The list isn’t pretty. But honestly, it is par for the course in the Tennessee supermajority RINO establishment General Assembly.
Efforts to secure our elections and work towards medical freedom were all but completely ignored by this legislature.
Larger wins came in the form of opposing bad legislation like the homeschool charter school bill, handcuffing our children with special needs, giving voting rights to businesses, and significant exceptions created to our abortion laws.
Of course, Tennessee banned child mutilation and drag performances for minors at the beginning of the session. Honestly, these wins were essentially baked into the system as they were priorities of the Governor’s office and the eyes of the nation were watching.
There are a few items we are still watching as you will see at the end of the list. But here is where we stand near the end of the 2023 legislative session in Tennessee.
Thank you for taking action with us and making your voice count in the process. As expected, we endured some losses. But the wins that were generated could not have happened without your support and efforts in engaging with legislators on these important issues.
Bills that we supported, but the measure FAILED.
❌ HJR45 – Constitutional amendment to impose term limits for elected officials in Tennessee. Failed in House Public Service Subcommittee.
❌ SB 1091 – Protect individuals from ESG and DEI banking practices for state and community banks. Failed in Senate Commerce and Labor Committee.
❌ HB 595 – Would have allowed voters in all 95 counties to petition to recall school board members. Sent to Senate General Subcommittee by Sen. Adam Lowe. (This bill was on its way to passing in the House)
❌ SB 1108 – Would have eliminated the use of consolidated voting centers and required that voters in all counties vote in the precincts in which they reside. Failed in Senate State and Local Government Committee.
❌ HB 246 – Would have required the “date of death” to be recorded on a voter record to help maintain accurate voter rolls. Failed in House Elections & Campaign Finance Subcommittee.
❌ HB 405 – Closed primaries ensuring that only Republicans are voting in Republican primary elections. Failed in House Local Government Committee.
❌ HB 635 – Required that the Secretary of State acquired secured hand-marked paper ballots to be made available to counties and required that elections by certified by a hand count. Failed in Elections & Campaign Finance Subcommittee.
❌ SB 574 – Would have restricted the state or any state agency from declaring a worker as “non-essential.” Deferred to 2024 in Senate State and Local Government Committee.
❌ HB 510 – Allowed the use of a firearm and deadly force to protect private property. Expanded gun rights and self-defense. Taken off notice in House Criminal Justice Subcommittee.
❌ HB 653 – Required hospitals to allow for patient visitation with certain restrictions (No Patient Left Alone). Failed in House Health Subcommittee.
❌ HB 966 – Brought an end to a significant portion of Tennessee’s Certificate of Need healthcare monopoly laws and would have allowed for a more free market healthcare system in our state. Failed in House Health Subcommittee.
❌ HB 878 – Protected religious liberty placing no requirements on ministers or officials in any capacity to solemnize a marriage. Passed the House but deferred to 2024 in Senate Judiciary Committee.
❌ HB 239 – Defined the word “sex” in Tennessee law as having to do with (2) biological sexes, male and female. Passed the Senate but Placed Behind the Budget in House Finance, Ways, and Means Committee.
❌ HB 40 – Restricts ownership of any real property by foreign nationals or entities from sanctioned countries. Placed Behind the Budget in House Finance, Way, and Means Committee.
❌ SB 841 – Would have required a business holding sexualized performances at their establishment to get an adult-oriented entertainment license. Failed in Senate State and Local Government Committee.
❌ HB 264 – Secured religious exemptions in Tennessee law for childhood vaccinations even in the case of an epidemic or threat of an epidemic. Failed in House Population Health Subcommittee.
❌ SB 1109 – Required any employer making a requirement for vaccination to accept an employee’s religious objection to the vaccination. Failed in the Senate Commerce and Labor Committee.
Bills that we did not support, but the measure PASSED.
❌ HB 883 – Softens our current abortion laws and provides for physicians to use “reasonable” medical judgment to save the life of the mother to provide an abortion. We have never, and still do not support any amendments to the current law. Passed the House and referred to Senate Health Committee. (We fully expect this bill to pass.)
