| It will be a busy week for many of the bills the Caucus is tracking. I hope you will have an opportunity to voice your concerns. Contact information for all committee members can be found at http://www.legislature.state.tn.us/. If you have an opportunity to attend one of these committee meetings, the times and locations are also listed on the GA web site.
Email addresses are rep.first.last@legislature.state.tn.us and sen.first.last@legislature.state.tn.us.
SUPPORT - SJR 687 (Senator Rosalind Kurita and Representative Jason Mumpower) Provides for voter election of the lieutenant governor and the secretary of state; assigns certain qualifications and duties. This passed in the Senate (20-10 vote) and has to now pass the House. In the next General Assembly, it must win by two-thirds majority in both chambers to go on to the voters in 2010. SJR687 was assigned this week to House subcommittee State Government of State and Local Government. This proposal is in lockstep with the Caucus mission and would provide more opportunities for women to participate in government and in the political process.
SUPPORT - SB4012/HB3936, (Sen. Diane Black and Rep. Sherry Jones) Requires the Commission on Children and Youth to design and oversee a resource mapping of all federal and state funding sources and streams that support the health, safety, permanence, growth, development and education of children in Tennessee. Placed on Senate General Welfare, Health and Human Resources committee calendar Wednesday, March 26. Senate Committee members: Rusty Crowe, Chair, Rosalind Kurita, Vice-Chair, Raymond Finney, Secretary, Diane Black, Ophelia Ford, Douglas Henry, Roy Herron, Jack Johnson and Randy McNally.
This bill also comes up on the calendar of the House Children and Family Affairs Committee Wednesday, March 26. House Committee members: John J. DeBerry, Jr., Chair, Sherry Jones, Vice-Chair, Jeanne Richardson, Secretary, Tommie F. Brown, Kevin Brooks, Glen Casada, Barbara Cooper, Joanne Favors, Richard Floyd, Matthew Hill, Brian Kelsey, Mark Maddox, Gary Rowe, Donna Rowland, Johnny Shaw, Mike Turner and Nathan Vaughn.
OPPOSE - SB3146/HB2969, (Sen. Black and Rep. Hardaway) Requires paternity tests prior to all court custody decisions. Placed on subcommittee calendar Family Justice of Children and Family Affairs, Tuesday, March 25. Committee members: Rep. Mark Maddox, Chair Glen Casada, Barbara Cooper, Richard Floyd, Sherry Jones, Donna Rowland and Johnny Shaw.
OPPOSE - SB3717/HB2964, by Sen. Tate and Rep. Hardaway. Requires paternity testing prior to listing a father on a birth certificate, even when the father has agreed to stipulate that he is the child’s father. The Caucus opposes this bill, as does the Department of Human Services and the Tennessee Bar Association. Placed on subcommittee calendar Public Health and Family Assistance of Health and Human Resources Wednesday, March 26. Committee members: Mary Pruitt, Chair, Chris Crider, Lois Deberry, Tom Dubois, JoAnne Favors, Sherry Jones, Debra Maggart, and Jeanne Richardson. (Note: These committee members should be thanked for their in depth questioning and apparent aversion to this proposed legislation.)
SUPPORT - SB3882/HB2888, (Sen. Jim Kyle and Rep. Kent Coleman) This bill would eliminate a potential problem related to “spendthrift” trusts, which have recently become available in Tennessee after passage of a bill sought by the Tennessee Bankers Association last year. The trusts allow the protection of personal assets from any creditor after a four-year waiting period. According to the experts at the Tennessee Bar Association, the statute should include an exception for child support orders as is the case in several other states, and the Bar is seeking introduction of legislation that would add one. This bill is on the subcommittee calendar Civil Practice and Procedure of Judiciary Tuesday, March 25. Committee members: Henry Fincher, Chair, Rob Briley, Frank Buck, Tom DuBois, and Jon Lundberg.
SUPPORT - HJR116 (Rep. Brenda Gilmore) Requests the Department of Correction to review the National Bill of Rights for Children of the Incarcerated and to update a1995 report on Children and Families of Incarcerated Felons. It is in the House State Government Subcommittee and will come up again Wednesday, March 26. Committee members: Gary Moore, Chair, Curry Todd, Vice-Chair, Jim Coley, Vince Dean, Curtis Johnson, Ulysses Jones, Joe Pitts, Mary Pruitt, Randy Rinks, Park Strader, Ben West and Eddie Yokley.
SUPPORT - HB1989/SB2073 (Rep. Janis Sontany and Sen. Beverly Marrero) The bill is assigned to the House Public Health Subcommittee and the Senate Judiciary Committee. It will require hospital emergency rooms to offer emergency contraception (EC) to rape victims. (Hospitals may opt out by claiming religious affiliation, although rape victims must at least be told about EC.) Still not moving.
Holly Spann
VP Legislation
TWPC & NWPC
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