This Week in Nashville

[Rep. Barbara Cooper]

                                   

March 21, 2014     “either America will destroy ignorance or ignorance will destroy the United States.”     W.E.B. DuBois

This Week in Nashville

 

 

Rep. Barbara Cooper REPORTS

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www.capitol.tn.gov

 

 

THE RED PILL

HTTP://Redpilltraining.ning.com

 

HB  0394/SB  0300

This bill revises the Tennessee Community Gardening Act to remove the permitting process for using vacant public land for gardening and makes various revisions to the Act regarding community gardens, as described below.

 

HJR 0553

General Assembly, Statement of Intent or Position - Acknowledges, renounces, and expresses regret for the Removal Act of 1830 and the Trail of Tears.

 

HB  2445/SB  2495

This bill authorizes the production, sale, possession, and research of industrial hemp.  This bill defines "industrial hemp" as the plants and plant parts of the genera cannabis that do not contain a delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) concentration more than three tenths of one percent on a dry mass basis, grown from certified seed.  This bill requires the department of agriculture to regulate the farming of industrial hemp through a system of licensure and rules.  Any person who grows industrial hemp without a license will be subject to prosecution in the same manner as a person who is growing marijuana.  This bill specifically excludes industrial hemp from the definitions of illegal cannabis and schedule VI controlled substances.  This bill also includes industrial hemp as a farm product under the Right to Farm Act, which means industrial hemp operations will be presumed to not be a nuisance under such Act.

 

HB  1767/SB  1896

Generally, under present law, trial court judges are elected but appellate or supreme court judges are appointed by the governor, after being nominated by the judicial selection commission.  At the end of the appellate or supreme court judge's term, there is a vote on whether to retain or replace such judge. 

 

       This bill removes the present law provisions regarding the nomination, appointment, and performance evaluation of appellate and supreme court judges and instead requires the election of all judges.  This bill specifies that if a vacancy occurs during the term of office of any judge, including an appellate or supreme court judge, then the vacancy would be filled, for the remainder of the unexpired term, by the qualified voters of the state in a contested election held at the next regular August election recurring more than 30 days after the vacancy occurs.  In the meantime, the governor would appoint a person to discharge the duties of such office until the first day of September next succeeding the election.

 

HB 2476/SB2580

Capital Punishment - As introduced, provides that if the lethal injection method of carrying out the punishment of death is found to be unconstitutional or the commissioner certifies to the governor that an essential ingredient for that method is unavailable, the method of carrying out the death sentence is electrocution. - Amends TCA Title 40, Chapter 23, Part 1

 

HB 2205/SB2098

Veterans’ Affairs, Dept. of – As introduced, permits and disabled veteran to receive a free disabled veteran decal to affix to any license plate issued by this state; such decal will afford the disabled driver the same parking privileges as a placard.

 

HB  1929/SB  2115

Under present law the state university and community college system and the University of Tennessee board of trustees are authorized to establish rules defining residency of students, which, when approved by the governor and the chancellor of the state university and community college system, as appropriate, will be used to determine whether out-of-state tuition will be charged to an enrolling student.