Image Credit: Gov. Bill Lee / Facebook & capitol.tn.gov
The Tennessee Conservative Staff –
A bill that would have helped to prevent executive branch overreach in the state died in the Tennessee House Public Service Subcommittee after not receiving a second on the motion to hear the bill.
House Bill 1615 (HB1615), sponsored by Representative Bryan Richey (R-Maryville-District 20), would require that the House and Senate both approve with a majority vote the enforcement of a Class A misdemeanor for violation of an executive order.
A motion to hear a bill must receive a second in order for discussion to be opened. Because there was no second on the motion, the bill died in the subcommittee.
The companion Senate Bill 1999 (SB1999), sponsored by Senator Mark Pody (R-Lebanon-District 17), is still scheduled to be heard by the Senate State and Local Government Committee on March 19 but will likely be withdrawn due to the failure of the House bill in subcommittee.
The legislation was likely written in response to the government overreach that occurred in relation to Covid-19 on the part of Gov. Bill Lee.
The bill “as introduced, provides that the violation of an executive order, proclamation, or rule issued by the governor cannot be enforced as a Class A misdemeanor unless such order, proclamation, or rule specifies that such violation is a Class A misdemeanor and the order, proclamation, or rule is approved by a majority vote of both houses of the general assembly. – Amends TCA Title 58, Chapter 2, Part 1.”
In a conversation with Brandon Lewis (founder of The Tennessee Conservative), Gary Humble from Tennessee Stands pointed out:
“In 2020 […] when the governor issued a lockdown order and allowed county mayors to issue mask mandates…In the technical sense of the law, had you been cited for violating those orders you could have been criminally charged with a Class A misdemeanor in the state of Tennessee.”
This legislation aimed to remove that penalty unless an executive order goes through a voting process in both the Tennessee House and Senate and garners a majority vote in both.
If anyone wishes to contact the members of the House Public Service Subcommittee to ask why they chose not to second the bill to be heard, their contact information is available below.
Rep. Iris Rudder (R) – Chair – rep.iris.rudder@capitol.tn.gov – (615) 741-8695
Rep. Rebecca K. Alexander (R) – rep.rebecca.alexander@capitol.tn.gov – (615) 741-2251
Rep. Vincent Dixie (D) – rep.vincent.dixie@capitol.tn.gov – (615) 741-1997
Rep. Rick Eldridge (R) – rep.rick.eldridge@capitol.tn.gov – (615) 741-6877
Rep. Curtis Johnson (R) – rep.curtis.johnson@capitol.tn.gov – (615) 741-4341
Rep. Kelly Keisling (R) – rep.kelly.keisling@capitol.tn.gov – (615) 741-6852
Rep. Dennis Powers (R) – rep.dennis.powers@capitol.tn.gov – (615) 741-3335
rep.iris.rudder@capitol.tn.gov, rep.rebecca.alexander@capitol.tn.gov , rep.vincent.dixie@capitol.tn.gov , rep.rick.eldridge@capitol.tn.gov , rep.curtis.johnson@capitol.tn.gov, rep.kelly.keisling@capitol.tn.gov, rep.dennis.powers@capitol.tn.gov
