Tennessee House of Representatives 112th House Local Government Committee, 23 Mar 2021

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From YouTube: House Local Committee- March 23, 2021

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House Local Committee- March 23, 2021

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Welcome members and guests today is tuesday march 23rd 2021. I hereby call a local government committee to order. Madam clerk, you will call the roll.

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Representatives calfi carr carter, chisholm gant, helton, hodges, holzclaw, leatherwood, love, manus, miller, moody, moon, reedy, rudd, sexton, shaw williams, vice chairman wright, chairman crawford, mr chairman, you have a quorum.

A

Thank you, madam clerk. uh We have 12 bills today on the agenda and uh is there any personal orders that need to be addressed?

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Representative calfi, you're recognized.

C

Thank you, mr chairman she's, getting a lot of attention today, but my lovely wife marilyn's in the back affectionately known here nationally as a silver fox. There.

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Representative hodges we've got the great mayor dirt from montgomery county here today. Just want to welcome.

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Him any more personal orders, seeing none we're ready to move into our agenda item number one house bill 1499 by chairman johnson, to have a motion. Proper motion in second uh represent our chairman johnson you're recognized. Thank.

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You, mr chairman uh house, bill 1499, is a resolution that was brought to our legislative delegation from the county commission in montgomery county.

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uh It passed the commission meeting with a unanimous vote and I can explain a little more, but could could we could we go out of session to hear from the mayor of montgomery county, so he can give you an in-depth ex explanation of this.

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Evolution absolutely sir, they did give us 24 hours notice on contact. So without objection, we'll go out of session and we'll hear from our guest speaker today, montgomery county mayor, jim durrett. Thank you for being here, give us your name and where you're from for the record- and you got three minutes.

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Jim derrick, montgomery county mayor, lifelong resident of montgomery county first, mr chairman, members of the committee, let me say thank you for giving me the opportunity to speak and also to deputy speaker johnson representative hodges. uh Part of our local delegation certainly want to thank them, and I want to thank all of our state reps for what you do uh service is selfless. I know that I do it and I appreciate what y'all do for the state of tennessee.

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Mr chairman, um our hotel, our hotel, motel tax now is currently split between uh our convention and visitors, bureau, tourism, commission, montgomery county and um and what we'd like and the city of carson and what we're? What we're really asking to do here today is that 37.5 of that is dedicated to our tourism commission. We we all know that we're in covid right now, and we all know what that's done to our hotel motel tax industry.

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But if you look back previously, our hotel motel tax in montgomery county with a blessing has grown anywhere from 20 to 26 percent uh in the last three years, and obviously it went down this year and so there's. Actually. This is a county tax, it was instituted by montgomery county, but there's no control of the funds. So, if hypothetically, if that revenue grows 50 percent, the tourism commission still gets 37.5 percent. Of that all we're asking is to allow us to control the funds a little bit more.

G

I think county government should know how the funds are being spent and also it will allow us to maybe fund some things in county government related to tourism. We have a very nice park, downtown called downtown commons, where we have concerts those type things city of clarksville has river fest and that maybe allow if the tourism commit commission does not need all those funds. Allow us to use some of those funds to promote tourism for men with inside our two local governments.

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But most of all, we want to continue to fund tourism in montgomery county I'll, be happy to answer any questions.

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Is there any uh questions from the membership.

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We're out of session can't call no no questions we're back in session and um speaker johnson. You are recognized thank.

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You, mr chairman and uh representative hodges, served on the county commission for a number of years, and I don't know if you had anything to add or not. But.

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Representative hodges you're recognized.

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Thank you for putting me on the spot, deputy speaker yeah. I just would say I'm very supportive. um You know the the fact is right now. If, if that money had it doesn't it can't be controlled by the county, so somebody within that organization give themselves a 400 000 a year. You know bonus and there's nothing that the county government could do to stop that and that's a real problem, and you know I would say that elected officials should always have oversight of tax dollars being spent.

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We have the question on the bill. If there'd be no objection, we will uh we're ready to vote all those in favor of house bill. 1499 moving on, please say: aye oppose no bill moves on to calendar rules.

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Thank you, mr chairman committee, you're.

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Welcome item number two on the agenda today is house bill 553 by chairman whitson. I have a proper motion in second chairman whitson you're recognized.

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Thank you, mr chairman and committee house, bill 553 is for our emergency rescue workers. It adds to the existing list of infectious diseases that are presumed to be on-the-job illnesses during the rare instance where there is a pandemic for which state emergency has been declared.

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Emergency rescue workers are defined in our state code as any person employed full-time by the state or any political subdivision as a firefighter paramedic or emergency medical technician.

