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The Tennessee Conservative [By Paula Gomes] –
A bill that aims to expand the first amendment rights of Tennesseans at public meetings will be heard in the House Public Service Subcommittee on Wednesday, February 26th, 2025.
House Bill 0022 (HB0022), sponsored by Representative Elaine Davis (R-Knoxville-District 18), is an expansion of a law that passed last year.
Prior to Davis sponsoring last year’s legislation, there was no state law that required governing bodies to give Tennesseans time to speak at public meetings. While many governing bodies and boards did allow time for public comment, they were not mandated to set aside an allotted amount of time for citizens to speak, something that Tennessee courts had pointed out in the past.
While last year’s bill codified the right for Tennesseans to speak at all open meetings, it only guaranteed their right to speak about items on the agenda of a meeting. HB0022 expands on what citizens may say, and would allow public comment on “any matter germane to the jurisdiction of the governing body, regardless of whether the matter is listed on the agenda for the meeting.”
Davis, a former Knox County Commissioner, was motivated to put forth legislation to enhance citizen input after seeing firsthand that constituents often share good ideas when given the opportunity to speak.
“I remember the amazing ideas that our citizens brought to commission meetings when I served,” Davis told The Tennessee Conservative, “We always had time on the agenda to hear from those people we represented, and they often came up with new ideas that we had not thought of.”
Davis, who is committed to supporting legislation that promotes both good government and free speech, also said last year, “It is important that the voices of citizens are heard and opposing viewpoints receive representation.”
For any Tennessean for whom the expansion of first amendment rights is important, consider contacting members of the subcommittee before Wednesday.
Contact information for members of the House Public Service Subcommittee can be found below.
Rep.iris.rudder@capitol.tn.gov, rep.jeff.burkhart@capitol.tn.gov, rep.rick.eldridge@capitol.tn.gov, rep.jake.mccalmon@capitol.tn.gov, rep.gabby.salinas@capitol.tn.gov, rep.todd.warner@capitol.tn.gov
About the Author: Paula Gomes is a Tennessee resident and reporter for The Tennessee Conservative. You can reach Paula at paula@tennesseeconservativenews.com.
