Both the House and Senate leaders gathered two-thirds of their respective chambers’ signatures to call an extraordinary session. The reasoning? COVID-19.
More: Special session on Ford incentives begins but Tennessee lawmakers’ focus is on COVID
Members are expected to discuss masks, vaccines and other restrictions related to the coronavirus when they convene next week.
The House was the first to have the required support. During this week’s special session on economic incentives for a Ford Motor Company plant in West Tennessee, representatives, including Republican Jason Zachary, prodded the Senate to act on COVID rules.
“Every day we wait, people are losing their jobs,” Zachary said. “Children are being masked against their parents’ wishes, and I would ask our senate colleagues to join us.”
In a press release, the Senate specifically mentions that legislation addressing Biden’s federal mandates they call “unconstitutional” is welcomed.
More: Tennessee lawmakers mock COVID safety and push back on federal workplace rules
The COVID-centered session is scheduled to begin next Wednesday, October 27 at 4:00 p.m.