|
Let us never forget those who serve in our Military...
I hope you are doing well today. I believe it is very
important for us to pause today to remember those
who have served in the military and fought for our
freedom. Many sacrificed a tremendous amount,
some gave all. All so that you and I could enjoy daily
the freedoms we have, and often take for
granted. Today, let us pause and remember
their service and sacrifice, let us be thankful, and let
us challenge ourselves to invest back into our
community to honor their service and the freedom they
fought and died for.
There are several Memorial Day services taking place
this weekend. One such event is taking placing today
at Greenbrier City Hall, sponsored by the American
Legion. I have been asked to speak at this event and I
invite you to come and join us as we honor the service
of our military at 9:00 a.m.
There is presently a tremendous amount going on at
the legislature.
Typically, the legislature adjourns this week of May
until next year. However, this year, because of the
budget delays and other issues, we likely have
another four weeks of Session ahead. There are
many
issues that lie ahead for us to work on. One, the
process by which we select our appellate and
supreme court justices in Tennessee, will expire on
June 30 and there has been no agreement on which
process we will use after this date. The first of many
proposals will be debated on the House floor this
Thursday. The second major issue is bonding. The
Governor has proposed doubling the state debt in one
year by borrowing nearly one billion dollars for roads,
bridges, economic and community development,
energy efficiency projects, and more. I believe there
are two things you can not do when you are
experiencing an economic downturn: increase debt or
raise taxes. Both of these only postpone economic
recovery. If we significantly increase our debt load
now, we
will only be setting ourselves up for a tax increase in
the next year or two. The third issue is the state
budget.
The Governor has yet to provide the General Assembly
with his revised budget. We are being told it could be
next week before we see any updated numbers.
Because the state government shuts down on July 1 if
we have not taken action on a budget, I believe it is
important to have as much time as necessary to
review the cuts and borrowing the Governor has
proposed. We will look at these and other important
issues over the next month.
While we have awaited the budget, we have been able
to pass many important conservative issues that have
never had the opportunity to be debated under the
previous House leadership. We have passed
legislation that protects and expands the second
amendment rights of law abiding citizens in this state.
We have also passed legislation that seeks to protect
parental rights. Most importantly, this past week we
witnessed the passage of Senate Joint Resolution
127. SJR127, which has additional
steps before becoming law, seeks to render our
constitution neutral on abortion in order to return the
right to regulate abortion to the people of this state.
This is in response to a 2001 State Supreme Court
case which overturned common sense protections
such as waiting periods, informed consent, parental
notification, and safety regulations on abortion
facilities.
This is the first step in amending our state
constitution. There is a news release detailing
SJR127 below. I was very honored to be a
co-sponsor of this legislation and to see it come to a
vote on the House floor for the first time ever. While it
had been blocked many times in previous years in
subcommittee, upon making it to the floor it passed
with a bi-partisan vote of 77 to 21.
Below you will find a few updates on what has
happened recently in the legislature. I would like to
hear your feedback on the issues we are presently
considering. Please don't hesitate to contact me if
there is anyway I can serve you or any issue you need
help with. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to
serve you in this capacity,
"Our first obligation to them and ourselves is
plain
enough: The United States and the freedom for which
it stands, the freedom for which they died, must
endure and prosper. Their lives remind us that
freedom is not bought cheaply. It has a cost; it
imposes a burden. And just as they whom we
commemorate were willing to sacrifice, so too must
we -- in a less final, less heroic way -- be willing to
give of ourselves."
President Ronald Reagan - Memorial Day
Speech
1983
Pro-life measure overwhelmingly approved by 106th General Assembly: Rep. Evans co-sponsors constitutional amendment
(May 25, 2009, NASHVILLE) - Representative
Evans (R-Greenbrier) today applauded his colleagues
in the State House of Representatives for their
unwavering support of Senate Joint Resolution 127,
which aims to restore to the people of Tennessee
their rightful authority to regulate abortion through their
elected representatives. Representative Evans co-
sponsored the constitutional amendment, which
passed with an overwhelming 77-21 vote.
"There exists a powerful and pivotal passage in our
state's constitution which states that power is inherent
in the people. I am elated that this measure has
passed the General Assembly with overwhelming
support," said Rep. Evans. "We have worked for many
years to see the passage of this measure, and now
we are on track to letting Tennesseans decide this
matter once and for all, instead of activist courts.
