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Capitol Notes | Peggy Sue, the Beagle Hound
Put out the fire and the call the dogs in; the hunt is over.
And Then They Were Done. The Extraordinary Session began on the afternoon of Monday, August 21 with tighter security and even lower expectations. Consensus quickly became elusive between the House and the Senate over the scope of the work to be done. The Senate leadership decided a limited approach was best while the House leadership decided a broader approach was better. So, the Senate teed up and passed three bills in Governor Lee’s package; the House passed eight separate bills in that week’s floor session even though all the senate companion bills remained in senate committees. The General Assembly reconvened on Monday, August 28, with its two separate bodies headed in opposite directions. The Senate had passed the only four bills it intended to consider while the House still had a lengthy calendar to work through. Both bodies adjourned quickly, but not before the House voted to remove State Representative Justin Jones’ right to speak that day after he was found twice to be speaking out of order. Matters went downhill from there as the House Democrats left the floor. The leadership of both houses met with Governor Lee early on Tuesday morning, and the Senate leadership convinced Governor Lee and the House leadership that they were done for the Extraordinary Session. The Senate’s only concession was to concur in the few amendments that the House had adopted for the four bills the Senate had passed. Both houses completed their work by noon on Tuesday. Those four bills dealt with free firearm locks, criminal court clerk notices to the TBI of criminal convictions, a TBI child trafficking report, and an appropriations bill.
Regular Session. The regular 2024 annual session will convene on Tuesday, January 9. Any of the bills that did not pass in the Extraordinary Session would have to be reintroduced in January to be considered in the regular session. Governor Bill Lee was very quiet during the Extraordinary Session, but at the end, he stated that he thought progress was made. Very few other dogs shared his perspective, particularly the Covenant School parents, who were the howling force for the Extraordinary Session in the first place.
Don Sundquist. Tennessee’s 47th Governor died on Sunday, August 27, in Memphis. After serving 12 years in the United States House of Representatives for the sprawling 7th District, Sundquist defeated then Nashville Mayor Phil Bredesen in November 1994 for his first term as Governor. He then defeated John Jay Hooker in 1998 for his second term. Please keep the Sundquist family in your thoughts and prayers as they mourn his passing and celebrate a life well lived.
Congratulations Representative Aftyn Behn. Ms. Behn prevailed in the special general election on September 14 to fill the remainder of the unexpired term of Bill Beck, age 61, who died unexpectedly earlier this summer. District 51 in Davidson County covers a part of downtown, part of East Nashville, a part of Donelson, and Madison. Ms. Behn grew up in Knoxville where she attended the Webb School, and she is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of the University of Texas in Austin. After a hotly contested Democratic primary and an easier general election, Ms. Behn is now the only woman in the Davidson County House delegation.
Calendar Notes.
October 3 and 17 – First two meetings of the newly elected Metropolitan Council.
October 5 – Reception for new Tennessee Supreme Court Justice Dwight Tarwater at the Nashville School of Law.
October 21 – YLD sponsored Race Judicata in Edwin Warner Park.
November 10 – State and NBA offices will be closed for observation of the Veterans Day holiday.
