At the statehouse: Trans athlete bill heads to governor, abortion pill bill passes House, Supreme Court stops injunction on maps

The 112th General Assembly has just wrapped its 14th week — and it seems it will continue with no end in sight.

At this point, Senate Democratic Leader Jeff Yarbro says legislators are trying to “get out of this General Assembly without doing too much damage.”

However, it’s not clear if members on the other side of the aisle are done trying to get controversial bills passed this session. And we get right to one this week.

State might keep funds owed to school districts if they allow transgender athletes to compete

While not a large segment of athletes, transgender players, especially women, are scaring Republicans to the point that they want to force them to quit.

That’s the effect of a bill sent to the governor’s desk earlier this week. It would withhold funds from public schools that allow transgender athletes to compete in women’s sports. This adds penalties to a bill that was passed last year requiring students to prove their sex matches their birth certificate.

Exactly how much money would be withheld from schools isn’t spelled out in the bill.

A second piece of anti-LGBTQ legislation prevents state colleges from allowing transgender women to participate in women’s athletics. Republicans in both chambers say they believe they are protecting the integrity of women’s sports. This comes after Lia Thomas, a trans woman, won the NCAA national championship in swimming.

Critics of the legislation say it’s both unconstitutional and misleading. The Supreme Court has ruled in the past that transgender people are included in the sexual orientation and gender identity laws.

Those who say the bill is misleading point to the fact that trans women must keep their testosterone level suppressed in order to qualify in sports. However, there is published research on PubMed Central questioning whether testosterone is the correct measure that should be used.

Bill that would make abortions much harder to get is close to passing

People seeking abortions in Tennessee already face a host of restrictions, and a new proposal aims to make it even tougher by reducing access to abortion-inducing medication.

During the pandemic, patients seeking an abortion could schedule a telehealth call with out-of-state doctors who could send a prescription to their local drug store. This legislation would make that action illegal. The bill passed the House this week. Anti-abortion lawmakers say the goal is to make sure a patient is in the physical presence of a physician.

A pharmacist who violates the measure could face felony charges and up to 20 years in prison.

State Senate maps struck down by trial courts will stay in effect for 2022 election 

It’s been another rollercoaster of a week for redistricting maps.

The Tennessee Supreme Court will allow the new Senate maps to be used for the 2022 election. The reversal comes a week after a lower court just told the state they’d need new maps. But, then Attorney General Herbert Slatery appealed the lower court’s decision, arguing it was too close to the deadline to have ballots shipped overseas and to members of the military.  

The Supreme Court agreed with Slatery, saying the lower court failed to consider “voter confusion.”

The Tennessee Democratic Party is financially backing the lawsuit. Members of their party call the move a disservice to Tennesseans, saying the court shouldn’t pick and choose when the state must follow constitutional laws.

It remanded the case back to the trial court. The redistricting lawsuit filed by three voters is still ongoing.

Other actions:

• A legislative proposal that would have undermined same-sex marriages in Tennessee was effectively killed in a House committee Wednesday. This comes a week after Republican Senate Speaker Randy McNally said there were constitutional issues with the bill.
• A bill adding transparency to campaign finance passed after several lawmakers are believed to have been involved in a kickback scheme.
• A measure that would create a misdemeanor for camping along highways, or entrance and exit ramps passed the Senate after being amended. Democrats against the bill argue it would criminalize homelessness and possibly allow people who fall asleep while enjoying the sunshine in the park to be charged as well.