On April 7, 2025, the House Naming & Designating Committee voted 8-1 to forward House Joint Resolution 318, as amended, to the State and Local Government Committee with a positive recommendation. The resolution urges the governor and the Capitol Commission to create a commemorative "Heritage Gateway" honoring people who helped build the State Capitol.

Representative Shaw, who introduced the resolution, said the measure was an effort "to show that we can work in harmony together" and invited Representative Faizon to explain the amendment. An amendment identified as 7037 was offered and approved by voice vote before the full discussion on the resolution.

Representative Faizon, a co-sponsor, described research conducted with state historians and said the amendment adds names and broader recognition: "We found those and this amendment actually found a few more... and so this is an urging resolution to our governor and to the capitol commission that as they finish the new entrance that they build a bronze or statue or something honoring all the people that we've put in this resolution and we're gonna name it Heritage Gateway." Faizon also told the committee the drafters had difficulty locating names for every individual and said he would not oppose including the names of prisoners if the records can be found.

Representative Jones, who brought a previous resolution naming enslaved people, objected to combining distinct groups in one monument. "Emancipation Hall only names those who are enslaved," Jones said, arguing that the committee's resolution "seems to water down that history and say, we're gonna put slaves with these workers." Jones and other speakers said formerly enslaved people who were forced to labor on the Capitol should be named and set apart from paid workers and overseers. Jones cited earlier work that identified 12 enslaved men and said historians from Tennessee State University and Vanderbilt University contributed to that research.

Sponsor and co-sponsor responses emphasized inclusive recognition. Representative Shaw said the intent was to "recognize the people, whether they were slave owners, slaves, white, black," and suggested a plaque could identify each person's status. Representative Faizon urged the committee not to "get bogged down" and said the plaque would show the variety of people who contributed to constructing the building.

Representative Warner asked whether names of convicted prisoners would be included; Faizon said the drafters "struggled to find" prisoner names but believed 30 to 40 people from prisons had worked on the Capitol. Jones disputed combining those groups on a single monument and argued the enslaved workers' experiences and forced labor should be presented distinctly; he also said state records showed owners were paid $18 for each enslaved person's labor while other workers received different pay rates.

After debate the clerk recorded eight ayes and one nay and the committee forwarded HJR 318, as amended, to State and Local Government with a positive recommendation.