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the harassment of individual corporations.”
Of the estimated 100,000 businesses that would be eligible for a rebate under the proposal, 62% of the refund claims would be for $5,000 or less and 98% of the total number of claims would be for amounts $50,000 or less, according to NFIB.
Sen. Heidi Campbell, D-Nashville, who last month proposed a wider-ranging amendment aimed at transparency that Republican colleagues voted down, said she hopes to see transparency measures the House added stay in the bill.
“Tennesseans need to know where their tax dollars are going, especially since we voluntarily decided to give Tennesseans’ tax dollars back to corporations,” Campbell said.
Jones opponent files petition challenge
Republican House candidate Laura Nelson wants to challenge the qualifying petition of Rep. Justin Jones, D-Nashville, in the District 52 race.
Nelson’s campaign informed the Davidson County Election Commission Thursday it was challenging Jones’ qualifying signatures, though election administrator Jeff Roberts told The Tennessean the Nelson campaign did not provide specifics on what exactly it was challenging.
Roberts said his office has requested further information on the challenge. If the challenge advances, the commission would hold a hearing where both sides could argue their positions.
Though it’s not yet clear what specific grounds Nelson hopes to challenge the petition on, Jones may be in a difficult position: He only submitted 26 signatures on his petition, just one more than the minimum of 25.
Roberts confirmed one signature had already been struck after officials determined the signator did not live in the district, leaving Jones with no room for error on his remaining 25 signatures.
Bulso argues for cousin marriage
Rep. Gino Bulso, R-Brentwood, raised eyebrows in the House on Thursday as he attempted to amend a bill making marriage between first cousins illegal, in part arguing the bill would violate constitutional case law legalizing gay marriage.
Bulso unsuccessfully brought an amendment to allow marriage between two first cousins if they receive genetic counseling, arguing the only state interest in blocking cousin marriage is public health concerns about an increased risk of genetic abnormalities in the offspring of a genetically related couple.
But Bulso, a trial lawyer by training, tried to suggest the bill would be discriminatory against gay couples if the only state interest was preventing reproduction.
Rep. Darren Jernigan, D-Nashville, seemingly baffled by Bulso’s argument, pointed out several states have long had laws on the books blocking cousin marriage, none of which have been found to be unconstitutional.
In a rare move, the majority of House Republicans joined Democrats to block Bulso’s amendments, and Jernigan’s bill passed almost unanimously. Bulson and Rep. Monty Fritts, R-Kingston, voted against the bill.
In a previous committee hearing on the bill, Bulso said his grandparents were first cousins who came to Tennessee to marry.
Senate passes bill to require age verification for porn sites
Tennessee senators this week unanimously passed Senate Bill 1792, which would require porn websites to verify all users are 18 or older before providing access to explicit content.
Age verification would require submission of a U.S.issued photo ID or a similar method. Failure by websites to verify age would be a Class C felony, punishable by three to 15 years in prison and fines of up to $10,000. The attorney general would be empowered to bring legal action against companies who fail to do so.
The bill is behind the budget in the House. If successful, it would take effect Jan. 1, 2025.
Eight states currently have age verification laws in effect, including North Carolina, Virginia, Arkansas and Mississippi, and 16 more are considering similar bills this year.
Ogles opponent withdraws
A Republican primary candidate challenging U.S. Rep. Andy Ogles, R-Columbia, plans to withdraw from the race, just a few days after the qualifying deadline.
Tom Guarente, a Brentwood cybersecurity executive, will step aside, leaving the GOP primary for incumbent Ogles and Metro Nashville Council member Courtney Johnston.
In a statement. Guarente said the 5th Congressional District and “the Republican party as a whole deserve a new representative in Congress,” suggesting he’d back Johnston’s bid to unseat Ogles.
“There’s an old saying about doing something for the greater good,” Guarente said. “Today, I am doing just that. Despite receiving generous financial and moral support from countless Tennesseans, I have decided not to run for Congress in TN-05 this election cycle. My decision follows prayer and discussion with those I trust and respect. Ultimately, I am choosing not to fracture the party.”
Hagerty attends White House state dinner
Republican U.S. Sen. Bill Hagerty attended a state dinner at the White House hosted by President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden to honor Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and his wife.
Hagerty served as ambassador to Japan in the Trump administration. He sponsored a resolution honoring Kishida’s visit to the United States this week.
Also among the invited guests were Nashville businessmen Bill Freeman and Tom Loftis.
Hagerty’s office did not respond to a request for comment.
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