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These public employees specifically are specifically defined because they provide emergency medical aid to the public in the regular course of their employment without the protections available in a typical health care setting like a hospital and because they are exposed to or exposed in into infectious diseases, while providing emergency, life-saving medical aid to the public there's existing statute that provides for worker compensation for infectious disease.

H

With that, mr chairman, I renew my motion.

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Any questions for the speaker, we do have a request to speak on the bill. Let me see if they still want to.

H

Mr speaker, there's no questions. uh I renew my motion she's standing by, if need if there was any technical questions, the.

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Question has been called so we're ready to vote on house bill 553 all those in favor. Please say: aye opposed no bill moves on to calendar and rules. Thank you.

H

Mr chairman and committee.

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Item number three on the calendar today house bill 1610 by chairman sapicci. Do I have a motion proper motion in second chairman sapicki, you're recognized on your bill. Thank.

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You, mr chairman, members of the committee, this is a private act, change for the city of columbia. It accomplishes two tasks number one. Is it accomplished the task of streamlining the hiring process for our department, heads and number two? It does some clarification for.

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Oh, that's my train of thought, sorry about that for the um civil service board. So that's all! It does I'll be happy to answer any questions. Any.

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Questions for the sponsor, seeing none we're ready to vote on local bill house bill 1610 by chairman shapi, all in favor, say, ah oppose no bill moves on to calendar and rules. Thank you. Mr chairman item number four by representative todd house bill 1380.. This is a local bill as well. So I have a motion.

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Proper motion in second representative todd, you're, recognized on your bill.

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Thank you, mr chairman. This is a private act for madison county that makes a few changes to the process. That's been in place since 2015 for civil service grievance procedures within the sheriff's department.

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Our current act has little detail on procedure when an employee appeals, a decision to the civil service commission or even standards for evaluating sheriff's disciplinary actions. This is sometimes cause confusion with the commission or the review in court on what standards actually apply.

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So we've added detailed procedures on which, on which party has burden of proof the order of proceedings during a hearing and have given specific definitions for good cause for either discipline or termination by the sheriff.

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Thank you, uh representative todd. Is there any questions for representative todd, seeing none we're ready to vote all those in favor of house bill 1380, please say aye those opposed. No, your bill moves on to calendar and real estate. Chairman item number five house bill, 1611 representative brick, and we got a proper motion in septic. Second representative bricken, I see your bill has an amendment. No, it does not. I'm sorry, you're recognized on your bill, sir.

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Thank you, mr chairman committee. uh This is a local bill brought to me by the city council of telahoma that they have unanimous unanimously uh uh prepared. uh It basically changes the local election of mayor and alderman to coincide with the general election cycle. So it will save the city of telahoma about 30 40 000 a year, so they don't have to elect off seasoned uh mayor and aldermen. So that's the summary of the bill.

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Any questions for representative bricken, seeing none we're ready to vote all those in favor of house bill, 1611, say aye opposed. No, your bill moves on to calendar and rules. Thank.

K

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Item number six chairman jernigan proper motion in second chairman jernigan, you're, recognized on your bill.

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C

Okay, thank you. uh Thank you, chairman uh members. Under the tennessee freedom of speech act, political signs can be put up 60 days before a general election. This bill defines what the general election is it'll be 60 days before early voting starts.

C

I did work with the secretary of state's office and they're fine with the definition change, I'm ready for any questions.

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Any questions for representative jernigan, seeing none we're ready to vote on house bill 0-4-11 all those in favor, please say: aye opposed no bill moves on to calendar and rules. Thank you, jeremy.

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This brings us to item number seven house bill 1276. uh The sponsor has requested we'd be rolled for one week without objection we will roll this for one week.

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Item number eight house bill 1603, uh the sponsor is asked that it be rolled one week without objection. We will roll this bill one week.

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Item number nine on today's calendar house bill 1604. The sponsor has asked that it be rolled one week without objection. We will roll it one week.

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Item number 10 on our calendar today is house bill 1602 by representative darby. We have a proper motion in second on the bill representative darby you're recognized.

C

Thank you, mr chairman. This is a proposed charter amendment for gleason tennessee. It's needed to update the language in a charter and remove the residency requirements for the city recorder, slash treasurer.

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Is there any questions for representative darby.

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Question has been called we're ready to vote on house bill 1602 all those in favor, please say: aye oppose no bill moves on to calendar and rules. Thank you, mr chairman committee.

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Our next item we have on today's calendar is house bill 655 by representative hicks. uh We have a proper motion in second. I I do believe this is your first bill before our committee. Is that not correct.

D

Thank you, mr chairman. Yes, it is.