❌ ✅ SB 160 – The initial bill posed a serious threat to the First Amendment and advocacy organizations across the state. And amendment was passed that removed all of these concerns. Adds additional campaign finance regulations. Passed the House and Senate.
❌ HB 321 – Enacts the Transportation Modernization Act and paves the way for toll lanes and user fees in Tennessee. Passed the House and Senate.
❌ SB 268 – Enacts the Money Transmission Modernization Act, redefines “money” as currency agreed upon by intergovernmental agencies or (2) or more governments and paves the way for a global or central bank currency in Tennessee. Passed the House and Senate.
Bills that we were against, and the measure FAILED.
✅ SB 479 – Created changes to the Uniform Commercial Code (UCC) and redefined “money” in such a way that obfuscated the use of cryptocurrencies. This is the same bill that Gov. Kristi Noem vetoed in South Dakota. Bill is deferred to 2024 in Senate Commerce and Labor Committee. (IMPORTANT: THIS BILL IS NOT DEAD.)
✅ SB 885 – Would have broadened the legal definition of an abortifacient and expanded instances of self-induced abortions in Tennessee. Failed in Senate Judiciary.
✅ SB 857 – Made exceptions in our state abortion laws for instances of rape and incest. Assigned to General Subcommittee (could come back up in 2024).
✅ ❌ SB 983 – Would have made additional exceptions for a physician’s good faith judgment in the case of abortion. The amended language of this bill however was added to HB 883 and will pass. Assigned to General Subcommittee (could come back up in 2024).
✅ HB 1214 – Created a new hybrid public charter school introducing state oversight into home school curriculum and created residential boarding schools for “economically disadvantaged” children. Assigned to General Subcommittee (could come back up in 2024).
✅ HB 127 – Expanded the use of mechanical restraints (handcuffs) in public schools for children with special needs and disabilities. Failed in K-12 Subcommittee.
✅ HB 169 – Extended voting rights to 2 members of an LLC in certain voting precincts regardless of where the voter resides. Failed in Elections & Campaign Finance Subcommittee.
✅ HB 283 – Expanded the requirement for hospitals to offer certain vaccinations to older patients upon being discharged from a hospital. Failed in Health Committee.
Bills that we supported, and the measure PASSED.
✅ HB 1 – Prevents any medical procedure performed on a minor for the purposes of transitioning that minor to a sex opposite their biological sex at birth. Signed by the Governor.
✅ HB 2 – Permanently extends protections in TCA Title 14 from COVID mandates and masking in public schools. Signed by the Governor.
✅ HB 9 – Criminalizes a performance that is sexual in nature on public property or in any place that is accessible to minors during such a performance. Signed by the Governor.
Legislative Batting Avg for 2023:
.344
Emails sent to the General Assembly through Tennessee Stands:
(as of March 23, 2023)
331,441
Bills that we are still watching.
(as of March 23, 2023)
SUPPORT HJR 38 – Constitutional amendment to further secure the right to bear arms and restrict the General Assembly from arbitrary power over that right. Headed to the House floor.
SUPPORT SB 644 – Protect the privacy of home school families and remove a requirement to report child vaccination status to the state for school attendance. Passed the House and referred to Senate Education Committee.
SUPPORT HB 306 – Require private schools to only allow students to compete in athletic competitions according to their biological sex when participating in TSSAA-regulated sporting events. Headed to House floor and referred to Senate Education Committee.
SUPPORT HB 636 – Allows a candidate 7 days to register as an Independent if removed from a political party’s primary election ballot. Passed the House and referred to Senate State and Local Government Committee.
OPPOSE SJR 34 – Constitutional amendment that would allow the state of Tennessee to invest its funds in equities becoming stockholders (owners) of private corporations. Headed to the Senate floor.
As the 2023 legislative session begins to wind down, here’s where things sit.
