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The Tennessee Conservative [By Paula Gomes] –
A conservative lawmaker is running a nullification bill again this legislative session, for the fourth year in a row.
Senator Janice Bowling (R-Tullahoma-District 16) is sponsoring Senate Bill 0479 (SB0479) which aims to amend Title 4 of Tennessee Code by adding the “Restoring State Sovereignty Through Nullification Act” as a new chapter.
The companion bill, House Bill 0441 (HB0441) is again being sponsored by Representative Bud Hulsey (R-Kingsport-District 2).
In 2024, the bill was deferred to Summer Study, something that Chairman Richard Briggs (R-Knoxville-District 7) had suggested the year before when Bowling presented the bill in the Senate State and Local Government Committee.
Bowling originally sponsored the bill in 2022 after witnessing the aftermath of pandemic lockdowns, mandates, and restrictions. The bill aims to “end Tennessee’s practical participation with federal actions that it finds constitutionally violate.”
The first year she introduced the proposed legislation, she said, “I think we all have to concur it’s an undeniable fact that our federal government has grown well beyond its specifically enumerated powers.”
The United States Congress is denied certain lawmaking powers by the First Amendment. The U.S. Constitution also denies the federal government powers “not delegated to it.”
As Bowling has stated repeatedly since 2022, while the nullification process is not new, her proposed “Nullification Act” would create an orderly pathway for Tennessee to use the process when invoking state nullification of federal action.
If made law, petitions for nullification would be sent to the Speaker of the House. Upon the verification of signatures to validate the petition, the next step would be the introduction of a “bill of nullification.”
Once a nullification bill is introduced to the General Assembly, it would bypass the usual committee process and be sent straight to the floors of both chambers for a vote.
The bill outlines the different ways nullification could be invoked in the state.
1. By an Executive Order of the Governor of Tennessee
2. By the introduction of a “bill of nullification” by a member of the General Assembly
3. By a finding or holding of nullification from a Tennessee court
4. By a petition of the executive or legislative bodies of 10 cities and/or counties
5. By a petition of 2,000 registered state voters
About the Author: Paula Gomes is a Tennessee resident and reporter for The Tennessee Conservative. You can reach Paula at paula@tennesseeconservativenews.com.