The constitutional amendment is in response to the
2001 Tennessee Supreme Court decision in Planned
Parenthood vs Sundquist, when the court created a
right to unregulated abortion. The decision also
prohibited the Tennessee legislature from enacting
regulations governing abortions, arguably making
Tennessee the most liberal in the nation with regards
to abortion laws.
The provision has never cleared the hurdle of the
Public Health Subcommittee in the House.
Republicans have fought since 2001 to pass SJR
127, believing Tennesseans should be allowed to
weigh in on the issue. Republicans have argued that
in the past, the initial vote of six in a subcommittee
silenced six million Tennesseans.
The provision has already passed the Senate with a
24-8 vote, with Senator Diane Black leading as the
prime sponsor. Because it has now passed the 106th
General Assembly by a simple majority, it must pass
the 107th General Assembly by two-thirds before
appearing on the ballot in 2014.
"The passage of this constitutional amendment is
important because in a democracy, the people, not
judges, have the final word on this very critical issue,"
said Rep. Evans. "This is a commonsense measure
that enjoyed bi-partisan support and I want to thank
everyone who had a hand in the process," he
concluded.
Representative Evans, a fiscal conservative, serves
the 66th District in the Tennessee House of
Representatives. His district encompasses all of
Robertson County. He was elected in November of
2008, and is a member of the House Health and
Human Resources and State and Local Government
Committees. You can contact Evans by e-mail at
Rep.Joshua.Evans@capitol.tn.gov or by phone at 741-
2860.
State sovereignty resolution continues forward: Joins 8 other states in reclaiming state sovereignty
Tennessee joined eight other states this year in
filing resolutions to declare sovereignty under the
Ninth and Tenth Amendments to the United States
Constitution. Last week, House Joint Resolution 108
cleared the committee system, and will now be on the
House floor Tuesday afternoon.
The Ninth Amendment reads, "The enumeration in the
Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed
to deny or disparage others retained by the people."
The Tenth Amendment specifically provides, "The
powers not delegated to the United States by the
Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are
reserved to the States respectively, or to the people."
The resolutions have been filed in response to what
many state lawmakers believe is an increased level of
fiscal irresponsibility on the federal level, and over-
reaching by the federal government. Lawmakers in
Tennessee argued that the federal government has
handed down a series of unfunded mandates and
directives that are dangerously close to violating the
Ninth and Tenth Amendments of the Constitution.
House to begin debate on appropriations bill next week; technical corrections also scheduled for presentation
As the nation faces an economic slump,
Tennessee's State Funding Board recently returned
dismal revenue projections for next year. In response,
the Administration acknowledged that cuts and
reductions cannot be ruled out to solve a pressing
budget issue. The General Assembly will begin next
week to review the appropriations bill, which funds the
bulk of state government, and the technical
corrections bill.
House lawmakers said this week they would remain
vigilant on dissecting the technical corrections bill,
after discovering a provision in last year's legislation
that would have done away with Family Owned Non-
Corporate Entities (FONCEs).
Lawmakers fight for public charter school legislation despite opposition
After weeks of debate in both the House K-12
Education Subcommittee and the full House
Education Committee, a group of lawmakers locked
down against public charter school legislation that
would have expanded educational opportunities for
children across the state.
House Bill 2146, which has already passed the
Senate, would expand public charter school
enrollment to all "at-risk" students, giving more
Tennessee students more educational opportunities
than ever before. Proponents of the legislation blasted
the opposition for not supporting solid policy that
would improve the lives of thousands of Tennessee
students.
Proponents were disappointed, saying that the
measure is needed now more than ever, and is
particularly critical in urban parts of the state such
Davidson County. The sponsor pledged to work with
her colleagues on the Education Committee to reach
an accord so that the legislation could be brought up
before session adjourns for the year.
Public charter schools are public schools that are
given flexibility to operate without the constraints of
some of the rules and regulations normally imposed
on traditional schools. In exchange for this flexibility,
they are held accountable for performance through a
charter, which is an agreement between the local
education agency (LEA) and the charter school. It
requires a strenuous approval process by the LEA
and an equally tough renewal process of the charter
every five years. Tennessee has stringent
accountability measures that ensure the schools are
performing well.
