Lt. Governor Ron Ramsey calls Senate into session

When the 106th Tennessee General Assembly convened January 13th, along with administering oaths of office and electing Senatorial and House officers, the Tennessee General Assembly also filed a slate of legislative bills for this session. These bills represent the initial onslaught of favored governmental proposals expected be to placed before the now GOP-dominated legislature.

Here is summary listing details of some of the introduced legislation:

SB0003 By Beavers, Election Laws- as introduced, requires a voter to present qualified photographic identity before voting; voters without proper identification shall be allowed to cast a provisional ballot. Amends TCA Title 2, Chapter 7. [House companion bill: HB0009 by Waver]

SB0005 by Ketron, Election Laws- as introduced, requires identification and proof of citizenship for voter registration, requires voters present qualified photo identification before voting, those without valid credentials shall be allowed to cast a provisional that would be counted only after the election commissioner verifies the voter’s status. Amends TCA Title 2, Chapter 2 and Title 2, Chapter 7. [House companion bill: HB0010 by Maggart]

HB0031 by Hardway, Election Laws- as introduced, requires a county election commission to accept and not return a mail voter registration form received within seven days prior to the registration deadline if the form lacks postage or has insufficient postage.

HB0198 by Casada, Election Laws- as introduced, requires election officials to inspect filings for sufficiency and timelines, establishes conclusive presumption that accepted filings are sufficient and timely filed.

SJR0001 by Norris, Constitutional Amendments- adds provisions establishing the right to hunt, fish and harvest game subject to reasonable rules and regulations; establishes standard for reviewing such rules and regulations.

HJR0017 by Moore, Constitutional Amendments- as introduced, extends terms of members of the House of Representatives from two to four years and terms of the Senate from four to six years.

HJR0003 by Kelsey, Constitutional Amendments- Purposes an amendment to clarify the constitutional language that currently prohibits the levying of a tax on any class of income, other than income derived from stocks and bonds, and to prohibit any tax levied on or measured by employer payrolls.

HB0012 by Kelsey, Constitutional Amendments- as introduced, provides that the publication requirement mandated by Article XI, Section 3, is satisfied if the proposed constitutional amendment is timely posted on the official Web site of the Secretary of State or on the official Web site of the General Assembly. [Companion bill SB0111 by Black] Amends TCA Title 3, Chapter 2.

SJR0025 by Black, Constitutional Amendments- as introduced, proposes a constitutional amendment to require a two-thirds vote by the Senate and a two-thirds vote of the House of Representatives in order to approve legislation that seeks an increase in appropriations in excess of the Copeland spending cap for any fiscal year.

SJR0011 by Kyle, Memorials, Congress- Urges Congress to enact the federal stimulus package proposed by the President.