Tagged: 2013 TN General Assembly

A proposal seeking to ban basing government hiring preferences on race, gender or ethnicity is dead this session.

Members of a special committee formed to work out differences in the House and Senate versions of the proposal failed to do so Thursday.

The House version says preference wouldn't be based "solely" on a candidate's race, sex or ethnicity. State higher education officials said they were more comfortable with that language.

A measure seeking to change the way certain Tennessee charter schools are authorized has passed the House.

The proposal was approved 62-30 Thursday. It's similar to the Senate version, which is expected to be taken up today on the Senate floor.

A number of attempts by Democrats to amend the bill failed.

A proposal allowing Tennessee school districts to allow people with police training to be armed in schools is headed to Gov. Bill Haslam for his consideration. He is expected to sign it.

The measure was moved Thursday evening after the House voted 72-15 to concur with changes made by the Senate.

The proposal would allow schools to hire retired law enforcement officers after they meet certain requirements, such as completing a 40-hour school security course. The bill would make information about which teachers are armed or which schools allow the guns confidential to anyone but law enforcement.

Both chambers of the Tennessee General Assembly adopted Governor Bill Haslam's $32.8 billion budget proposal.

The Senate unanimously approved the spending plan Wednesday afternoon, and the House followed suit. The House vote came after the chamber rejected a Democratic proposal to include a provision allowing the state to spend up to $3 billion in federal Medicaid money if the governor succeeds in negotiating an expansion under the federal health care law.

Legislation that changes the way certain charter schools are authorized in Tennessee is headed to the Senate floor.

The proposal sponsored by Republican Sen. Dolores Gresham passed the Senate Finance Committee 7-3 Wednesday. The advancing measure is one of at least three proposed versions. The previous version sought to create a state panel to authorize charter schools for five counties where there are failing schools.