What's New On The Hill 4/05/2024
Estie pictured with Tommy and Tammy TCAT!
Pictured is a special day for Meagan’s daughter and class! She had the opportunity to visit the Governor's Residence and meet First Lady Maria Lee. They packed hygiene kits for the homeless.
ON THE BALLOT 2024
The qualifying deadline has now passed for Tennessee State and Congressional Races.
Stay informed about the upcoming state and federal elections by checking out the Secretary of State website, where you can find lists of candidates running for state legislative, congressional, and Senate seats. Keep in mind that these lists are subject to change as candidates may withdraw or other developments occur.
Follow the link below to view the candidate lists:
Congressional Petitions
General Assembly Petitions
Get Ready for the Solar Eclipse!
Get ready for a show coming your way this Monday, April 8th – it’s a solar eclipse!
While we won't experience totality in Nashville, we’re in for a treat as about 94.8% of the sun will be covered around 2:03 p.m.
For those eager for the full eclipse experience, consider a road trip to Paducah, Kentucky – just a couple of hours away. There, lucky viewers will witness totality for a magical one minute and 48 seconds around 2:00 p.m.
Mark your calendars and don’t miss this event – the next one won’t be until 2044.
Don't forget: wear your eclipse glasses to see the magic happen!
Gov. Lee Appoints TSU Alumni to University Board of Trustees
Governor Lee announced the appointments to the Tennessee State University (TSU) Board of Trustees, following the General Assembly's action on SB1596. Notably, each appointee is an alum of TSU.
The following individuals have been appointed:
Trevia Chatman, President, Bank of America Memphis
Jeffery Norfleet, Provost and Vice President for Administration, Shorter College
Marquita Qualls, Founder and Principal, Entropia Consulting
Terica Smith, Deputy Mayor and Director of Human Resources, Madison County
Charles Traughber, General Counsel, Division of Real Estate, Retail, and Financial Services at Bridgestone Americas
Dwayne Tucker, CEO of LEAD Public Schools
Kevin Williams, President and CEO of GAA Manufacturing
Dakasha Winton, Senior Vice President and Chief Government Relations Officer at BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee
LEGISLATIVE WIN FOR OUR CLIENT!
We are thrilled for our tremendous client LeadingAge Tennessee for their success in passing SB1993/HB2289, extending the authority for medication aids.
Great work by Meagan Frazier and the Harris Frazier team in advancing this critical legislation, aimed at enhancing access to quick care. Looking forward to further improving this program!
LEGISLATION ON THE MOVE
Franchise Tax Reform, Pro-Business Cyber-Liability Bill, and Health Care Liability Fix...
Franchise Tax Reform Advances with Amendments: The House Finance Ways and Means Committee recently advanced an amended version of Governor Lee’s franchise tax reform legislation, HB1893/SB2103. While both versions aim to remove the alternative real and tangible property measure, resulting in $400 million of tax savings for businesses, concerns have been raised about certain provisions in the House amendment.
Pro-Business Cyber-Liability Bill Progresses: SB2018/HB2434 seeks to limit companies' civil liability for cybersecurity attacks to instances of gross negligence. By raising the standard for liability, this legislation aims to protect businesses from frivolous lawsuits arising from cyberattacks. The bill is set for consideration in the House Civil Justice Committee next Tuesday.
Health Care Liability Fix Addresses Recent Court Decision: SB2253/HB2001 responds to the Tennessee Supreme Court's Crotty v. Flora decision, aiming to clarify Tennessee law regarding health care liability damages. By defining the term “actual economic losses,” the legislation seeks to restore historical practices and prevent windfall payouts to plaintiffs, ultimately mitigating the cost of medical malpractice insurance in Tennessee. HB2001 is scheduled for a vote in the House Civil Justice Committee next week.
The New Unemployment e-Services System
Tennessee's journey to modernize its Unemployment Insurance system reached a significant milestone with the debut of the new e-Services system, part of the reimagined jobs4TN portal.
The system aims to simplify processes for claimants and employers, reducing filing times and streamlining communication. Employers now have access to a simplified dashboard, streamlined tasks, and improved communication channels.
To learn more about this groundbreaking development, check out the update from Tennessee’s Department of Labor and Workforce Development here.
IN THE NEWS
Tennessee lawmakers split on how and why to give businesses major tax help under fear of lawsuit
Republicans in the Tennessee House and Senate both plan to offer businesses new tax help worth upward of $1 billion.
WSMV.COM - April 1, 2024
Tennessee lawmaker's resolution calls on U.S. to withdraw from United Nations
A Tennessee lawmaker has proposed legislation calling on the United States to withdraw from the United Nations (UN).
NEWSCHANNEL9.COM - April 1, 2024
Tennessee House GOP votes to end flu, whooping cough vaccine rules for foster and adoptive families
A Tennessee bill to eliminate flu and whooping cough vaccine requirements for adoptive and foster families caring for babies and medically fragile children is heading to the governor's desk.
TIMESFREEPRESS.COM - March 27, 2024
'Baby Olivia' bill requiring TN schools show fetal development video heads to final vote
Only one major vote remains before a bill could require Tennessee school children in at least 78 counties to view a 3-minute fetal development video.
TENNESSEAN.COM - April 1, 2024
Tennessee bill would make illegally blocking roadway a felony
A Tennessee bill would increase the penalty for blocking a road to a felony instead of a misdemeanor.
THECENTERSQUARE.COM - April 1, 2024
Tennessee immigration bills would help AG efforts to sue federal government
A pair of bills are intended to allow Tennessee to fight illegal immigration in the state.
THECENTERSQUARE.COM - April 1, 2024
Tennessee moves closer to requiring photo ID to access porn websites
Tennessee could soon become the latest state to require photo ID verification to access pornography sites like Pornhub.
WKRN.COM - April 2, 2024
New TN bill would allow long guns to be legally carried in public
WKRN.COM - April 4, 2024