The list isn’t pretty. But honestly, it is par for the course in the Tennessee supermajority RINO establishment General Assembly.
Efforts to secure our elections and work towards medical freedom were all but completely ignored by this legislature.
Larger wins came in the form of opposing bad legislation like the homeschool charter school bill, handcuffing our children with special needs, giving voting rights to businesses, and significant exceptions created to our abortion laws.
Of course, Tennessee banned child mutilation and drag performances for minors at the beginning of the session. Honestly, these wins were essentially baked into the system as they were priorities of the Governor’s office and the eyes of the nation were watching.
There are a few items we are still watching as you will see at the end of the list. But here is where we stand near the end of the 2023 legislative session in Tennessee.
Thank you for taking action with us and making your voice count in the process. As expected, we endured some losses. But the wins that were generated could not have happened without your support and efforts in engaging with legislators on these important issues.
Bills that we supported, but the measure FAILED.
❌ HJR45 – Constitutional amendment to impose term limits for elected officials in Tennessee. Failed in House Public Service Subcommittee.
❌ SB 1091 – Protect individuals from ESG and DEI banking practices for state and community banks. Failed in Senate Commerce and Labor Committee.
❌ HB 595 – Would have allowed voters in all 95 counties to petition to recall school board members. Sent to Senate General Subcommittee by Sen. Adam Lowe. (This bill was on its way to passing in the House)
❌ SB 1108 – Would have eliminated the use of consolidated voting centers and required that voters in all counties vote in the precincts in which they reside. Failed in Senate State and Local Government Committee.
❌ HB 246 – Would have required the “date of death” to be recorded on a voter record to help maintain accurate voter rolls. Failed in House Elections & Campaign Finance Subcommittee.
❌ HB 405 – Closed primaries ensuring that only Republicans are voting in Republican primary elections. Failed in House Local Government Committee.
❌ HB 635 – Required that the Secretary of State acquired secured hand-marked paper ballots to be made available to counties and required that elections by certified by a hand count. Failed in Elections & Campaign Finance Subcommittee.
❌ SB 574 – Would have restricted the state or any state agency from declaring a worker as “non-essential.” Deferred to 2024 in Senate State and Local Government Committee.
❌ HB 510 – Allowed the use of a firearm and deadly force to protect private property. Expanded gun rights and self-defense. Taken off notice in House Criminal Justice Subcommittee.
❌ HB 653 – Required hospitals to allow for patient visitation with certain restrictions (No Patient Left Alone). Failed in House Health Subcommittee.
❌ HB 966 – Brought an end to a significant portion of Tennessee’s Certificate of Need healthcare monopoly laws and would have allowed for a more free market healthcare system in our state. Failed in House Health Subcommittee.
❌ HB 878 – Protected religious liberty placing no requirements on ministers or officials in any capacity to solemnize a marriage. Passed the House but deferred to 2024 in Senate Judiciary Committee.
❌ HB 239 – Defined the word “sex” in Tennessee law as having to do with (2) biological sexes, male and female. Passed the Senate but Placed Behind the Budget in House Finance, Ways, and Means Committee.
❌ HB 40 – Restricts ownership of any real property by foreign nationals or entities from sanctioned countries. Placed Behind the Budget in House Finance, Way, and Means Committee.
❌ SB 841 – Would have required a business holding sexualized performances at their establishment to get an adult-oriented entertainment license. Failed in Senate State and Local Government Committee.
❌ HB 264 – Secured religious exemptions in Tennessee law for childhood vaccinations even in the case of an epidemic or threat of an epidemic. Failed in House Population Health Subcommittee.
❌ SB 1109 – Required any employer making a requirement for vaccination to accept an employee’s religious objection to the vaccination. Failed in the Senate Commerce and Labor Committee.
Bills that we did not support, but the measure PASSED.
