Senate Speaker Ron Ramsey’s goal for the end of the 2013 legislative session is April 19th. Photo Credit Tennessee Legislature
A number of broadly supported proposals have failed to make it past Tuesday’s legislative hearings. As the self-imposed cutoff for the 2013 legislative session approaches this month, many bills lacking overwhelming support are being stopped in their tracks or put off until next year.
A proposal to quintuple the fine for not wearing a seat belt made it through a senate committee but failed moments later in the house. Sen. Joey Hensley of Hohenwald opposed the bill, which he called well intentioned.
“I just don’t think us increasing the fine is going to increase seat belt usage. People already know that they’re breaking the law,” Hensley said.
Governor Bill Haslam also objected to increasing seatbelt fines.
One of the highest priorities of the Tennessee Charter School Association is dead for the year. The organization has been pushing to make it easier for charters to hold classes in half-full or vacant school buildings.
Rep. Harold Love, Jr. says he couldn’t get the charter school association on the same page as school districts.
“Just a few days ago it seemed as if, because of some other issues, things started to kind of fall apart,” Love said. “I thought we were at that place where we agreed that this particular bill was ok, and that everybody was alright with it.”
On the controversial issue of picking primary candidates for U.S. Senate, the state senate flirted with the idea of giving itself authority to choose party nominees. But the house dumped the plan before it even came to a committee vote.
Governor Haslam had threatened to veto the bill, even if it did pass.
“I have a major problem with that,” he said. “We’re going to take the selection of a United States Senator out of the hands of the people of Tennessee and have a few folks decide who that’s going to be.”
Chelsea Mihelich
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