Tennessee Tenth Amendment Center
There are a number of very important bills moving in the Tennessee General Assembly next week. It is imperative that everyone begin calling legislators NOW to smooth the way for passage of these bills. Remember that a call is always going to be more effective than email, although please do both if you can. Remember to be polite but firm on your opinions.
We need to apply a massive amount of pressure to move some of these bills, so every phone call and email counts.
Also, if you can be there, we need to pack these rooms with as many bill supporters as possible. Be sure to dress professionally.
| Official Summary | “As introduced, prohibits insurers doing business in this state under insurance law from participating in American Health Benefit Exchanges or any other health insurance exchange operated in this state under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. |
| TN-TAC Comments | The bill does exactly what the summary says. If an insurance company operates under Tennessee law it will not be able to do business in an Obamacare exchange. This is a great step toward keeping Obamacare out of Tennessee.Governor Bill Haslam released a letter of opposition to this bill. This likely indicates he is preparing to implement an exchange at a later time when we are not paying attention.http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2013/mar/11/haslam-opposes-at-least-22-proposed-bills/Of course knowing that our squishy governor opposes the bill is even more incentive to pass it. |
| Schedules | House Insurance and Banking Subcommittee – 3/20/2013 @ 3:00 PM Central Senate Commerce and Labor Committee – 3/19/2013 @ 1:30 PM Central |
| People to Contact | House Insurance and Banking Subcommittee: Rep. Jimmy Matlock, Chair 615-741-3736 rep.jimmy.matlock@capitol.tn.gov Rep. Joanne Favors Rep. Curtis Johnson Rep. Kelly Keisling Rep. Steve McManus Rep. Dennis Powers Rep. John Ragan Rep. David Shepard Senate Commerce and Labor Committee: Sen. Mark Green, 1st Vice-Chair Sen. Charlotte Burks, 2nd Vice-Chair Sen. Dolores Gresham Sen. Steve Southerland Sen. Reginald Tate Sen. Jim Tracy Sen. Bo Watson Sen. Ken Yager |
| Official Summary | “As introduced, prohibits Tennessee from participating in any Medicaid expansion authorized under the federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.” |
| TN-TAC Comments | While grassroots pressure may have gotten Haslam to forego creating a state exchange under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act for now, that isn’t the only part of Obamacare that needs to be stopped.The PPACA mandated the states expand their Medicaid programs, but the federal government is only willing to provide funding for 3 years. After that, the burden falls to the state governments.TennCare is the Medicaid program for Tennessee, and as you recall a few years ago after a massive expansion, Governor Phil Bredesen had to drastically prune TennCare to ensure the state didn’t go bankrupt. Do we really want to undo that and put the state of Tennessee that close to insolvency again when the federal funds run out?Further, when the Supreme Court ruled on the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, the justices declared the Medicaid expansion mandate unconstitutional, and further that the federal government couldn’t take existing Medicaid funds away from the states if they refuse to comply with the mandate. As such, this should require no real courage for Tennessee’s state legislators to simply go along with the Supreme Court’s decision and refuse to implement the Medicaid expansion. |
| Schedules | Senate State and Local Government Committee – 3/19/2013 @ 10:30 AM Central |
| People to Contact | Senate State and Local Government Committee: Sen. Ken Yager, Chair 615-741-1449 sen.ken.yager@capitol.tn.gov Sen. Jack Johnson, 1st Vice-Chair Janice Bowling, 2nd Vice-Chair Sen. Mark Green Sen. Thelma Harper Sen. Bill Ketron Sen. Mark Norris Sen. John Stevens Sen. Reginald Tate |
| Official Summary | “As introduced, prohibits certain entities and employees of this state from assisting an agency of the armed forces of the United States in the investigation, prosecution or detention of United States citizens in certain circumstances.” |
