A lot on the line this week, our constitution, homeschooling, and our elections. |
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Key Action Item - Proposed Constitutional Amendment |
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Constitutional amendment allowing the state to invest tax dollars with private corporations. OPPOSE Constitutional Amendments - Proposes an amendment to Article II, Section 31 of the Constitution of Tennessee authorizing the governing body or state official charged with carrying out the purpose or objectives of a fund or trust that is administered or invested by the Treasury and that contains state funds, in whole or in part, to adopt, with approval of the Treasurer and the Comptroller of the Treasury, an investment policy to authorize all or part of such fund or trust to be invested such that the state would become an owner, in whole or in part, of any bank or a stockholder with others in any association, company, or corporation. |
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Imagine a constitutional amendment that would now allow Tennessee to invest funds with companies like Ford and the Titans and become legitimate shareholders where the success and failure of both the state and the corporate entities are inextricably linked. Imagine Tennessee being able to extend its credit to private companies like Facebook and Amazon. Consider a future where the state of Tennessee is now part owner in a bank that might underwrite your small business loan. This amendment to our Constitution is now officially on the table here in Tennessee. The Treasurer and Comptroller of this state (appointed, not elected positions) would now have the sole authority (with no required legislative approval or vote of the people) to invest ALL of a state fund or trust (your tax dollars) giving the state the ability to become an owner of any private bank or corporation. Does that sound like Tennessee or China? READ THIS COMMENTARY to learn more. WATCH VIDEO |
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IMPORTANT: If this resolution passes, this proposed constitutional amendment will be on the 2026 ballot. |
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Your elected officials on these committees NEED TO HEAR FROM YOU. Take action on each of these bills by clicking on the corresponding Take Action button and send an email of support to each of these committee members. IMPORTANT: It is helpful to personalize your message. |
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Important Medical Freedom legislative action item! |
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Secure religious exemptions to employer vaccination requirements. SUPPORT Employees, Employers - As introduced, requires an employer that requires an immunization as a condition of employment or continued employment to exempt from the immunization requirement a person who files a signed, written statement that the immunization conflicts with the person’s religious tenets or practices; prohibits an employer from taking adverse action against a person who files a statement of religious objection. House bill is in the same committee after being deferred from last week for amendments. Senate bill to be heard Monday at 1pm in Senate Commerce and Labor with pending amendments. |
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Oppose government interference with home schools. |
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Creates more regulation for homeschooling and funds education for illegal immigrants. OPPOSE Local Education Agencies - As amended, creates a hybrid public charter school and home school curriculum approvals per the state board of education. Also creates funding for residential boarding school through the new charter school program to house economically disadvantaged children, also defined by TCA § 49-3-104 as migrant children. |
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HB 1214 would make significant changes to the home school law. Most significantly, it threatens to blur the lines between public charter schools and home schools. As amended, HB 1214 would create in the law an option for a combined "home school" and hybrid public charter school:
- Students would be "enrolled" with the hybrid public charter school.
- Parents would associate with this same school.
- The hybrid public charter school is paid for with public funds, presumably more federal funding.
- Students attend the public charter school no less than 3 days and no more than 4 days per week!
- A parent who elects to teach their child in lieu of sending them for in-person instruction likely will be required to consent to daily visual, verbal, or written confirmation to the public school of the student's participation.
- Parental instruction must "align with the academic standards adopted by the state board of education...."
As can be readily seen, this amendment substantially blurs the line between homeschooling and public charter schools and threatens the freedom that Tennessee homeschoolers currently enjoy! In addition, we find it very alarming that this bill will also create residential boarding schools as a part of this charter school program with the intention of housing "at-risk" and economically disadvantaged children (also defined in TCA § 49-3-104 as migrant children). It seems that this bill creates an opportunity for the state of Tennessee to provide full-time educational housing for illegal immigrants finding their way to Tennessee. No to government interference with homeschooling.
No to more federal money in our state education.
