[{"_1":2,"_100":-5,"_101":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6408156,"mediaKeyId","3040902-6c28c38d0c527123c071526881dba76a","parentId",3040902,"title","Tennessee House recognizes Scopes centennial and swimmer Raleigh Gaines as session advances multiple bills","audioSeconds",520,"startMs",1940000,"endMs",2460000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3040902-6c28c38d0c527123c071526881dba76a&start=1940&end=2460","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3040902-6c28c38d0c527123c071526881dba76a/thumbnail_1940000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6408156/Tennessee/Tennessee-House-recognizes-Scopes-centennial-and-swimmer-Raleigh-Gaines-as-session-advances-multiple-bills","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6408156-00b88e22e6140b7189068f6bab797d8e/orig.mp4?Expires=1770448256&Signature=n75cVHzHt5ZOjpH9Sp8~seid5XW~Jx2L~93LkiMSqMgVKZ6MMyfIdsbPeITPZqlmjmoqtn6WrUG7Sgk1TQVgfA5kyvFvjWBVbvjthO05XYjJj3SGWeP4z~e9iMSDAW3AM88mf~grBCXBSuOgvZH7jtAQS5KFEktoeLLEheQzkRdBfDq57gqiiozmkGUFjUSo0jXx2ZX56LSvF-eBi80IAAFBj4p7~Bh2JV1cfvsUoHWPNkpTLSO1CaOLafAq4VE1-mL2VpmbVI42uhF2YvEA2g9wxJY~yPLb0Z2xA1pwFYpow0cvxMq7lufoJUMMsZ1amC9PNehoHRMNsEfiZphweg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Tennessee Legislature","date","2025-04-17T00:00:00Z","article","The Tennessee House of Representatives began its floor session with ceremonial recognitions, then moved into legislative business, advancing a series of bills and resolutions.

Representative Ron Travis introduced a resolution commemorating the centennial of the 1925 Scopes trial in Dayton, Tennessee, saying the trial “placed faith and science at the center of the public mind and conversation” and invited constituents and visitors to the courthouse centennial events in Dayton. Ashley Howe, executive director of the Tennessee State Museum, told the chamber the State Museum will present a companion exhibition, Scopes at 100, this summer. Several Ray County officials and representatives of local historical groups attended in the gallery and were recognized from the well.

Later in the morning Representative Garret honored Raleigh (Riley) Gaines of Sumner County with a resolution recognizing her athletic achievements and public advocacy. Gaines, who addressed the chamber, said it was “an honor to be here, as a lifelong and very proud Tennessean,” and urged continued legislative attention to issues she described as affecting women’s sports.

After the presentations the House handled a steady flow of bills. Sponsors and committee chairs described the measures briefly on the floor before votes. Among measures taken up were:

- Senate Bill 1388 (substituted for a House bill): a measure to expand opportunities for vocational rehabilitation customers and blind vendors to operate vending facilities on public properties. The sponsor described it as increasing “accountability measures for vendors” and expanding employment opportunities for people with disabilities.

- Senate Bill 547 (substituted for a House bill): a public-safety–related bill that the sponsor and supporters said establishes a parity fee option for district attorneys and public defenders to fund expert witnesses, computer upgrades and travel related to investigations.

- Senate Bill 1114 (substituted for a House bill): a bill to remove a sunset provision related to public-records requests targeting requests made with “intent to disrupt government operations.” Sponsors said the measure clarifies when requests may be treated as disruptive.

- Senate Bill 1274 (substituted for a House bill): legislation to modernize fee structures and create a state-level coal combustion residual (CCR) landfill permit program within the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC). Chairman Todd said the measure will “authorize cost recovery for activities related to coal combustion residual disposal units” and permit state regulation of certain CCR disposal units.

- Senate Bill 111 (substituted for a House bill): a narrow change for alcoholic beverage law allowing an owner of both a winery and a distillery on a single property to use one shared tasting room for both operations.

- Senate Bill 263 (substituted for a House bill): a measure stating that policies of certain international organizations have no jurisdiction in Tennessee unless adopted by Congress or the General Assembly.

- House Bill 622 (as amended on the floor): a bill on hiring practices for governmental entities that produced extended debate and an amendment fight over provisions affecting diversity, equity and inclusion policies (see separate article).

Several bills were passed or set for further action that day; the House clerk announced outcomes on the floor. For a number of bills the clerk’s roll-call tallies and the precise counts were recorded in the minute-by-minute transcript; where the vote totals were not clearly stated on the floor transcript, those counts are noted below as not specified.