| TN-TAC Comments | The National Defense Authorization Act of 2012, or NDAA, included provisions that allowed for the indefinite detention of Americans on U.S. soil with no warrants or access to due process. This is anathema to everything we believe as Americans.HB1059/SB1290 prohibits state or local officials from cooperating with the federal government attempts to kidnap and indefinitely detain any American citizens within the state of Tennessee under the auspices of NDAA 2012. |
| Schedules | House State Government Subcommittee – 3/20/2013 @ 3:00 PM Central |
| People to Contact | House State Government Subcommittee: Rep. Bill Sanderson, Chair 615-741-0718 rep.bill.sanderson@capitol.tn.gov Rep. Sheila Butt Rep. Joshua Evans Rep. Ryan Haynes Rep. Johnny Shaw Rep. Kent Williams |
| Official Summary | “As introduced, enacts the ‘Freedom from Unwarranted Surveillance Act.’” |
| TN-TAC Comments | There has been a great deal of concern in this country over the use of drones to spy on American citizens on U.S. soil with no warrant or other probable cause. The “Freedom from Unwarranted Surveillance Act” will address this issue.It will require any use of drone technology in the state of Tennessee to do one of the following:
There is also provision for aggrieved parties to file suit against done operators for civil damages and the bill also disallows the use in court of any evidence collected in violation of the bill. |
| Schedules | House Civil Justice Subcommittee – 3/20/2013 (Immediately follows the House Civil Justice Committee that meets at 12:30 Central) |
| People to Contact | House Civil Justice Subcommittee: Rep. Jim Coley, Chair 615-741-8201 rep.jim.coley@capitol.tn.gov Rep. Mike Carter Rep. Vance Dennis Rep. Andrew Farmer Rep. Sherry Jones Rep. Jon Lundberg Rep. Mike Stewart Rep. Rick Womick |
| Official Summary | “As introduced, revises the manner in which the names of candidates for the United States Senate are placed on the ballot for the November general election; requires the persons to be nominated in an open meeting as a candidate by the majority party by legislative members of the majority party and as a candidate for the minority party by legislative members of the minority party.” |
| TN-TAC Comments | Before the 17th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was ratified, U.S. senators were chosen by the state legislatures. This was the original plan of our founding fathers. The House of Representatives was intended to be the representatives of the people as individuals, while the Senate was intended to represent the state governments.Because the Senate represented the state governments, each state’s senators were charged with jealously guarding their state government’s constitutionally retained powers against unconstitutional encroachment by the federal government.Since the demise of this practice after the ratification of the 17th Amendment, the federal behemoth has grown exponentially.This bill is an attempt to restore, at least in Tennessee, the selection of U.S. senators to a method as close to the original Constitution as can be done legally without the repeal of the 17th Amendment.Each political party represented in the state legislature would nominate a candidate to represent their party on the ballot. Minority parties not represented in the state legislature would also be able to nominate candidates as well. Then the people of the state would choose from among the nominated candidates pursuant to the 17th Amendment.This is perfectly legal under the 17th Amendment, as long as the final selection is made by popular vote. |
| Schedules | Senate State and Local Government Committee – 3/19/2013 @ 10:30 AM Central House State Government Subcommittee – 3/20/2013 @ 3:00 PM Central |
| People to Contact | Senate State and Local Government Committee: Sen. Ken Yager, Chair 615-741-1449 sen.ken.yager@capitol.tn.gov Sen. Jack Johnson, 1st Vice-Chair Sen. Janice Bowling, 2nd Vice-Chair Sen. Mark Green Sen. Thelma Harper Sen. Bill Ketron Sen. Mark Norris Sen. John Stevens Sen. Reginald Tate House State Government Subcommittee: Rep. Sheila Butt Rep. Joshua Evans Rep. Ryan Haynes Rep. Johnny Shaw Rep. Kent Williams |
| Official Summary | As introduced, specifies that any representative of the United Nations who enters this state loses all official status and prohibits such a representative from operating in this state in any official capacity. |
