Tennessee General
Assembly Named Most Conservative Legislature in The Country
Over the weekend, the Tennessee General
Assembly was officially named the most conservative legislature in the entire
country during the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) at
the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center in National
Harbor, Maryland. The premier national conservative conference was attended by
over 5,000 grassroots activists and elected officials from across
the United States.
Cited in the award presentation was the
General Assembly’s commitment to fiscal conservatism, cutting taxes, and
efforts made to increase competition and attract new businesses to the state.
In addition, earlier this year, the American Conservative Union — the nation's
oldest and largest grassroots conservative organization in the nation —
presented awards to the majority of House Republicans as tribute to the
positive conservative direction they have guided the state over the last
several years.
This year's CPAC event included panels
and discussions with dozens of well-known conservatives from around the
country, along with speeches from the major candidates running for the
Republican nomination for President of the United States.
‘National Guard
Force Protection Act of 2016’ Passes House With Unanimous Support
The ‘National Guard Force
Protection Act of 2016’ was introduced to ensure the safety of Tennessee
National Guard service members in the wake of the Chattanooga terrorist attack
in July of 2015.
Upon passage of the legislation, House
lawmakers cited the safety of our military men and women as being of the utmost
importance, especially as service members put themselves in harm’s way to
ensure the general public is secure on a daily basis.
The enhancements at armories and recruiting stations
throughout the state will include mobile ballistic shields, shatter resistant
film for windows and doors, barriers in front of the buildings, cameras, and
more.
Having passed unanimously in both the House of
Representatives and the Senate, the legislation is headed to Governor Haslam’s
desk for his signature.
More information about the bill can be found by visiting http://goo.gl/Gyj7I8.
School
Grading Bill Secures Passage in Tennessee House
House Republicans hailed this week’s affirmative House vote on legislation that seeks to empower Tennessee families with clearer, more accessible information about the performance of their local schools.
The legislation, House Bill 155, will
utilize existing resources to direct the State Board of Education to give
schools an annual A through F letter grade based on multiple factors, including
each school's academic achievement, student growth, and other relevant measures
of school performance.
The bill passed the State House
on a 73-14 bipartisan vote and has already secured unanimous approval in the
State Senate.
Supporters agree that transparency and
accountability are part of the keys to the success of any quality public
education system.
Although families have a wealth of information available to them
through the state's Report Card website, the information it contains will now
be enhanced by adding a concise, overall rating for each school. By disclosing
transparent and understandable letter grades, the legislation promises to
empower parents and families with the information they need to make
better-informed decisions about their child's education, and do so at no
additional cost to taxpayers.
As a sub-committee chairman I must make sure that my
committee thoroughly scrutinizes the legislation. We are known as a bit of a black hole
committee because not much makes it by us. There are no safe assumptions about any bill –
even a bill named the “Pay Equality Act”.
The
name aside, the Pay Equality Act only applies to a very small group of people –
non-civil service state and local employees; translation - elected officials
and political appointees…click
to continue…
No child
should be forced by the government into an intimate setting – like a restroom
or locker room – with another child of the opposite birth sex. This bill ensures that a local school
district or institute of higher education does not jeopardize the safety of
some students in an attempt to accommodate other students.
This bill is
fully in compliance with Title IX, which allows schools to “provide separate
toilet, locker room, and shower facilities on the basis of sex” without
committing sex discrimination.
Opponents of
this bill will point to a Dept. of Ed. “significant guidance document” that
purports to extend the prohibition against sex discrimination to include gender
identity.
That document,
from the Obama administration, is not binding and has no force of law, and it
was explicitly rejected as authoritative by a federal court in 2015…continue
reading…
David asked me if I would share his blogpost with you because his lawsuit, although fairing very well in the court, may be in jeopardy due to a lack of knowledge…David writes;
The knowledge
of which I speak is a fundamental legal principle that most people would not
know because they have not been to law school. But that doesn’t make knowledge
about that legal principal any less critical. Failure to understand it could
lead to destroying the very thing conservative evangelicals want—the
preservation of marriage as the union of a man and a woman and the preservation
of our state’s sovereignty…continue …
House Republicans Work
to Fulfill State’s Long-Term Energy Needs
House Joint Resolution
507 calls for Tennessee’s commitment to sustainable energy
This week, House Joint Resolution 507 sailed through the legislature
with unanimous support from state lawmakers.
As passed, the resolution resolves that the 109th General Assembly
supports the creation of a long-term energy plan to address the future needs of
the state with affordable energy that also encourages business growth in
Tennessee.
House Resolution 507 specifically urges the Congress of the United
States to provide the necessary resources, needed by the Department of Energy
and Nuclear Regulatory Commission, to further research
liquid-core-molten-salt-reactors and small modular reactors. Furthermore, these
energy processes represent a large business opportunity that will help create
hundreds of new high-paying jobs across the state.
These nuclear reactors are fueled by thorium, instead of traditional
uranium, thus making the reactors fail-safe. Additionally, the reactors can
also produce radioisotopes to help medical diagnoses and treatment plans, and
can desalinate water to help meet the constant need for fresh water in areas
across the nation and globe.
A certified copy of the House Joint Resolution will be transmitted to
each member of the Tennessee Congressional delegation.
In addition, House Joint Resolution 507 is not the only piece of
legislation this session focusing on the energy needs of Tennessee. House Bill
2151, set to next be heard in the House Government Operations Committee, will
create a thirteen-member state energy policy council to advise the Governor and
the General Assembly on Tennessee’s energy needs.
‘Slow
Poke Bill’ Wins Approval in State House
Legislation designed to cut down on congested traffic and increase
safety on Tennessee interstates won approval this week in the State House.
House Bill 1416 creates a $50 fine for driving slow in the fast lane
on major highways in Tennessee. As adopted, the legislation requires cars to
stay out of the left lane of highways and interstates with at least three lanes
except in the case of passing other vehicles.
In essence, the bill restricts slow drivers from continuously driving
in the far left lane and impeding the normal flow of traffic.
Currently, 29 other states have similar legislation on the books, with
evidence showing such laws do increase the flow of traffic, help increase
safety on busy roads, and cut down on the occurrence of traffic jams on major
highways and interstates.
Eagle
Forum Opposes National Popular Vote
Last week after writing about the National Popular Vote Project I
heard from my friend Bobbie Patray. She informed
me that Eagle Forum is opposed to the Project and she provided the following
links for you to review;
How the National Popular Vote Compact Attempts to Circumvent the US Constitution and Why it Should be Opposed by Governors and Legislators in All Fifty States
John Ryder: Popular presidential vote subverts Constitution
Resolution Opposing the National Popular Vote Compact
TNGOP Opposes Changes to Electoral College
Past Issues of the Weekly Wrap
Weekly Wrap - January 31, 2016
Weekly Wrap - February 7, 2016
Weekly Wrap - February 15, 2016
Weekly Wrap - February 21, 2016
Weekly Wrap - February 28, 2016
Weekly Wrap – March 6, 2016
No comments:
Post a Comment