Votes at a glance (action and outcome as recorded on the House floor):

- S.B. 1388 (vocational services/vendors on public properties) — Passed (voice/roll-call recorded on the floor; vote tallies not specified in the floor record excerpt).
- S.B. 547 (public-safety funding parity/fees) — Passed (floor announcement; vote tallies not specified in the floor record excerpt).
- S.B. 1114 (public-records intent-to-disrupt provision; remove sunset) — Passed (floor announcement; vote tallies not specified in the floor record excerpt).
- S.B. 1274 (environmental regulatory/coal combustion residuals permitting) — Passed; sponsors described it as creating a state CCR permit program for submission to EPA (floor announcement; vote tallies not specified in the floor record excerpt).
- S.B. 111 (alcoholic beverage tasting rooms for co-located winery/distillery) — Passed (floor announcement; vote tallies not specified in the floor record excerpt).
- S.B. 263 (declaratory language on international organizations’ jurisdiction) — Passed (floor announcement; vote tallies not specified in the floor record excerpt).
- H.B. 622 (hiring by governmental entities, as amended) — Passed (roll-call recorded on the floor; final tally reported by the clerk).

Why it matters: the ceremonial recognitions underscored local historical tourism and state pride around Dayton’s Scopes trial centennial and highlighted a high-profile commentator on women’s sports; the legislative actions advance policy changes affecting vocational services and vendor access on public property, public-records enforcement, environmental regulation of coal ash, and state policies on hiring and government DEI-related practices.

What’s next: a number of constitutional amendment resolutions that were read to the House (including measures on property-tax authority, victims’ rights and bail) were set for later third readings or for submission to voters; other passed bills will proceed per the Legislature’s calendar and interchamber process.

Votes and formal actions are summarized from the House floor transcript; tallies and roll-call details are reported where they were explicitly read into the record. If a count was not clearly read in the transcript excerpt, that count is marked as not specified in this summary.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","House Floor Session\tApr 17, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","The Tennessee House of Representatives opened its floor session with a resolution commemorating the 100th anniversary of the Scopes trial in Dayton and a separate resolution honoring swimmer and commentator Riley Gaines before advancing a package of bills on vocational services, court fees, public records, coal ash permitting and state hiring rules.","taxTitle","House Floor , House of Representatives, Committees, Legislative, Tennessee","taxId",29556,"location","Tennessee","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6408148,"House advances hiring bill after heated debate over diversity, equity and inclusion language",551,8034000,8585000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3040902-6c28c38d0c527123c071526881dba76a&start=8034&end=8585","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3040902-6c28c38d0c527123c071526881dba76a/thumbnail_8034000.jpg","/articles/6408148/Tennessee/House-advances-hiring-bill-after-heated-debate-over-diversity-equity-and-inclusion-language","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6408148-4cec88eee70467823c65e9885e6dbbf0/orig.mp4?Expires=1770448256&Signature=ngGdIMaONIuiT8hoTbQnVd3QStYUwNY24bpmZOrNcWzV3c~UcVyAuTtvrnquQ-dNcZLGn4oJWz0~t7DmGs8lGMQAaFpFqqBAhdIZDv7MUVyIXsTyqd3RzScl4icB85nQ9mWpy5bME98gKyeogZ5P3DcQgtiFO0CVj~LeZ1FU1LDpH5z2MxTbkXoiZbifUsHd8ivZ-qd9sSB0myKuwe7Rhk5R7P3Dd0wHtFT7qmgLrul1NMxzN7BbqfOcczHk~1DztA0-46UJ3u1fqc8Cjk-r0jDStPkOauHBw3NRuV~gcCY2U8-Oq7yiJO~HV3J~9npOrpWbvTq8JjkFYMRXZUm5ZA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","House Bill 622, a bill dealing with hiring by governmental entities, passed the Tennessee House after lengthy debate and a contested amendment process that produced strong floor statements on both sides of the chamber.

Representative Ron Mayberry, the bill sponsor, asked for passage of House Bill 622 on third and final consideration. The bill drew extended floor debate and a series of amendments. Representative Gloria Johnson offered Amendment 4, which she described forcefully as naming the legislation the “White Fragility Act” in order to draw attention to the bill’s consequences. Johnson argued the bill’s restrictions would harm veterans, people with disabilities and other protected groups and said the measure as drafted would cause “confusion at the federal level” and “hurt all kinds of folks.”

Representative Johnnie Jones offered Amendment 3 (a proposed name change on the floor) and made a floor appeal that the bill represented an attack on racial progress; Jones cited recent Department of Justice settlement activity involving schools and urged the chamber not to “turn back the clock.” His remarks extended beyond the amendment text into a broader critique of the bill’s policy aims.

Supporters of the bill, including members from the majority, argued the legislation was necessary to limit what they described as unchecked policies in the name of diversity, equity and inclusion and to clarify hiring rules. The sponsor repeatedly said he wanted the Legislature to retain oversight of agency practices and to monitor implementation.

Parliamentary maneuvers: The floor saw multiple procedural votes. A member called the previous question on the amendment and the bill; the clerk then conducted votes on the previous-question motion and on the amendments. Amendment 4 drew a roll-call; the transcript records a roll-call announcement of the result and a subsequent floor vote on the underlying bill. After debate and amendment votes the clerk announced the final roll-call for House Bill 622; the clerk’s final tally was announced from the well and the bill was declared passed on the House floor.

