2011 Session Wrap Up

This week the House and Senate worked in marathon floor and committee sessions to finish on May 21^st 2011 at 10pm adjourning five weeks earlier than last year saving the tax payers of Tennessee over $400,000 in per diem and travel expenses.

“That is what this entire session has been about, efficiency, saving money, and creating jobs,” said Senator Tracy. “The leadership of the House and Senate as well as the Governor have worked extremely well together to streamline the way this state operates and in turn saving the tax payers of Tennessee a lot of money. I could not be more proud of the work and legislation we have passed this year.”

Listed below are some of the important pieces of legislation we have passed this session:

• Budget -- The budget represents an overall 3.7 percent decrease from the $32 billion budget adopted last year.  It maintains essential government services by focusing reductions in administrative areas to minimize any impact felt by Tennessee taxpayers. It continues the commitment to education by fully funding the Basic Education Program, provides Hall Tax relief for seniors, and does not increase taxes on Tennesseans.
• Education – Senate Bill 113- Collective Bargaining Reform sponsored by Sen. Johnson, Senate Bill 1523- Charter School Bill sponsored by Sen. Woodson, Senate Bill 1529- Allowing students to take summer classes with the HOPE Scholarship sponsored by Sen. Tracy, Senate Bill 1528- Teacher Tenure Reform sponsored by Sen. Norris, Senate Bill 1707- residential treatment facilities bill sponsored by Sen. Tracy, Senate Bill 1671- Athlete Agent Reform Act of 2011 sponsored by Sen. Tracy.
• Immigration and Homeland Security – Senate Bill 1670- Refugee Resettlement Transparency sponsored by Sen. Tracy, Senate Bill 1669- E-Verify Bill sponsored by Sen. Tracy, Senate Bill 1028- Material Support to Designated Entities Act of 2011 sponsored by Sen. Ketron and co-sponsored by Sen. Tracy.
• Welfare – Senate Bill 96- prohibits persons convicted of a felony drug offense from being eligible for receiving Families First benefits (does not apply to children’s benefits).
• Transportation and Safety – Senate Bill 31 and 32- sponsorship of Help Trucks and 511 system to raise money for the Highway Fund for Road Projects sponsored by Sen. Tracy, Senate Bill 98 allows alarm companies to dispatch immediately to pharmacies when the alarm is set off without having to call first sponsored by Sen. Tracy, Senate Bill 523- Transportation Coordination Bill- creates efficiency within departments sponsored by Sen. Tracy, Senate Bill 1684 Revises enforcement provisions of unmanned traffic surveillance cameras statewide sponsored by Sen. Tracy.
• Storm Shelter Tax Rebate – Creates sales and use tax exemption for purchase of building supplies for construction of storm shelters or prefabricated storm shelters purchased between July and December 2011.
• Controlled Substances and Criminal Offenses – Adds six stimulants that are compounds of methcathinone and used to make plant food and bath salts to list of Schedule I controlled substances, Senate Bill 1659- Adds entertainment services to crimes that constitute theft of service, Senate Bill 1679- Creates a Class A misdemeanor offense of sexual contact by an authority figure which is defined as an adult with supervisory or disciplinary power over a minor, unlawfully kissing the minor for the purpose of sexual arousal or gratification.
• Government Efficiency – Senate Bill 1672- "Freedom in Contracting Act"- must follow state rules if using state money to fund projects sponsored by Sen. Tracy, Senate Bill 1668- reduces from three to one the number of copies of building and utility codes adopted by reference that must be maintained by county clerk for public use sponsored by Sen. Tracy.
• Tort Liability and Reform – Senate Bill 109-limits liability of apiarists under certain circumstances and Senate Bill 386- enacts the “Jobs Creation Lawsuit Reform Act.”
• Senate Joint Resolutions- SJR 221- Proposes an amendment to constitution to ban a state income tax, SJR 127- No state funding of abortions.