March 12, 2021
Retired Capitol Hill reporter Tom Humphrey for years wrote a column called Humphrey on the Hill. In his stead, Sam Stockard am taking up the mantle with a new report called Stockard on the Stump, a collection of briefs, anecdotes and quotes from the latest week in the Tennessee General Assembly.
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With the FBI prowling the Capitol complex, legislative leaders are trying to tamp down on financial irregularities, including things that resemble money laundering.
Lt. Gov. Randy McNally and House Speaker Cameron Sexton confirmed this week they brought legislation designed to keep lawmakers from doing business with the state, mainly other legislators campaigns.
Knoxville lawmaker files new bathroom bill targeting transgender students localmemphis.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from localmemphis.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
In 2016, an initiative requiring transgender students to use bathrooms according to their sex at birth failed in the Tennessee legislature amid staunch opposition from LGBTQ advocates, who deemed the bill discriminatory and stigmatizing.
Five years later, critics fear that a similar measure championed by two lawmakers would have the same effect.
HB1233/SB1367, sponsored by Rep. Jason Zachary, R-Knoxville, and Sen. Mike Bell, R-Riceville, would effectively allow students to refuse sharing school facilities such as bathrooms, locker rooms and dorms with transgender students and sue public schools that do not provide them with reasonable accommodations.
The bill cleared the House K-12 Subcommittee Tuesday night and will move on to a full House committee.