❌ HB 883 – Softens our current abortion laws and provides for physicians to use “reasonable” medical judgment to save the life of the mother to provide an abortion. We have never, and still do not support any amendments to the current law. Passed the House and referred to Senate Health Committee. (We fully expect this bill to pass.)
❌ ✅ SB 160 – The initial bill posed a serious threat to the First Amendment and advocacy organizations across the state. And amendment was passed that removed all of these concerns. Adds additional campaign finance regulations. Passed the House and Senate.
❌ HB 321 – Enacts the Transportation Modernization Act and paves the way for toll lanes and user fees in Tennessee. Passed the House and Senate.
❌ SB 268 – Enacts the Money Transmission Modernization Act, redefines “money” as currency agreed upon by intergovernmental agencies or (2) or more governments and paves the way for a global or central bank currency in Tennessee. Passed the House and Senate.
Bills that we were against, and the measure FAILED.
✅ SB 479 – Created changes to the Uniform Commercial Code (UCC) and redefined “money” in such a way that obfuscated the use of cryptocurrencies. This is the same bill that Gov. Kristi Noem vetoed in South Dakota. Bill is deferred to 2024 in Senate Commerce and Labor Committee. (IMPORTANT: THIS BILL IS NOT DEAD.)
✅ SB 885 – Would have broadened the legal definition of an abortifacient and expanded instances of self-induced abortions in Tennessee. Failed in Senate Judiciary.
✅ SB 857 – Made exceptions in our state abortion laws for instances of rape and incest. Assigned to General Subcommittee (could come back up in 2024).
✅ ❌ SB 983 – Would have made additional exceptions for a physician’s good faith judgment in the case of abortion. The amended language of this bill however was added to HB 883 and will pass. Assigned to General Subcommittee (could come back up in 2024).
✅ HB 1214 – Created a new hybrid public charter school introducing state oversight into home school curriculum and created residential boarding schools for “economically disadvantaged” children. Assigned to General Subcommittee (could come back up in 2024).
✅ HB 127 – Expanded the use of mechanical restraints (handcuffs) in public schools for children with special needs and disabilities. Failed in K-12 Subcommittee.
✅ HB 169 – Extended voting rights to 2 members of an LLC in certain voting precincts regardless of where the voter resides. Failed in Elections & Campaign Finance Subcommittee.
✅ HB 283 – Expanded the requirement for hospitals to offer certain vaccinations to older patients upon being discharged from a hospital. Failed in Health Committee.
Bills that we supported, and the measure PASSED.
✅ HB 1 – Prevents any medical procedure performed on a minor for the purposes of transitioning that minor to a sex opposite their biological sex at birth. Signed by the Governor.
✅ HB 2 – Permanently extends protections in TCA Title 14 from COVID mandates and masking in public schools. Signed by the Governor.
✅ HB 9 – Criminalizes a performance that is sexual in nature on public property or in any place that is accessible to minors during such a performance. Signed by the Governor.
Legislative Batting Avg for 2023:
.344
Emails sent to the General Assembly through Tennessee Stands:
(as of March 23, 2023)
331,441
Bills that we are still watching.
(as of March 23, 2023)
SUPPORT HJR 38 – Constitutional amendment to further secure the right to bear arms and restrict the General Assembly from arbitrary power over that right. Headed to the House floor.
SUPPORT SB 644 – Protect the privacy of home school families and remove a requirement to report child vaccination status to the state for school attendance. Passed the House and referred to Senate Education Committee.
SUPPORT HB 306 – Require private schools to only allow students to compete in athletic competitions according to their biological sex when participating in TSSAA-regulated sporting events. Headed to House floor and referred to Senate Education Committee.
SUPPORT HB 636 – Allows a candidate 7 days to register as an Independent if removed from a political party’s primary election ballot. Passed the House and referred to Senate State and Local Government Committee.
OPPOSE SJR 34 – Constitutional amendment that would allow the state of Tennessee to invest its funds in equities becoming stockholders (owners) of private corporations. Headed to the Senate floor.
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Gary Humble
Gary Humble