At the end of a special legislative session, lawmakers in Tennessee passed a set of bills. They also limited the coronavirus authorities of private businesses and local governments, allowed elections of partisan school boards and warned Glenn Funk, Davison County’s District Attorney.
The Tennessee Legislature used its preferred secrecy measures as it debated the draft laws. The Legislature worked on the bills at night and early morning when it was dark outside. They also made the bulk of the discussion in negotiations that the public could not access and that involved the Senate and the House.
The lawmaking raised concerns from businesses, including Ford Motor Company. The recent Tennessee General Assembly approved almost $900 million as spending associated with the company’s plans on building a West Tennessee EV plant. However, as per reports, the company expressed concerns regarding Republican legislators’ push to outlaw vaccine and mask ordinances at private business locations.
As a legislator who sponsored a bill, representative Jason Zachary stated that he does not represent Ford Motor Company. As for Zachary, the automaker gets to decide how it feels about the law.
The outreach came through the Office of Tennessee Governor Bill Lee and straight to General Assembly members. Ford Motor Company lacks lobbyists at the US Capitol building. Other business associations such as the NFIB’s local chapter and trade associations were shocked by a few of the legislative measures. One of those measures would let workers litigate employers who make COVID-19 vaccination mandatory for them when they face negative reactions. Lee’s administration warned that another measure would mean the federal government gaining control of regulators for Tennessee workplace safety.
Senator Jack Johnson pushed forward a few of the draft laws, even as he believed that those were against the tenets that Tennessee held sacred about pacifying the local business community. It was more than unimpressive for the TTA (Tennessee Trucking Association). Johnson stated that the trucking industry needs legislation while describing it as an anti-business. The truckers found it annoying that somebody who wants no vaccine could resign and gain unemployment benefits, usually reserved for people terminated against their wills.
The pressure came before some dilution late at night. The bill allows non-public companies such as Ford Motor Company to mandate masks but not coronavirus vaccines (with a few exceptions). A bill technically outlaws vaccine orders at entertainment locations, though entertainment businesses can permit patrons admission through vaccine cards in place of negative test results.
Representative Chris Todd sponsored a legal amendment that permits businesses to necessitate masks. Todd stated that businesses should be capable of protecting their employees through hard hats, gloves or face coverings.
The amended draft law offers non-public schools more freedom on coronavirus mitigation as compared to public schools in Tennessee. The weakened draft law exempted home-based work environments such as residential health aides. Some legislators worry about the possibility of legislating the way in which people manage their residences.
A less controversial bill deliberated earlier this year offers banks in Tennessee more flexibility with regard to accepting local government funds. The measure, which only got a vote against it in the US Senate, lets banks accepting funds from the governments offer up cash in the way of collateral. It also sets 90% as the collateral level required for the acceptance of the funds. Bankers found it necessary thanks to the never-seen-before amounts flowing into the accounts of local governments because of the so-called American Rescue Plan.
A different bill will let Tennessee communities hold their school board elections by party. As per its supporters, the move was essential for transparency since constituents struggled to recognize non-Republican or non-Democratic candidates’ political beliefs. It comes as a consequence of some school boards from Tennessee’s conservative locations instituting mask ordinances or other coronavirus mitigation measures.
Senator Ken Yager, a Republican erstwhile county executive who voted against the bill, stated that it is still the biggest job in Roane County to be a school board member.
Legislators approved a provision to let the AG (attorney general) do something without asking local prosecutors in Tennessee who state that they would not enforce some laws. It is aimed at Nashville’s DA Funk, who once stated that he would not prosecute cases related to low-level cannabis and abortion. If the DA were to keep his position, then the AG could appoint an independent council in the US district for the cases that he will not prosecute.
A bill that establishes punishments for officials who fail to enforce executive ordinances did not pass a senatorial committee. It was an uncommon failure because even Senate members Randy McNally and Cameron Sexton backed the bill. On the other hand, police chiefs and sheriff representatives in Tennessee testified against that bill. It was aimed at Memphis and Nashville school boards that defied Bill’s executive ordinance, which is in litigation and demanding that mask mandates for schools permit opt-outs.
There was another passed bill, described with the word ‘omnibus’, with many provisions removing coronavirus authorities from not only private businesses but also local governments.
As per Johnson, who guided the measure in the US Senate, it was prone to instability. Johnson told the bill’s sponsors that it is not in the best position while demanding senators to pass the law anyway.
He was expecting the House to pass another form of that bill; the two United States Congress chambers’ representatives could work the differences out and make the legislation better. Roughly speaking, it was what happened in the chamber, mainly concealed from public view.
The amended legislation keeps public schools and other government bodies from mandating masks, unless under extreme epidemic circumstances. The ban on coronavirus vaccine requirements may have exceptions but applies to private entities and government businesses. Companies dealing with Medicaid and Medicare, federal contractors and airports are among the parties with a few exceptions as per the legislation.
Another legislative part will authorize the health commissioner of Lee to appoint health directors in Davidson County and five other counties that have their health departments.
