Senator Joey Hensley, MD

Tennessee Senate

Protects Workers’ Freedom

The Senate has reaffi rmed

their commitment to protect

workers’ freedom by passing

legislation to prevent coercion

in union-organizing elections

and secure workers’ rights to

secret ballot union elections.

When a workplace decides to

vote on unionizing, it is often

done in an open election with

workers’ choices made public

to union organizers. Due to the

lack of privacy of the vote, many

workers are subjected to a public

pressure campaign by union

offi cials seeking to unionize

the workplace. That process is

called card check.

Senate Bill 650, would require

employers that accept state incentives

to honor employees’

rights to a secret-ballot union

election and put an end to card

check practices. Workers deserve

to make that choice privately

based on what’s right for

them and not due to unrelenting

pressure from union offi cials.

Workers should never have to

worry about their decision being

used against them in the workplace.

Tennessee awards taxpayer

dollars to businesses and initiatives

to incentivize growth and

economic prosperity and provide

quality jobs for Tennesseans

to thrive. With secret-ballot

elections in place, workplaces

receiving state taxpayer dollars

can focus on what they were entrusted

to do: create opportunities

for Tennesseans to make a

living, serve their communities,

raise their families and keep the

Volunteer State a beacon of prosperity

for our country.

Senate passes enhanced school

safety legislation

As part of comprehensive

measures to strengthen security

at schools across Tennessee,

the Senate approved enhanced

school safety legislation to improve

safety standards and

protocols at public and private

schools. Senate Bill 274 requires

every public and private school

to keep doors locked at all times

while students are present and

develop annual safety plans

that must include a newly required

incident command drill

for school leaders and law enforcement

to prepare for various

emergencies. It authorizes local

law enforcement to take corrective

action against schools that

fail to lock their doors.

The legislation also creates

new hardware security requirements

for newly-built and

remodeled schools. Any new

schools built will have to:

• Install classroom door locks

that lock from the inside

• Have security vestibules for

visitor entry

Install a clear bullet-resistant

or entry-resistant fi lm on the

glass panel of any exterior entry

or basement-level window to

prevent individuals from entering

who are not allowed.

Have camera systems to continuously

monitor each entrance

hallway and communal area

This legislation was proposed

months ago and has been continuously

worked on throughout

the session and is the result of

input from every committee and

an unwavering commitment to

do all we can to prevent future

tragedies like the one at Covenant

School. The important safety

measures outlined in the bill

will go a long way to ensuring

our schools are secure.

Removing violent students

from classroom - In the event

that a student is involved in an

act of violence, whether school

related or not, the student is

placed in alternative school. Senate

Bill 1069, which I sponsored,

grants directors of schools discretion

to prevent further violence.

If a director of a school

believes placing a student in an

on-campus alternative school

will endanger other students or

staff , the bill allows them to instead

place the student in a virtual

alternative school.

Ensuring fairness in girls’

sports – Senate Bill 1237, which

I sponsored, would further protect

girls’ sports in Tennessee

by requiring private school students

who compete in school

sports or event as part of the

Tennessee Secondary School

Athletic Association (TSSAA) to

do so in accordance with their

sex at birth. Similar legislation

applying to public middle

and high school interscholastic

sports activities was approved

by the General Assembly in 2021.

Contact Senator Hensley at

425 5th Avenue North, Suite 746

Nashville TN 37243

615-741-3100

Toll Free 1-800-449-8366

ext. 13100

Fax 615-253-0231

855 Summertown Highway

Hohenwald TN 38462

Phone 931-796-2018

Cell Phone 931-212-8823

E-mail:

[email protected]