The Equity Alliance’s Day on the Hill is an annual trip to Capitol Hill for everyday Black Tennesseans, other stakeholders and coalition partners to unify, hear, discuss and present the most pressing issues and its impact on Black Tennesseans to shape and influence policy decisions by the General Assembly.
We bring together a diverse group of community leaders, advocates and legislators to promote a greater democracy for all.
Keep scrolling for all you need to know to get the most out of this interactive experience!
Day on the Hill Agenda
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BILLS WE’RE WATCHING
Civic Engagement
- HB 1955 (Rudd-R)/SB 2586 (Taylor-R) -ThinkTN
Election Laws- This would require voter registration organizations to register with the state for each election cycle before collecting applications. It would place new responsibilities on the coordinator of elections to track and monitor applications collected by third parties and disqualify anyone with a felony from registering others to vote. - HB 2294 (Rudd-R)/SB 1967 (Briggs-R) –ThinkTN
Election Laws- Seeks to change the deadline for requesting absentee applications from 7 to 10 days before Election Day. Since Tennessee voters are required to return absentee ballots by mail, it would be difficult for ballots requested on the last available day to be returned in time to be counted.
Protecting the Democracy- Retaliatory Bills Related to the Tennessee Three
- HJR 0706-Joint Resolution -ThinkTN
Would prohibit expelled members of the general assembly from applying for office for four years.
- HB 2716/ SB 2634 -ThinkTN
General Assembly – As introduced, prohibits a local legislative body from electing a member, who was expelled for disorderly behavior, to fill a vacancy in the general assembly that was created because of the member’s expulsion.
Economic Empowerment
- HB 2725 (McKenzie)/SB 2532 (Lamar) | Allows Inclusive Zoning -ThinkTN
Housing – As introduced, removes the prohibition of inclusionary zoning.
Education
- Fourth Grade Retention – no bill number yet; a fix is in the works
- HB 0255 (Raper)/ SB 0208 (Lowe) | Free Lunch Program
Local Education Agencies – As introduced, requires each local school board to establish a school lunch program and a school breakfast program that provides a free breakfast and lunch to each student enrolled in a school under the board’s jurisdiction.
- HB 2468 (Lamberth) / SB 2787 (Johnson) | School Vouchers -Tennessee Education Association
Education – As introduced, requires the Department of Education to study the school choice programs available in other states and to submit a report of the department’s findings to the governor, the speaker of the House of Representatives, and the Speaker of the Senate no later than January 1, 2025. - HB 1605 (Bulso) / SB 1722 (Hensely) | Flag Ban -Tennessee Education Association
As introduced, prohibits LEAs and public charter schools from displaying in public schools flags other than the official United States flag and the official Tennessee state flag.” This bill would have an impact on the flying of Pride and Black Lives Matter flags at school and many other flags.
Justice
- HB 1719 (Gillespie)/ SB 2625 (Taylor) -Memphis For All
Bail, Bail Bonds – As introduced, removes the defendant’s financial condition as a consideration for the magistrate in determining the amount of bail necessary to reasonably assure the appearance of the defendant at trial and protect the safety of the public. - HB 2630 (Baum) / SB 2679 (White) -Memphis For All
Bail, Bail Bonds – As introduced, prohibits a clerk of court from accepting a cash bail deposit presented by a charitable bail organization on behalf of a defendant; excludes a person soliciting donations with respect to a defendant who is related to the person by blood, marriage, or adoption from the meaning of “charitable bail organization. - HB 1663 ( Lamberth) / SB 1834 (Johnson) –TNADP
Sentencing – As introduced, authorizes the death penalty as a punishment for rape of a child, aggravated rape of a child, or especially aggravated rape of a child. - HB 1930 ( Gillespie) / SB 2571 (Taylor) –TNADP
Juvenile Offenders – As introduced, enacts the “Parental Accountability Act,” requiring the juvenile court to assess a fine of $1,000 against a child who is found to be delinquent for a second or subsequent delinquent act, to be paid by the child’s parent, legal custodian, or guardian who had custody of the child at the time of the offense; permits the court to require the parent, legal custodian, or guardian to perform community service work instead of the mandatory fine if indigent.
Strengthening our Democracy
- HB 1949 (Ragan) / SB 2781 (Bowling) -TN Equality Project
Anti-Trans Bathroom Bill
As introduced, expands the offense of observation without consent to include a person or entity that adopts rules or enforces a policy or other work-related guidance for employees or contractors to promote or assist in the commission of observation without consent in a place where there is a reasonable expectation of privacy, including a restroom, locker room, dressing room, or shower, designated for multi-person, single-sex use; creates a civil action for invasion of privacy based on a violation of observation without consent.The worst anti-trans bathroom bill ever seen; would make everyone the bathroom police; it empowers people to police against them and weaponizes it and focuses it on trans and nonbinary people; it will only be beaten if businesses push back.
- HB 1730 (Capley) | SB 1717 (Hensley) -TIRRC Votes
English Only Driver’s License: Aims to require all written driver’s license examinations to be administered in English only; prohibits the use of a translation dictionary, electronic device, or interpreter to assist with the examination.This bill is regressive and would harm our economy by making it more difficult for some workers to get licensed and drive to their workplaces
- HB 2078 (Richey) / SB 2802 (Hensley) Transportation Ban -TIRRC Votes
Ban on transporting anyone who is undocumented into the state with a Class A misdemeanor for driving with someone in a car that’s undocumented. The bill also increases from $1,000 to $5,000 the fine for transporting anyone who is undocumented. This bill would criminalize families for just driving with their undocumented loved ones in and/or through our state.
- HB 2124 (Grills) / SB 2576 (Taylor) –TIRRC Votes
Law Enforcement & ICE Collaboration: Would require all local law enforcement agencies in Tennessee to communicate, corporate and assist federal immigration officials in detaining (ICE), removing and separating immigrant Tennessean families. This places a tremendous burden on local law enforcement agencies and hinders their ability to meet the needs of local residents by requiring them to operate as immigration agents.
- HB 2105 (Dixie) | SB 1808 (Campbell)-TIRRC Votes
Offense | Driver’s Privilege Card: Creating a driver’s privilege card for undocumented citizens.would create a driver’s Privilege Card for undocumented Tennesseans who meet certain residency and tax requirements. This bill would improve safety on the roads for all.
Healthcare
- HB 1943 (Johnson, G.) / SB 1804 (Oliver) -TN Advocates for Planned Parenthood
TN Contraceptive Freedom Act: Aims to protect the right to use or refuse contraceptives; it defines contraception and differentiates it from abortion; includes emergency contraceptives, hormonal IUD, other contraceptives, fertility awareness-based methods, and sterilization procedures; also establishes requirements for healthcare professionals to provide access to contraceptive and family planning services and for insurance companies to cover or to provide access to uninsured Tennesseans; explicit statements restricting on what an organization like Planned Parenthood could do in providing these services.