House K-12 Committee To Discuss Bill Allowing More Public Speakers At School Board Meetings
Photo: During a specially-called meeting of the Wilson County School Board on August 24, 2021, members of the public were not allowed to speak. Pictured are Linda Armistead, Jeff Luttrell and Larry Tomlinson. Photo Credit: Paula Gomes
The Tennessee Conservative [By Jason Vaughn] –
House Bill 1880 would require school boards to allow at least ten people to speak during public meetings. The bill is on the February 15th agenda for the House K-12 Subcommittee.
House Bill 1880 (HB1880), sponsored by Representative Tim Rudd (R-Murfreesboro-District 34), and Senate Bill 1830 (SB1830) sponsored by Senator Joey Hensley (R-Hohenwald-District 28), as introduced would require local boards of education to provide an opportunity for at least 10 people to speak on any topic related to the board for at least three minutes per person at each public meeting and to provide an opportunity for people to submit written public comments to the board.
The bill would amend Tennessee Code – TCA Title 8, Chapter 44, and Title 49, Chapter 2.
Note from the Tennessee Conservative:Â Just a reminder that many good Conservative bills die in subcommittees and committees before they ever see the light of day on the House or Senate floor.
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If you support this bill, contact the subcommittee members in advance of their meeting. Â The contact information for the Republican members (who hold the super-majority vote) can be found below.
House K-12 Subcommittee
Kirk Haston (chair) – rep.kirk.haston@capitol.tn.gov – (615) 741-0750
Michele Carringer – rep.michele.carringer@capitol.tn.gov – (615) 741-1721
Glen Casada – rep.glen.casada@capitol.tn.gov – (615) 741-4389
Scott Cepicky – rep.scott.cepicky@capitol.tn.gov – (615) 741-3005
Chris Hurt – rep.chris.hurt@capitol.tn.gov – (615) 741-2134
John D. Ragan – rep.john.ragan@capitol.tn.gov – (615) 741-4400
Mark White – rep.mark.white@capitol.tn.gov – (615) 741-4415
Companion bill SB1830 has been passed on first and second consideration and was referred to the Senate Education Committee. It has not been placed on the calendar at this time.
About the Author: Jason Vaughn, Media Coordinator for The Tennessee Conservative  ~ Jason previously worked for a legacy publishing company based in Crossville, TN in a variety of roles through his career. Most recently, he served as Deputy Directory for their flagship publication. Prior, he was a freelance journalist writing articles that appeared in the Herald Citizen, the Crossville Chronicle and The Oracle among others. He graduated from Tennessee Technological University with a Bachelor’s in English-Journalism, with minors in Broadcast Journalism and History.  Contact Jason at news@TennesseeConservativeNews.com
