September 15, 2016 •
Tennessee General Assembly Adjourns Extraordinary Session
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Lawmakers repealed a drunken driving law threatening to cost the state $60 million in federal highway funding.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.
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