Each piece of legislation that is proposed in the Tennessee House and Senate is reviewed for its financial impact on the state budget. This result of this review is recorded as a document called a fiscal note. In lean economic times, many legislators are reticent to vote in favor of a bill with a significant fiscal note because then they would have to justify the spending and may have to provide a method to fund the legislation. Currently, Stacey Campfield’s perpetual bill that would make it so ”no public elementary or middle school shall provide any instruction or material that discusses sexual orientation other (more…)
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22
Apr
2011
Don’t Say Fiscal Note
05
Mar
2011
Shhhh…Don’t Say “Gay”
It seems that many people don’t give Tennessee State Senator Stacey Campfield due credit for his subtle political shrewdness. Over the years, Campfield has garnered attention for some outlandish legislative bills like death certificates for aborted fetuses and the right to carry firearms on college campuses. What has raised the most ire of progressive Tennesseans is Campfield’s indefatigable attack of our gay and transgender community. The Tennessee State Department of Education establishes the curriculum that all public schools in the state must adhere to. This includes sex education. Currently, there is no authorized curriculum which introduces, discusses, promotes, or even mentions “homosexuality”. Even so, (more…)
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Don’t Say Gay: Round Two, The House
As most news outlets have reported Tennessee Senate Bill SB0049, which would make it unlawful for a public elementary or middle to “instruct or provide materials referencing any sexuality other than heterosexuality” has passed its Senate committee vote along party lines and makes its way to the full state Senate for debate and floor vote. While I cannot even guess how the Senate will vote on this bill (I didn’t even think it would make it out of committee), it can still be stopped in the house. The House version of the bill is HB0229. Assigned to the General Sub-committee (more…)
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