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January 19, 2003Gavel Falls and Inaugural Balls as 103rd General Assembly Begins NASHVILLE--This week on Capitol Hill, the 103rd General Assembly convened at noon on Tuesday (Jan. 14, 2003) for its organizational session as Senate Speaker John Shelton Wilder (D-Somerville) gaveled the session to order. After members and guests stood for the Senate's customary prayer session and Pledge of Allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, the new members and those members who had been reelected to office on Nov. 5, 2002, took the oath of office as family and friends looked on during the solemn occasion. Taking the oath of office for the first time in the Senate were four new Republican Senators, Senators Mae Beavers (R-Mt. Juliet), Jim Bryson (R-Williamson County), Bill Ketron (R-Murfreesboro), and Steve Southerland (R-Hamblen County). Prior to the gavel falling at noon, members of the Senate Republican Caucus gathered in the morning and nominated three of its members to serve on the Fiscal Review Committee. Nominated for Fiscal Review Committee were Senators Bryson, Southerland, and David Fowler (R-Signal Mountain), a veteran returning to begin his third term in office. The full Senate unanimously elected them to serve on that committee Thursday. The Caucus also nominated Senator Beavers as its representative to the Tennessee Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations (TACIR). * * * Senate Actions - Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2003 - First Organizational Day New Senate members and Senate members with odd-numbered districts who had been reelected on Nov. 5, 2002, took the oath of office as the first order of business in Tuesday's session. Joining them in taking that oath was the Senate District 12 interim successor appointed by the Fentress County Commission until a successor is elected by voters in a Special Election to be held on April 15. A vacancy occurred in mid-term for that office as a result of a successful bid for Congress by the previous holder of the seat. * * * The Senate next took up the Adoption of Temporary Rules of the Senate so it could begin operation and conduct its business. * * * The Senate then unanimously elected Senator John Shelton Wilder (D-Somerville) to serve in his 17th two-year term as Speaker of the Senate which position also carries with it the title of Lt. Governor of the state of Tennessee. * * * Senate Actions - Wednesday, Jan. 15, 2003 - Second Organizational Day Members working on the implementation of a state lottery presented a briefing to Senators on the status of research and committee work regarding lottery issues studied as a result of the passage by the people of a Constitutional Amendment which removed the bar against lotteries. In 1834, a Constitutional Convention placed that bar in the Constitution that ultimately became the 1835 Constitution and it had remained there ever since. * * * On Wednesday, the Senate unanimously concurred in House Joint Resolution 4, adopting the report of the audits of the office of the Comptroller of the Treasury and the office of the State Treasurer. The Senate also unanimously concurred in HJR 6 for a Joint Convention with the House of Representatives to elect those two Constitutional officers and administer the oath of office to them after the election. During the subsequent Joint Convention, Steve Adams was reelected as Treasurer and John Morgan was reelected as Comptroller of the Treasury and both were sworn in for their two-year terms. The Secretary of State, another Constitutional Officer position, is in midpoint of a four-year term and was not up for election. * * * Members of the General Assembly approved HJR 5 for the process of certifying the results of the governor's election so a new governor could take office and be sworn in at an Inauguration on Jan. 18, 2003. Article III, Section 2 of the Tennessee Constitution requires the publication of the returns of every election for Governor in the presence of a majority of the members of each house of the General Assembly to determine the election and to declare the results. Since no tie existed, members did not have to cast votes to break a tie. All other elections held on Nov. 5, 2002, had previously been certified by county Election Commissions and the State Election Commission with the Secretary of State having completed the process and then publishing the election results. * * * Senate Actions - Thursday, Jan. 16, 2003 - Third Organizational Day The full Senate elected the three Republican nominees, Senators Beavers, Bryson, and Fowler, as representatives to the Fiscal Review Committee. * * * State Attorney General Paul Summers presented a thorough update of the Small Schools Suit: Part III - Teacher Pay Equity. The long-running suit in its various manifestations has consumed the time and attention of legislators for more than a decade and is considered to be one of the Top Three Issues facing the 103rd General Assembly by virtually every listmaker on Capitol Hill. * * * Senate Actions - Friday, Jan. 17, 2003 - Fourth Organizational Day The Senate received an Interim Report from the Rules Committee regarding proposed changes to the Rules of the Senate before the Temporary Rules are adopted as the Permanent Rules of the Senate. This procedural process rates right up there in the top tier as one of the most Inside of the Insides of insider baseball issues on Capitol Hill. * * * Senate Actions - Saturday, Jan. 18, 2003 - Fifth Organizational Day; First Regular Day The Senate completed its organizational activities on Saturday and the Joint Convention for the Inauguration. Speaker Wilder announced Senate committee assignments and appointed Senator Jo Ann Graves as the new Speaker pro Tem. Senator Rusty Crowe (R-Johnson City) will be the Chairman of Calendar Committee. The Senate convened in Day One of its Regular Session and is now adjourned until Feb. 3 so that committee chairmen and staff can reorganize space for the new session. * * * Bills, Bills, Bills All things considered: Bills are being filed for the new session. As of 3 p.m. (CST) Saturday, January 18, the Senate has 35 Senate bills filed, while the House has 69 bills filed. Senate Joint Resolutions now number 20; House Joint Resolutions 15; Senate Resolutions 0; and House Resolutions 4. The Senate and House have been organized and now have 90 regular session days allowed every two years under Article II, Section 23 of the Constitution for a regular session. Under HJR 7, the Senate and the House recessed and plan to convene in regular session on Monday, Feb. 3, at 5 p.m. During the next two weeks, some committees will meet. * * * Bill Filing Deadlines Loom: Members may file an unlimited number of bills up to a cut-off date on Feb. 13, 2003. After that cut-off point, members can only file nine general bills. The limit does not affect local bills and most resolutions. The nine-bill limit cut-off date is the 10th legislative day. The projected cut-off date is Feb. 24, 2003. -30 - SENATE 103rd GENERAL ASSEMBLY STANDING COMMITTEE APPOINTMENTS FINANCE WAYS & MEANS Chair Henry Vice Chair Kyle Secretary Clabough Atchley Burchett Crutchfield Ford Fowler Haynes Herron Ramsey
COMMERCE LABOR & AGRICULTURE Chair Cooper Vice Chair Clabough Secretary Dixon Bryson Crutchfield Graves Norris Trail Williams
EDUCATION Chair McNally Vice Chair Dixon Secretary Burks Atchley Crutchfield Crowe Graves Ketron Trail
ENVIRONMENT Chair Miller Vice Chair Walker Secretary Beavers Burks Cooper Graves Jackson Ramsey Southerland
GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS Chair Harper Vice Chair Burchett Secretary Bryson Beavers Burks Dixon Kyle Ketron McLeary Southerland Walker SENATE 103rd GENERAL ASSEMBLY STANDING COMMITTEE APPOINTMENTS (CONT.) STATE & LOCAL GOVERNMENT Chair Cohen Vice Chair Kurita Secretary Ketron Burchett Harper Haynes McLeary Miller Ramsey
JUDICIARY Chair Person Vice Chair Norris Secretary Jackson Cohen Fowler Haynes Trail Walker Williams
GENERAL WELFARE Chair Ford Vice Chair Jackson Secretary Crowe Fowler Henry Herron Kurita McNally Person
TRANSPORTATION Chair Williams Vice Chair McLeary Secretary Southerland Beavers Cohen Cooper Kyle Kurita Norris |
