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Capitol Notes
Put out the fire and call the dogs in; the hunt is over.
November General Election Update. After the dust settled from the November general election, the partisan divides in the Tennessee General Assembly stayed exactly where they were. In the State Senate, Republicans continue to hold a 27-6 majority over the Democrats, and the House Republicans continue to hold a 75-24 majority over the Democrats. The leadership structure in each house will remain the same as Randy McNally of Oak Ridge will serve another two year term as Senate Speaker and Lieutenant Governor. Jack Johnson of Franklin will be the Republican Leader and Raumesh Akbari of Memphis will be the Democratic Leader. In the House, Cameron Sexton of Crossville will serve another two year term as Speaker. William Lamberth of Portland will serve as Republican Leader and Karen Camper of Memphis will serve as Democratic Leader. In the Senate, new members are:
Tom Hatcher (R) of Maryville for District 2,Bobby Harshbarger (R) of Kingsport for District 4,and Jessie Seal (R) of New Tazewell for District 8.
In the House, new members are:
Renea Jones (R) of Unicoi for District 4,Fred Atchley (R) of Sevierville for District 12,Tom Stinnett (R) of Alcoa for District 20,Michele Reneau (R) of Chattanooga for District 27,Rick Scarbrough (R) of Oak Ridge for District 33,Shaundelle Brooks (D) of Nashville for District 60,Lee Reeves (R) of Franklin for District 65,Aron Maberry (R) of Clarksville for District 68,and Gabby Salinas (D) of Memphis for District 96.
Closer to Home. Here in Davidson County, State Representative Darren Jernigan decided to call in the dogs and go to work for Mayor Freddie O’Connell as the Mayor’s legislative liaison. The new State Representative for District 60 covering the Hermitage area of Davidson County is Ms. Shaundelle Brooks. Ms. Brooks won both a hotly contested Democratic primary election as well as the general election where she defeated a well-funded Chad Bobo, the winner of the Republican primary. Ms. Brooks used her catchy slogan of “Fight Like a Mom” to good effect. She was raised in Brooklyn, NY, and is a retired parole officer. Tragically, one of her sons was murdered in the Nashville Waffle House mass shooting in 2018. Using her advocacy efforts after that terrible loss, she transitioned to campaign mode and worked hard to achieve her victories in her two elections this year.
Calendar Notes.
December 24 & 25 - Christmas holidays for government offices
December 31 & January 1 - New Year’s Day holidays for government offices
January 14 - Opening day for the 114th General Assembly
January 20 - Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday and Inauguration Day
Early February - Bill filing deadline for the 2025 legislative session
February 16 - Presidents Day holiday for government offices