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Most certainly, most of the time when you come before local fool for the first time, we ask that you uh normally sing, but we will just ask you to recite the uh first part of the general assembly fight song.

D

I'm afraid I'm in trouble there. Okay, all right! You might. I can sing for you, though, if you want me to tell you.

A

Well, since you offered your peer reversal.

D

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Representative, you, you have the mind.

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It might be, it might be terrible.

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All right, representative williams, was you seeking recognition.

D

I just wondered if he knew what the nickname for the comptroller was, if he, if it could help him pass his bill representative hicks.

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You're recognizing.

D

Thank you, mr chairman. No, I need to know that information though.

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D

Williams, uh he is uh called the money cop uh by his predecessor. That's what we called him. So comptroller is a money cop. Even somebody might ask you that on the house floor, that's one reason. Yeah.

A

Might be good to take a few notes. um Representative hicks, your bill is in proper form. We recognize you on it as this time.

D

Thank you, mr chairman. This bill makes government work better by removing an unnecessarily uh filing requirement from municipalities and utility districts. Under current law, municipalities and utility districts are required to file their travel expenses and reimbursement policies with the comptroller's office. These filing requirements are already being checked for compliance through an annual audit report.

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Representative holtzclaw you're recognized chairman, I'm sorry.

J

Thank you chairman.

D

Being a freshman, you could not come up the bill on your own with your own words. You had to you recognize, mr hicks. Thank you, mr chairman. No they're they're starting me out at the very very bottom of the thing here, so I can figure it all out one day I'll be like you, chairman,.

A

Representative holtzclawd, you have a response.

D

Well, with lots of training, and maybe we'll we'll do ride sharing and we can coach all the way back four hours each way to maybe get you in proper alignment.

D

Representative hicks. Thank you, mr chairman. I got a long way to go. Thank you, chairman.

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Representative shaw, you're recognized representative shaw, passes representative cowfey.

C

Thank mr chairman for uh before anybody gives him too hard a time. You all take a look at his hands and feel of his arms. He actually works for a living with a hammer and I don't get my hand my head hammered. So thank you.

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Any other questions seeing none. I I think we're ready to vote on house bill 655, all those in favor, please say: aye opposed. No. Your bill moves on to calendar.

D

Thank you chairman. Thank you, committee,.

A

Item number 12 on our agenda today is house bill 1365 by chairman carter and uh chair lady. Robin smith is going to present that bill for us today. We do have a proper motion. In second uh chairman I mean chair lady smith. You do have some amendments. I do. Mr.

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Chairman and thank you committee, there are two uh uh friendly amendments that were added uh four four six, two five is the first amendment.

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We have a proper motion on amendment four six, two five, any discussion.

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Seeing none, let's place that amendment on the bill, all in favor of amendment 4625, please say: aye opposed. No. That amendment is on the bill. You're recognized on your second amendment.

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Thank you, mr chairman and committee. The second is also 5547. Some definitions.

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Your amendment has been motioned in second, is in proper form. Is there any discussion on amendment 5547, seeing none we're ready to vote on the amendment all in favor of 5547, please say aye opposed. No. That amendment is on the bill. Chair lady smith, you're, now recognized on the bill as amended.

L

Thank you, chairman and committee. uh In the absence of chairman carter, I will attempt to make this a little more eloquent. In my own simple terms, he will tell you all about segregation and the role and the very big, important role that that plays at a local government level as far as the self-insured plans, even our school districts, but suffice it to say that for a couple of years, this committee has been devoted to protecting our local governments and the self-insured plans. There were some gaps through definitions.

L

This essentially is a technical correction bill that makes sure that uh local governments are able to have the protection of segregation and protect their risk, as well as their finances on the the patients that are insured. So, sir I'll be happy to take questions following that.

A

Does anybody have any questions on house bill 1276 as amended, seeing none, I think we're ready to vote all those in favor of house bill 1276 as amended. Moving on to finance, please say: aye. Those opposed no bill moves on to finance. Thank you.

A

Representative carr you're recognized.

D

Just for clarification, did you say house bill 1276.

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H

House bill 1365.

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D

Record, thank you, chairman yeah.

A

Correction for the record, this is house bill 1365 as amended. Moving on to finance. Thank you for catching that chairman. Does anyone have any announcements or personal orders, representative calfi, you're recognized.

C

Thank you, mr chairman. I talked to joan carter this morning and uh the judge typically has chemo on mondays and he's feeling better by wednesday, but she told me he's had 10 really bad days since his last chemo, so we need to keep the judge in our prayers. Thank.

A

You, sir, definitely do that, keep him in our thoughts and prayers, any more announcements or personal orders seeing none. That concludes our business. For the day. We are.

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