Serving Hohenwald, Lewis County Tennessee Since 1898
Serving Hohenwald, Lewis County Tennessee Since 1898
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The Real Christmas The following are excerpts from a Christmas speech I thought was worth sharing. ‘Christmas is a busy season. Streets and stores are filled with people making last-minute preparations. Travelers on the highways increase, airports are crowded—all communities seem to come to life with music, lights, and festive decorations. The legend of Santa Claus, the Christmas tree, the decorations of tinsel and mistletoe, and the giving of gifts all express to us the spirit of the day we...
As the 112th legislative session draws closer, here are new laws under gun rights. Permitless Carry / Stronger Penalties for Gun Theft – Public Chapter 108 allows law-abiding citizens in Tennessee who are at least 21 years old or are honorably discharged or active in the U.S. Armed Forces, National Guard or Reserves to carry a firearm without a permit in a place where they are lawfully present. Those who carry without a permit must have no felony convictions, orders of protection in effect, pend...
Greetings. This week I want to address highlights regarding the new election & voting laws for our state. Voting / Senior Citizens – Public Chapter 233 makes it easier for elderly residents who live in assisted living facilities to vote by allowing campus residents in assisted living to participate in a voter drive at a skilled nursing home. Strengthening Election Integrity – Public Chapter 306 strengthens election integrity and increases accountability for out-of-state donations made to sta...
On November 22, 2021 Governor Bill Lee signed Executive Order 93 “Operation Open Road” to address supply chain issues during the Holiday Season. Lee joined 14 other states in this initiative acting in curbing the crisis. As all are aware, manufactured goods from overseas are held up in our coastal ports causing supply shortages across the country, creating commercial burdens and empty retail shelves that helps us function our daily lives especially locally. While we continue to recover from the...
Happy Thanksgiving to all! NATIONAL THANKSGIVING PROCLAMATION The National Thanksgiving Proclamation was the first formal proclamation of Thanksgiving in the United States. President George Washington declared Thursday, November 26, 1789 as a day of public thanksgiving and prayer. “Whereas it is the duty of all Nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey His will, to be grateful for His benefits, and humbly to implore His protection and favor, and whereas both Houses of C...
Greetings. Thanksgiving is almost here. The new 112th General Assembly will begin January 11th 2022. Since both the House and Senate are in a downtime, in continuing effort to keep constituents updated and informed throughout the year on our current laws passed from year’s recent house session, this week will address future unemployment benefits, apprenticeships and Agriculture. Unemployment Benefits – Public Chapter 560 puts more money in the pockets of persons who are unemployed while giv...
The House and Senate chambers concluded a third extraordinary session of the 112th General Assembly Oct. 30, passing a comprehensive legislative package aimed at restoring individual rights of Tennesseans by protecting against harmful federal mandates. For the 64th time in Tennessee’s 225 years of statehood, a number of issues related to the Covid-19 pandemic, including President Joe Biden’s unconstitutional plan to deny Americans their right to make personal health decisions for themselves by f...
Essential Workers Act – Public Chapter 384 prohibits a local government from issuing an executive order, resolution or ordinance establishing categories or classes of essential and non-essential businesses for the purpose of requiring them to cease operations unless the fire marshal of a court deems them to be a public safety hazard. COVID-19 Recovery / F&E Taxes – Public Chapter 154 exempts COVID-19 relief payments received between March 1, 2020 and Dec. 31, 2021 from the state’s Franc...
State as a Model Employer / Individuals with Disabilities – Public Chapter 575 puts Tennessee on track to become a “State as a Model Employer” (SAME) for individuals with disabilities. The legislation ensures that state agencies and departments design and implement promising and emerging policies, practices and procedures that focus on recruitment, hiring, advancement and retention of qualified individuals with disabilities. Direct Support Professionals / Pay Increases – Public Chapter 576 inc...
Medical Laboratories Act – Public Chapter 495 allows Tennessee to utilize the federal standards that are used in 31 other states for those that work in private laboratories, as is already done in our state laboratories. The legislation will allow laboratories to process tests more quickly and effectively, and it will also reduce burdensome requirements in Tennessee that have caused some issues with recruiting personnel, especially from outside of the state. SAFE Act / Substance Abuse Recovery H...
Tennessee Medical Cannabis Commission –Public Chapter 577 creates a commission to serve as a nonpartisan, medically-focused entity to study federal and state laws regarding medical cannabis. The commission will make recommendations to the General Assembly on ways to implement an effective, patient-centered medical cannabis program in Tennessee upon the rescheduling of marijuana from the Schedule I list of federally controlled substances. It also adds to the list of current patients who are l...
Session Highlights 2021 Surplus Radios / First Responders / Distressed Counties – Public Chapter 527 allows for the transfer of surplus two-way radios, held by the Department of Safety, to distressed counties in Tennessee. Railroad Safety / First Responders – Public Chapter 178 requires the Department of Transportation to provide an annual report that identifies areas critically impacted by blocked highway-rail grade crossings. This legislation hopes to provide vital information on threats to th...
