Grab the arm, adjust the eyepiece and check the objective lenses. This year’s 109th Tennessee General Assembly may come more under the microscope than any in many years.
After all, the session, which gets underway today, will deal with — among other things — a controversial health care plan for certain low-income state residents, potential regulations for abortions, education standards for public school students and a potential gas tax.
Any of the four alone could have a long-term effect on Tennesseans, who in November elected their most Republican legislature since the 19th century.
* Although the General Assembly will be in session this week, the fun won’t begin until Feb. 2, when Gov. Bill Haslam’s special session on his proposed Insure Tennessee plan opens.
The governor wants to use federal Medicaid funds to insure individuals and families who currently cannot get health insurance or who are underinsured, but he wants to do it in a “market-driven” way that attempts to address health care costs and calls for increased personal responsibility for those who are covered.