Outcome: House Bill 622 was carried on third reading and declared passed by the clerk. The clerk read the final roll-call result as the bill passed; the transcript records the pass and the clerk’s announcement of the tally on the floor. (Where the transcript excerpt did not provide an unambiguous line-by-line count for every procedural object, the final roll-call for the bill’s passage was announced by the clerk and is included in the floor record excerpt.)

Why it matters: The bill affects hiring practices for governmental entities and was the focal point of a broad debate over DEI policies. Proponents said the measure clarifies government hiring authority and restricts external policy influence; opponents warned it would limit protections and harm recruitment and workplace inclusion efforts.

What’s next: With House passage the bill will continue the legislative process; any implementing steps or rulemaking will depend on statutory language enacted and any department or agency tasked with implementing the law.","House Bill 622, a measure governing hiring practices for governmental entities, passed the House after extended floor debate and a contentious amendment fight that focused on provisions affecting diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI).",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6408153,"House approves bill to create state coal-ash permit program; sponsors say it keeps regulation local",200,3954000,4154000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3040902-6c28c38d0c527123c071526881dba76a&start=3954&end=4154","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3040902-6c28c38d0c527123c071526881dba76a/thumbnail_3954000.jpg","/articles/6408153/Tennessee/House-approves-bill-to-create-state-coal-ash-permit-program-sponsors-say-it-keeps-regulation-local","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6408153-41d44d7d9cccb5c9a37738da7027a90a/orig.mp4?Expires=1770448256&Signature=BWnszD1kq~C2fu7Sy0DhhmLiE-cOcQRVbq~vXxAsKc34MVMJ16y4ENHBhGOkdKOhtFpyfkCvFIL0wN9Rdga~k6WGzW8sQQDWtQKHz~PxiCEyjW5cjQ48HwkcCAPmW712x-2KrAWVY5mLy~AwzlGJIye870P6cqo-9IHV8KVNyO7iR7mXaTpPkEGoxALV160PdGEWlzSINaKQ1wVfzRd6ss-WPNKutLjFdFhDG65bnmukc-NFqtswlrE8i9Pn4wTv0bp8tH5NYsTVPKfsaI305bWOWObIb3DQ9qPyEsRbGz1zI6SwcHOZ6aWr83r63ntWORGChOWqd84tloWn9~mOFg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Tennessee House passed Senate Bill 1274 on third reading after floor debate focused on how Tennessee should regulate coal combustion residuals (coal ash) and who should have permitting authority.

Chairman David Todd, speaking as the bill sponsor on the House floor, said the measure “modernizes some things for our Department of Environment and Conservation,” including updating cap fees in the non–Title V air permitting program and removing the CCR landfill permit program from the environmental protection fund structure so the department can “authorize cost recovery for activities related to coal combustion residual disposal units.” He also said the bill would “modify the prohibition of the disposal of coal ash in an online facility to allow TDEC to permit and regulate these online CCR disposal units.”

Representative Jeremy Pearson raised concerns about communities in his district, citing the Tennessee Valley Authority’s coal ash ponds and the historical Kingston spill. Pearson asked why CCR disposal units were removed from the existing oversight structure and whether the bill would weaken EPA oversight or state protections. He said constituents in affected areas want strong enforcement and oversight.

Todd replied the bill establishes a framework for TDEC to develop a state coal combustion residual landfill permit program that can be submitted to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for approval. Todd said the intent was to keep regulation and enforcement in Tennessee, noting in floor remarks that “we would much prefer our own department to deal with our citizens rather than have federal folks in our backyards.”

Supporters argued state-level authority will allow Tennesseans to press local regulators directly when problems arise; opponents warned of potential gaps in federal oversight. The sponsor and backers said the bill meets or exceeds EPA minimum standards and will allow the state to recover permitting costs and streamline operations within the Division of Mineral and Geologic Resources.

Outcome: The bill received a favorable vote on the House floor and was reported as passed; the clerk announced the matter as carried on third reading and ordered to the appropriate next step. The floor transcript included debate and questions from members; a clerk’s roll-call readout was announced, though the transcript excerpt does not include a clear, unambiguous roll-call tally in the provided excerpt.

Why it matters: Senators and representatives said the measure is intended to ensure state-level responsiveness to local complaints about CCR disposal and to create a regulatory mechanism to handle permitting and cost recovery. The agency that would implement the program is the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC); the program would be developed in line with federal EPA requirements and would require EPA approval to operate as the state program.

What’s next: If TDEC develops the permit program under the statute, it will need to submit rules or a program to EPA for approval and begin implementation and cost-recovery procedures as allowed by the law.","The Tennessee House passed Senate Bill 1274, a measure sponsors say will let the state create a coal combustion residual (CCR) landfill permitting program and recover costs for CCR activities. Sponsors framed the change as a way to keep oversight at the state level rather than under direct federal control.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Tennessee House recognizes Scopes centennial and swimmer Raleigh Gaines as session advances multiple bills

House advances hiring bill after heated debate over diversity, equity and inclusion language

House approves bill to create state coal-ash permit program; sponsors say it keeps regulation local