No to funding residential boarding schools for illegal immigrants. |
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Please consider a one-time or monthly recurring contribution! We are 100% supporter-funded. Tennessee Stands is an IRS-designated 501(c)(4) social advocacy organization. |
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by Kelly M. Jackson [The Tennessee Conservative] Yesterday, before The House Health Committee a bill that was initially designed to soften the current ban on abortion that has existed since the Dobbs decision that overturned Roe Vs Wade this past May, was passed but not without some significant substantive changes. Filed as a deceptive caption bill, HB 883 has the almost completely unrelated summary of: “As introduced, requires the state capitol commission to be responsible through funds appropriated to the commission, after funds from the construction and placement have been exhausted, for the upkeep and maintenance of a monument on the capitol campus that is in memory of the victims of abortion.” The original legislation (from an amendment to HB0883 that made the bill) that passed through the subcommittee, removed the language in the bill that required the provider would have to prove the necessity of their decision to provide an abortion through the use of an affirmative defense in a criminal trial. Additionally, it only required that a physician determine the need for the abortion to be based on their medical experience and in “good faith” the procedure could not have been avoided without costing the life of the mother. (click on the link below to continue reading) |
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!! This week's important legislative action items !! |
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Say NO to Toll Roads in Tennessee. OPPOSE Transportation, Dept. of - As introduced, enacts the "Transportation Modernization Act." |
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Adult entertainment venues and permits. SUPPORT Local Government, General - As introduced, requires a person to obtain a valid entertainer permit from the adult-oriented establishment board, in those jurisdictions with a board, prior to performing adult cabaret entertainment for compensation; prohibits public, private, and commercial establishments from allowing persons under the age of 18 to attend a performance featuring adult cabaret entertainment. |
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Expands the use of handcuffs on children with special needs in public schools. OPPOSE Education - As introduced, allows a school resource officer, school security officer, or other law enforcement officer who is trained and certified for completing a behavior intervention training program to use a mechanical restraint on a student receiving special education services in an emergency situation. |
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Protect the rights and privacy of homeschool families. SUPPORT Schools, Home - As introduced, removes the requirement that a parent-teacher of a home school student provide proof of the student's immunizations and receipt of health services or examinations required by law generally for children in this state to the local education agency; exempts home school students from the immunization requirements applicable to students attending a school, nursery school, kindergarten, preschool, or child care facility. |
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Require date of death on voter rolls for better maintenance. SUPPORT Election Laws - As introduced, requires reports of deaths in relation to maintaining voter registration lists to include the date of the death; requires the coordinator of elections to prepare a report for the general assembly regarding deaths of registered voters. |
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Require verification of citizenship on voter rolls. SUPPORT Election Laws - As introduced, requires the coordinator of elections to compare the statewide voter registration database with those of other relevant state agencies and county records when compiling information to distribute to the county elections commissions for purposes of purging voters who have moved; requires the coordinator of elections to compare the statewide voter registration database with the department of safety database to ensure non-United States citizens are not registered to vote in this state. |
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Secure hand-marked paper ballots and hand counts. SUPPORT Election Laws - As introduced, requires election commissions to purge registration records at least 50 days, instead of at least 90 days, before an election; requires the coordinator of elections to take certain actions regarding paper ballots; authorizes, beginning with the 2024 election cycle, county election commissions to use hand-marked paper ballots; authorizes certification of results to be based on a hand count. |
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Return all counties in the state to voting by precinct. SUPPORT Election Laws - As introduced, deletes provisions authorizing the establishment of convenient voting centers. |
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Prohibit any government entity from declaring a worker as non-essential. SUPPORT State Government – As introduced, prohibits a person, political subdivision, or public official, in connection with a state emergency, from categorizing or proclaiming by order, rule, or regulation that a lawful occupation is non-essential, or otherwise proclaiming by order, rule, or regulation that a lawful occupation is prohibited from operating based on what the lawful occupation is; specifies that a person harmed by a violation of the prohibition may bring a civil action for actual damages or declaratory relief. |
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Protect girls’ sports in private schools. SUPPORT Schools, Private – As introduced, authorizes a private school to create a policy to regulate a student’s participation in the school’s athletic activities or events based upon a student’s biological sex. |
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Committee schedule for the bills and action items above. |
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Monday, March 20: 1:00pm SB1109
Senate Commerce & Labor Committee | Senate Hearing Room 1 | Agenda 4:00pm SB273
Senate Floor Session | Senate Chamber | Agenda Tuesday, March 21: 10:30am SB0574, SB136, SB137, SB595, SB1108, SB841
Senate State & Local Government Committee | Senate Hearing Room 1 | Agenda 1:00pm SJR0034
Senate Judiciary | Senate Hearing Room 1 | Agenda 1:30pm HB1480, HB0728, HB0637
Banking & Consumer Affairs Subcommittee | House Hearing Room 2 | Agenda 3:00pm HB321
Finance, Ways, & Means | House Hearing Room 1 | Agenda 4:30pm HB0158, HB0127
K-12 Subcommittee | House Hearing Room 2 | Agenda 4:30pm HB0694
Public Service Subcommittee | House Hearing Room 4 | Agenda Wednesday, March 22: 12:00pm HB635, HB246, HB835, HB193
Elections & Campaign Finance Subcommittee | House Hearing Room 2 | Agenda 1:30pm HB1214, HB306
Education Administration | House Hearing Room 1 | Agenda 3:00pm SB1194, SB644, SB1237, SB0141
Senate Education Committee | Senate Hearing Room 1 | Agenda |
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Please consider a one-time or monthly recurring contribution! We are 100% supporter-funded. Tennessee Stands is an IRS-designated 501(c)(4) social advocacy organization. |
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