Federal Law Enforcement Officers / Personal Information – Public Chapter 253 protects federal law enforcement officers and their families by providing confidentiality regarding certain personal information. This law already exists for state law enforcement officers to protect them from criminals who would harass or harm them or their families in act of revenge for work done in the line of duty. Retired Law Enforcement Officers – Public Chapter 322 allows a retired law enforcement officers, aut...
Constitutional Challenges / State Statutes– Public Chapter 566 creates a mechanism for a three-judge panel to hear a challenge regarding the constitutionality of a state statute, an executive order or an administrative rule or regulation. The Supreme Court will select two trial court judges of courts of record to sit with the judge to whom the civil action was originally assigned as the three-judge panel to hear and decide the civil action. The panel will sit in the Supreme Court Building in t...
Expunction for Employment -Public Chapter 539 removes barriers for employment and education for Tennesseans with nonviolent or low-level assault offenses on their criminal record by allowing these individuals to have their record expunged in very limiting circumstances. Similarly, Public Chapter 494 makes a simple assault committed after July 1, 2000 eligible for consideration of expungement. It does not apply to domestic abuse. Juvenile Justice System Improvements – Public Chapter 184 p...
Firing a Firearm from a Vehicle – Public Chapter 505 makes it reckless endangerment subject to a Class C felony to fire a firearm from within a motor vehicle, enhancing penalties for the crime. Criminal Justice Reform – Public Chapter 409 gives judges the discretion to provide treatment to an offender through a Recovery Court when the facts indicate it is the best correction option available. The legislation brings the cap for probation down from 10 years to a maximum of eight years, except for...
Drag racing – Public Chapter 573 stiffens the penalty for drag racing from a Class B misdemeanor to a Class A misdemeanor to deter drivers from engaging in this reckless behavior. Enhanced penalties for aggravated riots – Public Chapter 440 adds to the offense of aggravated rioting to include those who are compensated to participate in a riot or travel from outside the state to participate. Protecting Law Enforcement Informants – Public Chapter 586 states that if a district attorney general is r...
Victim Advocates / Confidentiality – Public Chapter 590 protects confidentiality of victim advocate. It ensures communication between a victim of domestic violence or sexual abuse and a trained victim advocate remains confidential through statutory protections. Facilitation of Rape of a Child / Full Sentence – Public Chapter 525 requires a person convicted of the facilitation of rape of a child or aggravated rape of a child to serve 100% of the sentence imposed minus a maximum of 15% sen...
Session Highlights from 112th General Assembly Jim Coley Protection for Rape Survivors Act - Public Chapter 362 provides more transparency regarding the rape kit backlog process. It makes sure the handling procedure of rape kits is responsive, reliable and consistent. It requires the TBI to develop and implement an electronic system that tracks the location and status of each rape kit and gives victims access to the system through a tracking number. Victims must also be notified 60 days before...
Safe Home for Trafficked Children – Public Chapter 246 requires law enforcement officers to alert the Department of Children’s Services when they take a minor into custody on charges of prostitution so the child can appropriately be placed in a safe home. This legislation helps ensure the child can receive any professional assistance they may need and can be removed from a life dictated by abusive traffickers. Human Trafficking / Lifetime Ban on Commercial Driver’s License – Public Chapter...
Session Highlights from 112th General Assembly Children / Evelyn’s Law –Public Chapter 107 creates Evelyn Boswell’s Law, named after a Sullivan County 15-month-old who was found dead after her mother failed to report her missing to the authorities for months. Under the bill, parents in Tennessee who do not report children missing to law enforcement within 24 hours could be charged with a Class A misdemeanor. Children / Eli’s Law – Public Chapter 568 puts more guardrails in place to protect c...
Session Highlights from 112th General Assembly Confucius Institutes / Foreign Influence on Higher Education – Public Chapter 344 prohibits the establishment of Confucius Institutes which have ties to communist regimes and requires state institutions to disclose gifts received from and contracts initiated with a foreign source in excess of $10,000. Compensating College Athletes for their Name, Image, Likeness – Public Chapter 400 allows athletes at Tennessee universities to financially benefit fr...
Tennessee Accommodations for All Children Act – Public Chapter 452 requires a public school to provide a reasonable accommodation to a person who has conveyed through a written request that they are unwilling or unable to use multi-occupancy restrooms or changing facilities designated for the person’s sex. (Bell / Transmitted to Gov 5/4) Student Athletes / Safe Stars Act – Public Chapter 272 creates standards and metrics for student athlete safety in a program that has been recognized as one o...
Expanding School Choice within a School District – Public Chapter 479 expands public school choice to additional districts that do not already have open enrollment policies. It allows students within the same school district to enroll in open seats at other schools if there is space available. Achievement School District – Public Chapter 490 creates a framework for schools to exit from Achievement School District (ASD) governance, including one option to allow those which are successful to con...
Session Highlights Teacher Shortages - Public Chapter 125 simplifies the process for teachers who are moving to Tennessee to receive an appropriate teaching license, helping qualified teachers get into classrooms quicker. Teacher Discipline Act –Public Chapter 77 establishes a process for local school districts to enable a teacher to remove a student who causes repeated disruptions. Teachers / Endorsement Pathways – Public Chapter 571 seeks to increase retention of high-quality educators by prov...