Tennessee now has 16 public charter schools, with
six more opening in the fall. The state currently has
one of the most restrictive public charter school laws
in the nation.
In Case You Missed It...
- House Bill 1354, co-sponsored by Rep. Evans,
the "Sanctuary Cities" legislation, passed the Judiciary
Committee this week and now moves to the Budget
Subcommittee. A "sanctuary city" is a term given to a
city in the United States that follows certain practices
to protect illegal aliens. Thirty-eight cities in the U.S.
have been recognized as sanctuary cities, but many
sources have identified over 200 city or county
governments nationwide as having practiced such
policies. The bill aims to discourage any Tennessee
city from declaring itself a "sanctuary city" for illegal
aliens, and aims to be a pre-emptive strike to guard
against the adoptions of such policies by cities in the
state.
- The House Health and Human Resources
Committee has approved legislation to ban local
health boards from imposing requirements on
restaurants to provide nutritional information on
menus, without a vote of the local elected body. House
Bill
950 now faces the Government Operations
Committee, and has already passed in the Senate.
The concern is that some communities will impose
different standards and significantly increase costs to
small restaurant owners. In March, Davidson
County's Metro Board of Health voted to enact
guidelines on providing nutritional information to
customers for certain restaurants, even though
Congress is considering the Federal LEAN Act. That
act would implement a national standard generally
accepted by restaurant owners to provide nutritional
information to customers. Adopting a county-by-
county approach to the disclosure of nutritional
information increases costs to restaurants, many of
whom are small business owners.
- A proposal that would allow Tennesseans to ship
wine directly to their homes was passed by the House
this week with a 78-17-3 vote, after months of
negotiations. Specifically, House Bill 1155 stipulates
that Tennessee consumers may purchase up to one
case of wine per month, or no more than three per
year, through direct shipment from a winery to their
home. Upon delivery, proof of legal drinking age must
be shown. Supporters also say the bill has the
potential to bring a large amount of revenue to the
state, and can also create jobs and spur
entrepreneurship. Budget analysts say the legislation
will bring in roughly $4.6 million in the revenue the first
year, and almost $10 million in subsequent years.
Local governments stand to receive between $1.1 and
$2.2 million per year.
- A House panel has approved a measure that
directs the Select Oversight Committee on Education
to study the authorization of cyber-based charter
schools in Tennessee and to report back to the
General Assembly by January 15, 2010. Cyber
schools have gained in popularity over the last several
years as yet another educational option. Cyber
schools primarily use a computer-based curriculum
and accountability methods via Internet access.
House members believe the public cyber charter
option is an attractive alternative for untraditional
students or those with home-based needs. House Bill
1525 will now be heard in the House Finance, Ways
and Means Committee.
- House Bill 250, co-sponsored by Rep. Evans,
passed on the House floor last Thursday, and aims to
discourage underage drinking. The bill creates a
misdemeanor offense of knowingly allowing a minor
to drink or possess alcohol. The bill also contains a
provision for failing to stop a minor from drinking.
- The House Judiciary Committee approved
House Bill 1762, which aims to protect parental rights.
The bill, which was debated for nearly four hours after
Democrats attempted to block the measure, requires
doctors and hospitals treating minor children to
release the results of medical tests and procedures
performed to the child's parents upon request.
The Week Ahead...
Monday, May 25, 2009
9:00 a.m. - Memorial Day Service - Greenbrier City
Hall
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
3:00 p.m. - House in Session - House
Chambers
Thursday, May 28, 2009
9:00 a.m. - House in Session - House Chambers
Click to View - House Full Schedule & Calendars
|
Legislative Office
207 War Memorial Building
Nashville, TN 37243
www.capitol.tn.gov
Phone:
615.741.2860
District Contact
513 Memorial Blvd, #312
Springfield, TN 37172
www.RepJoshuaEvans.com
Phone:
615.948.1376
My Quick Links...
Legislative Website
Local Website
District Survey
Legislation I'm Sponsoring
Legislation Search
Weekly House Schedule
House Streaming Video
Facebook Page
Follow on Twitter
|
