NASHVILLE — Tennessee lawmakers on Monday moved the state’s spring sales tax holiday from one Easter to another.
The House sent to Gov. Phil Bredesen a bill moving the tax holiday from March 21-23 to April 25-27, the weekend the Greek Orthodox Church celebrates Easter.
“I was wondering if you might want to consider that and possibly move it to another date again,” Rep. Stacey Campfield, R-Knoxville, said.
Rep. Randy Rinks, D-Savannah, who earlier persuaded another Republican to remove an amendment that would make the sales tax holiday permanent, was resistant to another move in the date.
“I think we need to move along with it,” Rep. Rinks said.
House members did just that.
Rep. Rinks said the sales tax holiday was removed from the March date after some of merchants and religious organizations asked that it be changed. Rep. Rinks said he had heard from no one within the Greek Orthodox church.
“I’m sure any date you hit (pick), you could hit some holiday,” he said.
Tennessee also has a sales tax holiday scheduled in August to coincide with back-to-school shopping. During the holidays, state sales tax is not charged on goods such as clothing, school supplies and computers under $1,500.
Shoppers typically save from $8 million to $10 million, according to the state.
Also on Monday:
* The House sent to Gov. Bredesen a bill that would require dates of birth on driver licenses be outlined in red and be the same type size as the license number.
The sponsor, Rep. Doug Overbey, R-Maryville, said the purpose of the bill was to help clerks selling beer more easily ascertain the age of the person buying the beverage.
* Senators voted to extend indefinitely the state’s first-in-the-country universal carding requirement for anyone buying beer. The bill now goes to the House.
* The House voted 71-21 for a bill authorizing liquor-by-the-drink sales at the Fox Cay Restaurant at Island Cove Marina on Highway 58 in Hamilton County. Rep. Harry Tindell, D-Knoxville, sponsored the House bill, and Hamilton County lawmakers split on support.
Sen. Andy Berke, D-Chattanooga, is sponsoring the Senate version. The Senate had scheduled the bill for a vote Monday but it has been reset for March 10.
* Lawmakers learned the General Assembly cannot stop local district attorneys general from plea bargaining on driving-under-the-influence cases, according to a new opinion by Tennessee Attorney General Robert Cooper.
The opinion addresses a bill sponsored by Senate Judiciary Committee Chairwoman Mae Beavers, R-Mount Juliet, which sought to limit district attorneys’ ability to let defendants plead guilty to lesser offenses such as reckless driving.
Andy Sher is a Nashville-based staff writer covering Tennessee state government and politics for the Times Free Press. A Washington correspondent from 1999-2005 for the Times Free Press, Andy previously headed up state Capitol coverage for The Chattanooga Times, worked as a state Capitol reporter for The Nashville Banner and was a contributor to The Tennessee Journal, among other publications. Andy worked for 17 years at The Chattanooga Times covering police, health care, county government, ...
