Three things to watch in the legislature
NASHVILLE – Legislative business on Capitol Hill in Nashville is wrapping up. The Senate won’t meet on Monday, as they await the House to catch up in committees.
The word being spread by chamber leaders is that the House will be ready to consider the budget by April 17. Lt. Gov. Randy McNally has said the Senate will be wrapped “any day.” McNally estimated legislative business would wrap around April 19.
Weekly legislative calendars are shrinking and will likely bottleneck with a rush of urgency at the end.
Since the beginning of the legislature, we’ve highlighted most of the more notable, controversial and strange bills, but here’s a list of what we have this week.
Here are three things to watch.
Wine on Sundays
Tennesseans hoping to be able to buy wine in grocery stores on Sundays and holidays will want to tune in to the legislature this week.
The previous legislation to initially allow wine sales in grocery stores featured a lengthy House floor debate that lasted more than an hour when it was up for consideration in 2014.
It would hardly be surprising for a similarly long-winded deliberation on Monday when the House is set to take up HB 1540, which would also allow liquor stores to be open on Sundays. The chamber will convene at 5 p.m.
The Senate has also listed the measure on its Wednesday agenda.
State audits of high school sports associations
Lawmakers this session have considered a measure that would broaden the state’s oversight of schools systems’ participation in various athletic associations, particularly ones that charge hefty dues.
The measure, sponsored by Rep. Cameron Sexton, R-Crossville, and Sen. Paul Bailey, R-Sparta, calls for the comptroller’s office to annually audit any sports association that establishes and enforces bylaws or rules for interscholastic sports for high schools. The entity would have to pay for the audit.
Also, another amendment to the bill would prohibit schools from using public funds to join sports associations that don’t comply with the state’s open meeting laws.
The measure passed in the Senate on March 28 and is scheduled to be heard by the House Government Operations Committee on Tuesday at 1 p.m.
Jordan Buie and Joel Ebert
Private property and eminent domain
The question has been raised this session about whether a government entity should be allowed to seize private land by eminent domain for a project only to not complete the project and then sell the land for more money.
Some lawmakers have argued that doing so would be an example of the government taking advantage of private citizens, while others have said if the land value increases while the government is holding it, the government should be able to sell the land for a higher price.
With this considered, a bill is scheduled to come before the Senate Finance, Ways and Means Committee Tuesday at 2 p.m. that says any private land seized by a government that is not used within 10 years of it being taken, must first be offered for sale to the former property owner.
The former property owners would have 30 days to purchase the property for the lesser of the price what was paid for it or the fair market value of the property. It will be in Senate Hearing Room I.
Reach Reporter Jordan Buie at 615726-5970 or by email at jbuie@tennessean.com. Follow him on Twitter @jordanbuie.