| TN-TAC Comments | There is nullifying the unconstitutional actions of the federal government, and now Tennessee is moving on to the United Nations. When UN election observers came to Nashville to “observe” Tennessee’s elections last year, it caused a great deal of outrage among Tennesseans.This bill is a response to that visit and subsequent outrage. Any UN official entering Tennessee under this bill would be stripped of all official capacity. |
| Schedules | Senate State and Local Government Committee – 3/19/2013 @ 10:30 AM Central |
| People to Contact | Senate State and Local Government Committee: Sen. Ken Yager, Chair 615-741-1449 sen.ken.yager@capitol.tn.gov Sen. Jack Johnson, 1st Vice-Chair Sen. Janice Bowling, 2nd Vice-Chair Sen. Mark Green Sen. Thelma Harper Sen. Bill Ketron Sen. Mark Norris Sen. John Stevens Sen. Reginald Tate |
| Official Summary | “As introduced, enacts the ‘Tennessee Balance of Powers Act.’” |
| TN-TAC Comments | The “Tennessee Balance of Powers Act” will create a “joint legislative committee on the neutralization of federal laws.” The committee would then be tasked with reviewing federal laws and determining which should be “neutralized” under state powers.After a determination is made, the state legislature will have 60 days to vote on the question of neutralizing that federal law.The bill further states that “If there is improper adjudication by the supreme court, then the people’s interest shall be maintained and retained through state referendum.” |
| Schedules | House State Government Subcommittee – 3/20/2013 @ 3:00 PM Central |
| People to Contact | House State Government Subcommittee: Rep. Bill Sanderson, Chair 615-741-0718 rep.bill.sanderson@capitol.tn.gov Rep. Sheila Butt Rep. Joshua Evans Rep. Ryan Haynes Rep. Johnny Shaw Rep. Kent Williams |
| Official Summary | “As introduced, revises all asset forfeiture procedures to require the issuances of a forfeiture warrant prior to the seizure of real or personal property; provides more rights to the property owner and requires that the person from whom property is removed must be convicted of a criminal offense before the property can be forfeited.” |
| TN-TAC Comments | While this is not a Tenth Amendment bill, we all know that “policing for profit” has gotten out of control in the state of Tennessee. Anything that backs up the natural right to control one’s own property is important, and as such we are notifying our supporters about this important bill. |
| Schedules | House Criminal Justice Subcommittee – 3/19/2013 (Immediately follows the House Civil Justice Committee that meets at 12:30 Central) |
| People to Contact | House Criminal Justice Subcommittee: Rep. Tony Shipley, Chair 615-741-2886 rep.tony.shipley@capitol.tn.gov Rep. Karen Camper Rep. Jeremy Faison Rep. G. A. Hardaway Rep. William Lamberth Rep. James (Micah) Van Huss Rep. Eric Watson |
| Official Summary | “As introduced, creates office of solicitor general to defend and prosecute cases in the interest of the state in certain circumstances.” |
| TN-TAC Comments | This bill is a response to appointed Attorney General Bob Cooper’s refusal to do the bidding of the state legislature in challenging unconstitutional federal laws and defending individual Tennesseans where the law requires it. This would create a new position that would be responsible for these tasks. |
| Schedules | House State Government Subcommittee – 3/20/2013 @ 3:00 PM Central |
| People to Contact | House State Government Subcommittee: Rep. Bill Sanderson, Chair 615-741-0718 rep.bill.sanderson@capitol.tn.gov Rep. Sheila Butt Rep. Joshua Evans Rep. Ryan Haynes Rep. Johnny Shaw Rep. Kent Williams |
Lesley Swann is a Co-Host for Tenther Radio and the state chapter coordinator for the Tennessee Tenth Amendment Center. She is a native of Anderson County, Tennessee.
If you enjoyed this post:
Click Here to Get the Free Tenth Amendment Center Newsletter,
"The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people."
Subscribe to entries
Subscribe to comments
All content © 2013 by Tennessee Tenth Amendment Center
[...] http://tennessee.tenthamendmentcenter.com/2013/03/action-alert-many-important-bills-moving-to-commit… [...]