Image Credit: Gov. Bill Lee / Facebook
The Tennessee Conservative [By Adelia Kirchner] –
On Friday, Gov. Bill Lee (R-TN) gave his official stamp of approval on 4 conservative pieces of legislation by signing them into law.
Once a bill or resolution passes in both chambers of the Tennessee legislature, it is sent to the governor’s desk where the governor has the option to sign the bill, veto it, or allow it to become law without his signature.
A Designated Month of Prayer and Fasting
House Joint Resolution 51 (HJR0051), sponsored by Rep. Monty Fritts (R-Kingston-District 32) and Sen. Mark Pody (R-Lebanon-District 17), designates the month of July as a time of prayer and fasting for the “physically able and spiritually inclined” to seek “God’s hand of mercy and healing on Tennessee.”
The resolution passed in the House by an 81-8 vote on March 17th.
It passed in the Senate by a 28-3 vote on April 22nd, the last day of Tennessee’s 2025 legislative session.
Gov. Lee signed HJR0051 into law on May 2nd.
Increased Reporting of Law Enforcement Interactions with Illegal Immigrants
House Bill 833 (HB0833)/Senate Bill 750 (SB0750), sponsored by Rep. Kelly Keisling (R-Byrdstown-District 38) and Sen. Ken Yager (R-Kingston-District 12), “requires each law enforcement agency, except for the Tennessee bureau of investigation, to report monthly to the department of safety each interaction that the law enforcement agency had with illegal aliens over the previous month” and “that such report include the date of the interaction, the number of illegal aliens encountered, and a description of identification documents, if any, in their possession.”
The bill passed 26-5 in the Senate on April 9th.
It received a 75-20 vote in the House on April 15th.
Gov. Lee signed HB0833/SB0750 into law on May 2nd.
Charitable Organizations to be Held Liable for Crimes Committed by Illegal Immigrants
House Bill 811 (HB0811)/Senate Bill 227 (SB0227), sponsored by Rep. Rusty Grills (R-Newbern-District 77) and Sen. Brent Taylor (R-Memphis-District 31), “allows a charitable organization that provides housing to a person whom the charitable organization knows is unlawfully present in the United States to be held liable for a loss, damages, injury, or death resulting from a criminal offense committed by the person who is unlawfully present in the United States while the person is receiving housing services from the charitable organization if the charitable organization’s conduct in providing housing constitutes negligence, gross negligence, or willful and wanton misconduct.”
The bill received passage in the Senate by a 24-4 vote on April 3rd.
It passed in the House by a 70-23 vote on April 16th.
Gov. Lee signed HB0811/SB0227 into law on May 2nd.
Foreign Purchases of Land Required to be Reported to State
House Bill 219 (HB0219)/Senate Bill 519 (SB0519), sponsored by Rep. Jay Reedy (R-Erin-District 74) and Sen. Kerry Roberts (R-Springfield-District 23), requires foreign persons, businesses, and governments, to report agriculture land investments to the U.S. Department of Agriculture under the Agriculture Foreign Investment Disclosure Act of 1978.
The legislation was amended and passed 91-5 in the House on March 27th.
It received a unanimous vote from the Senate on April 15th.
Gov. Lee signed HB0219/SB0519 into law on May 2nd.
About the Author: Adelia Kirchner is a Tennessee resident and reporter for the Tennessee Conservative. Currently the host of Subtle Rampage Podcast, she has also worked for the South Dakota State Legislature and interned for Senator Bill Hagerty’s Office in Nashville, Tennessee. You can reach Adelia at adelia@tennesseeconservativenews.com.
One Response
RINO Bill hits a good lick every now and then.