Today at noon, legislators will gather in Nashville for the start of the 112th Tennessee General Assembly. While it may be the beginning of a new legislative session, one thing is likely to remain the same: the attacks on Tennessee's working families.
Last year, State Senator Brian Kelsey led the charge to enshrine Tennessee's harmful Right to Work law in the state constitution.
This resolution would make workplaces more dangerous, keep millions of Tennesseans struggling to make ends meet for generations to come, and set a dangerous precedent of amending the Tennessee constitution to cater to a political agenda. After passing both the House and Senate along mostly party lines, Senator Kelsey wasted no time in refiling the legislation to be heard for a second time, the next step in the process of amending the Tennessee constitution.
Fortunately, you can take action now before session even begins. Click here to tell your state representative and senator to vote "NO" on SJR 0002!
Working families in Tennessee need real solutions to real problems, like the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and the struggling economy, not bitter attacks on the freedom to join together and bargain for a fair return on our work.
While SJR 0002 is unlikely to be heard before the end of January due to the special session on education and the traditional reorganization period, we are asking all of our members to take a moment and remind their own legislators about this harmful resolution and ask them to vote against it. Once committee assignments are made, we will be sharing additional information about specific lawmakers who will need to be contacted, but we'd like for all legislators to hear from their constituents right now.
Thank you for taking action and joining together in solidarity with us as we fight for all of Tennessee's working families, today and in the future.
Several Important, Pre-Session Notes
Last year, State Senator Brian Kelsey led the charge to enshrine Tennessee's harmful Right to Work law in the state constitution.
This resolution would make workplaces more dangerous, keep millions of Tennesseans struggling to make ends meet for generations to come, and set a dangerous precedent of amending the Tennessee constitution to cater to a political agenda. After passing both the House and Senate along mostly party lines, Senator Kelsey wasted no time in refiling the legislation to be heard for a second time, the next step in the process of amending the Tennessee constitution.
Fortunately, you can take action now before session even begins. Click here to tell your state representative and senator to vote "NO" on SJR 0002!
Working families in Tennessee need real solutions to real problems, like the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and the struggling economy, not bitter attacks on the freedom to join together and bargain for a fair return on our work.
While SJR 0002 is unlikely to be heard before the end of January due to the special session on education and the traditional reorganization period, we are asking all of our members to take a moment and remind their own legislators about this harmful resolution and ask them to vote against it. Once committee assignments are made, we will be sharing additional information about specific lawmakers who will need to be contacted, but we'd like for all legislators to hear from their constituents right now.
Thank you for taking action and joining together in solidarity with us as we fight for all of Tennessee's working families, today and in the future.
Several Important, Pre-Session Notes
- Our weekly legislative updates are tentatively scheduled to begin in late January or early February once regular business gets underway. If the need arises to send one out before then, we will do so.
- Don't forget to keep an eye on our Facebook and Twitter pages for any urgent updates. A special social media toolkit focused on the Right to Work constitutional amendment is being finalized and will be sent out next week. It contains talking points, social media graphics, sample letters to the editor, and more. Changes and updates will likely be made as session progresses.
- While the amendment seeking to enshrine Tennessee's Right to Work law in the state constitution is obviously our top priority right now, it might be the tip of the iceberg in terms of harmful bills that are filed. We are checking the list of newly-introduced legislation daily and will alert all of you to any additional calls to action.
- Due to COVID-19, public access (including our access) to the Cordell Hull Building will be very limited. Visits with both House and Senate members will take place by appointment only. A limited number of people will be allowed in the House committee rooms and in the gallery, but no guests will be allowed in the Senate committee rooms or gallery. We expect most, if not all, of our work to be done virtually this year. This is subject to change throughout session, so we will keep you updated.