Sen. Majority Leader Mark Norris was appointed as judge to a U.S. District Court on October 11.

Norris announced on October 16 that due to time restraints and official duties he won’t be able to step down from his District 32 Senate seat by Election Day on November 6.

This will trigger a special election and potentially a temporary appointment until the seat is filled.

A judge in Tennessee’s Davidson County Chancery Court ruled against the state today, striking down a law prohibiting political action committees from making contributions to candidates after the 10^th day before an election. Under the law, only political party committees can contribute to candidates in the 10-day window.

Chancellor Ellen Hobbs Lyle ruled in favor of plaintiff Tennesseans for Sensible Election Laws based on insufficient facts from the state to overcome the plaintiff’s argument.

In asserting the prohibition was an overbroad speech restriction, the plaintiff argued elected officials and political parties were “reserving special treatment in the political process for themselves.”

Attorneys for the state announced their intention to file an appeal immediately.

Sen. Bill Ketron submitted his resignation for the 13^th District seat on Monday, effective August 31.

His resignation is taking effect about two months before his term was set to expire.

He is set to become the Rutherford County mayor on September 1.

The Tennessee Supreme Court issued an order Tuesday requiring the Davidson County Election Commission to expedite a special election for Nashville mayor.

The office was left vacant following Mayor Megan Barry’s resignation on March 6. Barry pled guilty to felony theft of property exceeding $10,000 for misappropriating city funds over the course of two years; she used the money to bankroll an affair with the head of her security detail.

A special election will be held May 24 with a potential runoff election scheduled for June 28.

A special election for Metro Council District 1 will also be held May 24. The seat was left vacant after former councilman Nick Leonardo was appointed General Sessions judge in January.

Nashville Mayor Megan Barry resigned yesterday, March 6, after pleading guilty to felony theft of property exceeding $10,000.

Barry misappropriated city funds over the course of two years to bankroll an affair with the head of her security detail.

As part of a plea deal, Barry agreed to reimburse the city $11,000 and serve three years of unsupervised probation.

Vice Mayor David Briley was sworn in as mayor immediately following her resignation.

Gov. Bill Haslam has called a special election for state Senate District 14.

Sen. Jim Tracy vacated the seat to become the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Rural Development director in Tennessee.

The special general election will be held on March 13, 2018 and the special primary election will be held on January 25, 2018.

Gov. Bill Haslam recently issued a writ of election to fill a vacancy in Tennessee Senate District 17.

Mae Beavers recently resigned from the seat to dedicate her time to running for governor.

A special primary will be held November 7. The special general will be held on December 19.

The 2017 session of the 110^th Tennessee General Assembly adjourned on Wednesday, May 10.

Hesitant to make a last-minute decision on such a significant matter, lawmakers postponed a bill to increase campaign contribution limits for legislators. Legislation did pass requiring lawmakers to report contributions or funding from private sources for trips and other items.

The General Assembly will reconvene at noon on Tuesday, January 9, 2018.

The Tennessee House voted unanimously last week to require legislators to disclose travel expenses provided by anyone with an interest in public policy if the travel was for the purpose of educating a legislator with respect to said policy.

The bill, as originally introduced, would cover national organizations such as the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL), or other organizations where corporations provide scholarship funds for legislators to attend a conference.

The bill would require disclosure of the corporation or entity providing the scholarship or funding, but would not require specific dollar amounts.

The Senate passed an amendment to the House bill to exclude from the definition of travel expense any expense paid for by an organization of elected or appointed state government officials, or any other established and recognized organization serving as an umbrella organization for legislative officials and staff.

It has been placed back on the House calendar for early May.

Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam issued a writ yesterday ordering a special election to fill a vacant seat in state House District 95.

The seat was left vacant after Rep. Mark Lovell resigned in February amid allegations of inappropriate sexual contact.

A special primary election will be held Thursday, April 27, with a special general to follow on Thursday, June 15. The winning candidate will serve out the remainder of Lovell’s term.

The Tennessee Registry of Election Finance recently published updated contribution limits for 2017 and 2018 elections. The limits are adjusted in every odd-numbered year based on changes in the Consumer Price Index.

Individuals may now contribute $4,000 per election to statewide candidates. The limit for individuals contributing to local, state legislative, or other state candidates remains unchanged.

PACs may contribute $7,800 per election to local candidates and to candidates for state House, criminal court judge, circuit court judge, chancellor, probate court judge, district attorney general, or public defender. They may contribute $11,800 per election to statewide candidates and to candidates for state Senate. The aggregate PAC limit for all non-statewide elections was increased to $118,100.

Primary and general elections are considered separate elections for the purpose of campaign contribution limits.

The Tennessee General Assembly adjourned a three-day extraordinary session on Wednesday, September 14.

Lawmakers repealed a drunken driving law threatening to cost the state $60 million in federal highway funding.  The U.S. Department of Transportation threatened to withhold the funds if the state did not change the maximum allowable blood alcohol content for drivers under 21 to comply with the federal zero-tolerance standard.

Lawmakers also expelled Rep. Jeremy Durham after at least 22 women accused him of improper sexual contact during his four years in office. Earlier this year, House Speaker Beth Harwell moved Durham across the street from the main legislative office building and limited his access to the main buildings to official legislative business. Because he did not serve enough time in the House, he is no longer eligible to receive a state pension.

Photo of the Tennessee State Capitol by Ichabod on Wikimedia Commons.

The Tennessee General Assembly convened a special session this morning to fix the state’s drunken driving laws, but lawmakers may also use the opportunity to expel Rep. Jeremy Durham. Durham is being investigated by multiple state agencies after nearly two dozen women accused him of inappropriate sexual conduct.

Rep. Joe Armstrong was also expected to be expelled, but Armstrong resigned his seat last Friday after being convicted of filing a false income tax return. His resignation is effective today. If legislators’ efforts are successful, Durham will be only the second Tennessee lawmaker to be ousted since the Civil War.

Photo of Rep. Jeremy Durham courtesy of the Tennessee General Assembly website.

The Tennessee General Assembly convened a special session today, September 12. State lawmakers have been tasked with fixing the state’s drunken driving law to prevent a loss in federal highway funding. The U.S. Department of Transportation will withhold funds if the state does not change the maximum allowable blood alcohol content for drivers under 21 in order to comply with federal rules.

Gov. Bill Haslam expects the session to last up to three days.

Photo of the Tennessee House Chamber floor by Ichabod on Wikimedia Commons.