NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Months after Tennessee lawmakers finished a chaotic legislative session, many of the most hotly contested laws are poised to take effect Saturday, including measures on medical procedures for transgender children, police oversight, school safety and teacher pay.
The new fiscal year begins July 1 in Tennessee, meaning the latest state spending plan and a slew of new statutes will be implemented.
This year, hundreds of laws were passed by the state’s GOP-controlled General Assembly and signed by Republican Gov. Bill Lee, who has yet to veto a bill.
But the most hectic portion of the monthslong legislative session occurred in the spring, when two Democratic lawmakers were expelled — and another avoided expulsion by just one vote — for participating in a protest seeking stronger gun control laws on the state House floor. After a shooting in March that killed six people at a Nashville school, protesters renewed their call for lawmakers to limit gun access.
Ultimately, Republican lawmakers refused. Instead, the debate will continue at a special session scheduled for later this summer.