Republican Lawmakers Create Balance Within Community Oversight Boards

In 2019, House Republicans passed House Bill 658, which creates balance within community oversight boards across Tennessee.

The legislation balances both the interests of our citizens to voice their opinion while also protecting the fundamental rights of officers and their families from malicious or politically focused persecution.

As amended, community oversight boards can obtain subpoena power through their local legislative body if the body votes in support of the board’s request. Additionally, the subpoena may not be issued in the form of a blanket authorization; it must specify each document to be produced or each witness to testify and cannot be issued for confidential documents.

Community oversight boards have existed since the 1950s, and there are presently no guidelines outlined in Tennessee state law that defines how they are created, who can serve on them, and what their specific function is.

This important initiative provides much needed structure to all current and future community oversight boards in Tennessee, which is critical to their overall success, as well as overall safety in Tennessee.

Lawmakers Celebrate Annual ‘Ag Day On The Hill’ Event

House lawmakers joined with farmers and agriculture groups from across to celebrate Tennessee’s annual ‘Ag Day on the Hill’eventat the Cordell Hull Building in Nashville earlier this year.

The event coincides with National Agriculture Week and recognizes the important contributions farmers and forestland owners provide to the state and nation.

This year’s ‘Ag Day on the Hill’ focused on forestry as House and Senate Leadership, as well as the Governor squared off in a log sawing competition. The day also included farm animals and gave representatives from agricultural organizations and agencies an opportunity to discuss farming and forestry in Tennessee.

According to Tennessee Farm Bureau, the USDA, the Tennessee Department of Agriculture, and the National Agricultural Statistics Service, Tennessee has more than 66,000 farms representing 10 million acres in production. Approximately 80 percent of land is used for agricultural purposes — including forestry. Additionally, 98 percent of our farms are owned by families and agriculture has a $3.3 billion economic impact on Tennessee.