111th Tennessee General Assembly Adjourns Sine Die
The Tennessee General Assembly adjourned sine die bringing an end the two-year legislative session shortly after 3 a.m. on Friday. The rare, early morning adjournment was due to hours of negotiations between the House and the Senate on numerous items. The legislature was primarily focused on passing a revised 2020-21 fiscal year budget in response to the … Continued
Senate Passes “Safe Harbor” Bill; Contains Protections for Higher Ed
The “Tennessee Recovery and Safe Harbor Act,” sponsored by Sen. Mike Bell (R-Riceville), passed unanimously on the Senate floor last week. The measure provides protection to a number of private businesses, non-profit agencies, and government institutions and agencies (including UT), against unsupported legal claims associated with the COVID-19 virus. Also, the measure provides an additional … Continued
Senate Passes Newly Revised Budget
The Senate passed a newly revised state budget last Thursday afternoon after a robust discussion on the proposed cuts that are to be implemented over a three-year period to lessen the impact of the state’s revenue shortages and the ability to maintain essential operations. This will be the second scaled back budget passed this legislative … Continued
Congress Passes CARES Act; Governor Lee Issues “Safer-at-Home” Order
Last week, Congress presented and passed the third COVID-19 relief package. The $2 trillion historic Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act will provide economic relief for millions of Americans in a number of capacities including small businesses, health care, education, among others. Projections estimate Tennessee could receive approximately $3 billion of those … Continued
Legislation Tabled, Legislature to Reconvene in June
When the legislature reconvenes on June 1, the bills below are still “live” and could impact UT if passed into law. Although it is yet to be seen whether members will take up new business when they reconvene, limit new business to a supplemental spending bill, or simply adjourn “sine die,” the UT Government … Continued