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The Tennessee Conservative [By Adelia Kirchner] –
A bill to establish “major safeguards to strengthen election integrity in Tennessee” by setting up new verification systems and requiring visual distinctions on the face of photo IDs is scheduled for consideration in both a Senate committee and a House subcommittee this week.
This legislation does three main things:
- Requires the Secretary of State to work with local and state election officials to create a secure electronic portal for county election administrators to verify U.S. citizenship and voter eligibility by January of 2025.
- Requires the coordinator of elections, in collaboration with the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, to create a similar portal to verify whether someone is ineligible to vote because of a felony conviction by January of 2025.
- Requires a visual distinction, such as a color or font on the face of a photo identification license, to differentiate the class designation for the purpose of voting.
Senate Bill 0133 (SB0133), sponsored by Sen. Jack Johnson (R-Franklin-District 27), is scheduled for a hearing in the Senate State and Local Government Committee during a 10:30AM (CST) meeting on Tuesday, April 1st, 2025.
Contact information for committee members can be found below.
Sen.richard.briggs@capitol.tn.gov, sen.page.walley@capitol.tn.gov, sen.tom.hatcher@capitol.tn.gov, sen.todd.gardenhire@capitol.tn.gov, sen.ed.jackson@capitol.tn.gov, sen.sara.kyle@capitol.tn.gov, sen.adam.lowe@capitol.tn.gov, sen.kerry.roberts@capitol.tn.gov, sen.jeff.yarbro@capitol.tn.gov
The companion House Bill 69 (HB0069), sponsored by Rep. William Lamberth (R-Portland-District 44), most recently passed the House Transportation Committee by an 18-1 vote.
The House bill is scheduled for a hearing in the House Finance, Ways and Means Subcommittee during an 11AM (CST) meeting on Wednesday, April 2nd, 2025.
Contact information for subcommittee members can be found below.
Rep.ryan.williams@capitol.tn.gov, rep.kip.capley@capitol.tn.gov, rep.jesse.chism@capitol.tn.gov, rep.mark.cochran@capitol.tn.gov, rep.john.crawford@capitol.tn.gov, rep.ron.gant@capitol.tn.gov, rep.john.gillespie@capitol.tn.gov, rep.gary.hicks@capitol.tn.gov, rep.tim.hicks@capitol.tn.gov, rep.antonio.parkinson@capitol.tn.gov, rep.lee.reeves@capitol.tn.gov, rep.johnny.shaw@capitol.tn.gov, rep.jason.zachary@capitol.tn.gov
About the Author: Adelia Kirchner is a Tennessee resident and reporter for the Tennessee Conservative. Currently the host of Subtle Rampage Podcast, she has also worked for the South Dakota State Legislature and interned for Senator Bill Hagerty’s Office in Nashville, Tennessee. Adelia is The Tennessee Conservative’s on-site reporter for the Tennessee General Assembly. You can reach Adelia at adelia@tennesseeconservativenews.com.
