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.

The 109th Tennessee General Assembly adjourned sine die on Friday, April 22, 2016. The legislature approved a $34.9 billion budget for the upcoming fiscal year and passed the governor’s proposal increasing school funding.

Just prior to adjournment, lawmakers were able to strip funding for the University of Tennessee’s Office for Diversity and Inclusion but failed to override Gov. Haslam’s veto of a bill declaring the Bible the official state book.

Photo of the Tennessee state capitol house floor by Ichabod on Wikimedia Commons.

A runoff election for mayor will be held next month due to such close voting results in the August 6 Nashville municipal election.

Megan Barry and David Fox came in first and second, respectively, in a field of seven candidates. Barry, an at-large member of Metro Council, earned about 1,500 more votes than Fox, former chair of the Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools Board.

The runoff election will be held on September 10.

Both chambers of the Tennessee General Assembly adjourned the 2015 session on Wednesday, April 22.

The session was highlighted by the passage of legislation allowing handgun-carry permit holders to be armed in any state park and a failed attempt to make the Bible the official state book. Lawmakers also approved the annual budget after rejecting a renewed attempt to authorize Medicaid expansion.

The 2016 session of the 109th General Assembly will convene at noon on Tuesday, January 12, 2016.

Photo of the Tennessee state capitol house floor by Ichabod on Wikimedia Commons.

Gov. Bill Haslam has finally decided when voters in the state’s 91st House District will head to the polls to replace their state representative. In July, Lois DeBerry passed away after a four-year battle with pancreatic cancer.

Haslam announced the primary election to replace with DeBerry will occur on October 8 and the general election will take place on November 21. No candidates have announced their intention to run for the vacant seat, but they have until August 29 to file petitions to run in the primary.

Photo of Gov. Bill Haslam courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.

The Tennessee General Assembly adjourned for the year on Friday night after completing its shortest session in more than three decades. The General Assembly only met for 37 days this session, but that 37th day was one filled with controversy and a possible scandal.

The General Assembly did not bring a charter schools bill to vote, which was a favorite of the house speaker and the governor. Many members are already looking at next session for the charter schools bill.

Governor Bill Haslam said, “I certainly don’t think it’s dead. We plan to come back with that same bill next year.”

Speaking of the governor, his family has been in the state and national headlines recently. Haslam is a part owner of Pilot Flying J with his brother Jimmy Haslam, who is the new owner of the Cleveland Browns. The company’s headquarters was raided by the FBI last week in an investigation into whether the company engaged in a scam to defraud truckers and trucking companies.

Governor Haslam has not been implicated in the scheme, but it is sure to stay in the headlines while the FBI’s investigation continues.

The Tennessee House of Representatives struck down a bill removing the prohibition on contributions from insurance companies and raising the contribution limits for party caucuses. House Bill 643 came up just two votes shy, collecting only 48 of the needed 50 votes to pass. The bill did however receive a majority of the votes, 48-41, so the bill is not technically dead.

Currently, Tennessee law prohibits insurance companies from making a contribution for political purposes. Under the bill, insurance companies would have had the ability to make contributions and would have had the same contribution limits as multicandidate political campaign committees.

The bill also would have allowed party caucuses to contribute $500,000 for statewide races, instead of the current limit of $374,300. It also would have doubled the amount the caucuses could contribute to senate and house candidates.

The bill was not defeated on a strict party line vote, as 13 Republicans voted against and another nine Republicans did not cast votes on the bill. It remains to be seen whether the House will bring the bill up for a second vote.

Photo of the Tennessee State Capitol House Chamber by Ichabod on Wikipedia.

Legislators have introduced bills to remove limitations on the amount of money they can accept from PACs.  Senate Bill 3645 and companion House Bill 3281, remove the aggregate limitations on PAC donations to candidates.  The bills also remove the reporting requirements for large contributions made within 10 days of an election and remove an existing prohibition on insurance companies making campaign contributions.

Senate Speaker Pro Tempore Bo Watson, who introduced the senate bill, has stated the bill is a logical follow through to Senate Bill 1915 enacted last year that authorized direct corporate contributions to state candidates and treats corporations as if they were PACs for reporting purposes.

Representative Philip Johnson has introduced House Bill 3025, which would allow employers of lobbyists to host receptions for standing committees in either chamber of the general assembly.

Tennessee law prohibits lobbyist employers from holding receptions, unless all state legislators are invited.

The current prohibition was part of ethics reforms enacted after the Tennessee waltz scandal.

Photo of the Tennessee House Chamber by Ichabod on Wikipedia.

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Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam has signed Senate Bill 1915 (companion to House Bill 1003) into law.

The bill allows corporations to contribute to candidates by removing the previous statutory prohibition. The bill also adjusts contribution limits to reflect change in the Consumer Price Index.

The new law is effective immediately.

The adjournment was the earliest date in 18 years.

The 107^th General Assembly will reconvene on Tuesday, January 10, 2012.

Photo of the Tennessee House Chamber by Ichabod on Wikipedia.

Bills legalizing direct corporate contributions and increasing contribution limits have moved one step closer to becoming law.

House Bill 1003 and concurrent Senate Bill 1915 have been approved by state and local government committees in both chambers of the Tennessee General Assembly.

The bills would allow direct corporate contributions to candidates and would increase contribution limits by nearly 40 percent.

Photo of the Tennessee State Capitol by Ichabod on Wikipedia.